A lucky piece arrangement?

This post is dedicated to an interesting piece arrangement involving white King, Rook, Bishop and Knight(s) and black King in helpmate in 3.

Five years ago, with the occasion of the Chess Olympiad in Dresden 2008, a quick composing tourney with two sections was organized. The required theme in the tourney was:

In a h#3 White pins (after a checkless key) his own piece on its first move. The pinned piece delivers check mate.

Crişan, Vlaicu Dresden Olympiads, 2008 1st Prize h#3 b) wSe6->c5   5 + 10

Show Solution A: 1.Bd5 Bxf2 2.Sf4 Bxe3 3.Qd7 Bc5# B: 1.Rd5 Rxe2 2.Sd3 Rxe3 3.Qc7 Re6# The judge Udo Degener praised the construction hoping that no anticipation will be found. The whole play is based on the destruction of two black batteries unpinning the thematic white pieces and black Grimshaw. The black Queen performs a selfblock while unguarding the mating square. [Award of the Dresden 2008 QCT]

One year later, the same piece arrangement leaded to another success in a different tournament:

Loshinsky 100 - about a "Loshinsky-magnet" problem

On the occasion of Lev Loshinsky's coming centenary (Jan.17th), it may be profitable and instructive to return to a problem by Lev Loshinsky which was mentioned on this blog. In fact, the problem quoted there was a version of Lev Loshinsky's magnet masterpiece.

In 1947, Loshinsky published his first prizewinner showing the magnet theme:

December 31st

Joel Fridlizius (31-12-1869 - 06-01-1963) Swedish composer

Joel Fridlizius
[ChessGames]

Joel Fridlizius was a school teacher, a very good chess player, composer and editor of the chess column of the newspaper "Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfarts-Tidning" (source).
He was specialized in Bohemian threemovers and his best-known work is reproduced below (St. Petersburger Zeitung 1898).
Some of his works can be found in "370 Udvalda Svenska Schackproblem" by Johan August Ros, 1901 (source of the information and games by J.Fridlizius on ChessGames.com).

Fridlizius, Joel
St. Petersburger Zeitung, 1898
1^st Prize

#3

8 + 8

Show Solution

1.Rc3-f3 ! (2.Qh1-h4+ g5xh4 3.Rf3-f4#)

1...Be2xf3 2.Qh1-a1+ Kd4-e4, Kd4xc4 3.Qa1-e5, Sd5-e3#
1...Be2xc4 2.c2-c3+ Kd4-e4, Kd4xd5 3.Sd5-f6, Rf3-f6#
1...Kd4xc4 2.Rf3-f4+ g5xf4 3.Qh1-e4#
1...Sa5xc4 2.Rf3-d3+ Be2xd3 3.c2-c3#
1...f7-f5 2.Qh1-a1+ Kd4xc4,Kd4-e4 3.Sd5-e3,Rf3-e3#
1...Be2-d3 2.Rf3xd3+ Kd4xc4 3.Sd5-e3/Qh1-e4#

Model mates and mutual sacrifices of wQ (on h4) and wR (on f4).

Fridlizius, Joel
Trollhättans Schacksällskap, 1918
1^st Prize

#3

9 + 4

Show Solution

1.Qc8-e8 ! (2.Qe8-g6 [3.Qg6xg5#] 2...Ke5xd5,Ba8xd5 3.Qg6-e4, d3-d4#)

1...Ke5xd5 2.Se6-f4+ Kd5-d4, g5xf4 3.Qe8-h8, Qe8-e4#
1...Ba8xd5 2.d3-d4+ Ke5-f5/Ke5-e4/Ke5-f6 3.Qe8-g6#
1...Ba8-c6 2.Qe8-h8+ Ke5xd5, Ke5-f5 3.Se6-c7, g2-g4#

Model mates.

Fridlizius, Joel
Zlatá Praha, 1908
1^st Prize

#3

6 + 8

Show Solution

1.Qf5-h7 ! (2.Sb5-d4+ Kb4-a5/Kb4-c5 3.Qh7-a7#)

1...Sg5xh7/Sg5-f7 2.Sb5-c7+ Kb4-a5,Kb4-c5 3.Rb8-b5,Sc7-e6#
1...a3-a2 2.Qh7-a7 (3.Qa7-a3/Sb5-a3/Sb5-d4/Sb5xd6/Sb5-c7#)
1...c3-c2 2.Qh7-c7 (3.Qc7-c3/Sb5-c3/Sb5-d4/Sb5xd6/Sb5-a7#)
1...Kb4xb3 2.Sb5xd6+ Kb3-a4,Kb3-a2 3.Qh7-a7,Qh7-b1#
(1...Kb4-a5/Kb4-c5 2.Qh7-a7+ /2.Qh7-c7+ )

Model mates.

December 30th

Friedrich Beck (30-12-1906 - ?) German composer

Friedrich Beck composed mostly twomovers.

Beck, Friedrich
Deutsche Schachzeitung, 1944
3^rd Prize

#2*

6 + 8

Show Solution

Set play:

1...Rb2/Rb1/Rb4/Rbc3/Rbe3/Rbf3 2.Bd5#[A]
1...Qg1/Qc1 2.Qh6#[B]
1...Rg4/Rgf3/Rge3/Rgc3/Rh3 2.Qd6#[C]

1.Rd4! (2.Rd6#)

1...Rbd3 2.Bd5#[A]
1...Qd1 2.Qh6#[B]
1...Rgd3 2.Qd6#[C]
1...Sb5/Sc4 2.Rc4#

Transferred mates.

December 29th

Joseph Alonzo Potter (29-12-1837 - 30-07-1859) American composer

Joseph Alonzo Potter, Scientific American Supplement, 1878.07.27
[Chess Archaeology]

According to these Proceedings:

[Joseph Alonzo Potter] was an invalid from early youth, and consequently did not engage much in the active duties of boyhood, but was induced to lead the life of a retired student. In 1856 he first played a game of chess, the study of which became his delight and hobby. In January 1857, he received the Chess Monthly, when he dates his chess life ; and from that time to his death he was absorbed in its history and science, whenever health would permit. He composed problems, corresponded extensively with chess scholars — edited for eight months a chess column in the American Union, and during his chess life wrote or received over 1000 letters on the subject and left over 100 original chess problems.

Potter, Joseph Alonzo
American Chess-Nuts, 1868 (3-moves / 664)

#3

5 + 5

Show Solution

1.Ra6-f6 ! (2.Qf2-g2+ Sg5-f3 3.Qg2xf3#)

1...Sh5-f4 2.Kb7-c6 (3.Qf2-e3#) 2...Sf4-g2/Sf4-d5 3.Qf2-f5#
1...Sh5xf6 2.Qf2xf6 ZZ Ke4-d5, Sg5~ 3.Qf6-c6, Qf6-f3#
1...Ke4-d5 2.Qf2-b6 (3.Qb6-c6#) 2...Kd5-c4 3.Sc2-e3# or 2...e5-e4 3.Qb6-d4/Qb6-b5#

December 28th

William W. Greenwood (28-12-1836 - 11-07-1922) British composer

William Greenwood was a Good Companion composer. He composed mostly direct movers, but also selfmates.

Greenwood, William W.
English Chess Problems, 1876

#3

5 + 1

Show Solution

1.Qa2-a6 ! ZZ

1...Ke4-f5 2.Qa6-e2 Kf5-g5 3.Qe2-h5#
1...Ke4-e5 2.Qa6-f6+ Ke5-e4 3.Sd5-~#
1...Ke4-d4 2.Qa6-d6 (3.Sd5-e3/Sd5-b6#) 2...Kd4-c4 3.Qd6-b4#
1...Ke4-f3 2.Qa6-g6 ~ 3.Qg6-g2#

Greenwood, William W.
The British Chess Magazine, Jan 1916

s#2

9 + 16

Show Solution

1. Rc2! (2. Sxe3+ Sxe3#)

1... Sa7/Sa5 2. Be6+ dxe6#
1... Rxh5 2. Rxf6 Kxf6#
1... Rb3 2. Qd3+ Rxd3#
1... Qxd1 2. Qxf3+ Qxf3#

A modern conception.

December 27th

Frank W. Martindale (27-12-1854 – 27-10-1909) American composer

Frank W. Martindale
[Chess problems, HathiTrust Digital Library]

Frank Martindale learnt the rules of chess at 17 and the next year already published a book including 100 of his problems ("Chess Problems", O.A.Brownson, Dubuque Chess Journal, 1872).

Martindale, Frank W.
Maryland Chess Review, 1874

#3

6 + 4

Show Solution

1.Bc4xe6 ! (2.f3-f4+ Ke5-e4 3.Qd2-e3#)

1...d7-d5 2.Qd2-b4 (3.f3-f4#) 2...d5-d4 3.Qb4-b8#
1...d7xe6 2.Qd2-d8 Ke5-f5/f4 3.Qd8-f6#

Sacrifice key with two Queen variations.