The Cyclic Babson
Peter Hoffmann, Die Schwalbe, 2003| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
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| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h |
In the August 2003 issue of the German problem magazine Die Schwalbe, the problem to the right, a mate in four by Peter Hoffmann appeared. Hoffmann had previously published a number of conventional directmate Babsons, but this one is significant as it is the first cyclic Babson: rather than black promotions being matched by white, they are related in cyclic form: black promoting to a queen means white must promote to a bishop, black promoting to a bishop means white must promote to a rook, black promoting to a rook means white must promote to a knight, and black promoting to a knight means white must promote to a queen.
The key is 1.Nxe6, threatening 2.hxg8Q and 3.Qf7#. The thematic defences are:
- 1...d1Q 2.hxg8B (2.hxg8Q? Qd7+ 3.Bxd7 is stalemate), threatening 3.c4+ Qmoves 4.BxQ#
- 2...Qd7+ 3.Bxd7 Kxg6 4.Rxh6#
- 2...Qxc1 3.Rxg5 (threat: 4.Rf5#) hxg5 4.Qh8#
- 1...d1B 2.hxg8R (2.hxg8Q? stalemate) Kxe6 3.Rd8 3.Kf6 Rd6#
- 1...d1R 2.hxg8N (2.hxg8Q? Rd4+ 3. c4 stalemate) Kxe6 3.Qxe2+ K-moves 4.Qe5#
- 1...d1N 2.hxg8Q Nxb2+ 3.Kb5(Bxb2) and 4.Qf7#
There are also a number of sidelines.
As with Drumare's original Babson task, the problem uses promoted pieces and has a capturing key, but it is nonetheless remarkable for being the first published cyclic Babson.
In the September 2005 issue of Schach, the first cyclic Babson without promoted pieces in the initial position was published. Again, the composer was Peter Hoffmann.
Read more about this topic: Babson Task