Problem Chess Solutions – Schiffman Theme Problems
By David Friedgood
Two problems showing the Schiffman theme were set for solving last time. Here
are the solutions with explanatory comments.
[Event "1st Prize, Skakbladet"] [Site "?"] [Date "1957.??.??"]
[Round "?"] [White "H Knuppert"] [Black "Mate in 2"] [Result "*"] [Annotator
"Friedgood,David"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "Nq6/3pr3/2p3p1/2BkP1NR/1P2p3/1P1n4/6B1/1K2RQ2
w - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "2"] [EventDate "1957.??.??"] {In solving this problem,
the main thing you would note is the flight square that the black king has on
e5. If it were Black's move, then White would have no mate in response to 1...Kxe5,
which is indeed a blemish. You might also investigate the three self-blocks
on the flight square, which provide excellent compensation to the solver and
we will return to this later. In the meantime, the key to the problem is the
radical} 1. Nxe4 {taking away the flight square from the king but giving him
one on e6 (a 'give-and-take key'). The threat is 2.Ng5#, a switchback mate,
i.e. the knight returns to its original square in the diagram. Black has three
thematic defences, all of which have the same motive. Let's see:} -- (1... Qxe5
{This is a self-pin and is very closely related to the Nietvelt defence. Just
as in the Nietvelt, Black allows a piece to be pinned in such a way that, if
White executed the threat (2.Ng5), the piece would be unpinned and would be
able to interpose itself to cut off the check. However, this time it is not
White's pinning piece (the h5 rook) that threatens the mate, but a different
piece, the e4 knight. This is known as a Schiffman defence and has been popular
amongst composers for many decades.} 2. Nc7# {White takes advantage of the queen
being pinned to give mate on a square that she no longer controls. Note how
the mating move guards the the e6 flight square.}) (1... Rxe5 {The second Schiffman
defence, preparing to interpose on e4 if White should try 2. Ng5+, but:} 2.
Qf7#) (1... Nxe5 {The third Schiffman defence, this time hoping to interpose
on f3, but now the knight is pinned and a diagonal has been opened for the queen:}
2. Qc4# {The reason this problem received the First Prize in the composing tourney
in which it was entered, is that it has Set Play as well as showing three Schiffman
variations. If you consider the three thematic black defences as being played
in the diagram position, before the key move, you will notice that each has
a mate set for it. 1...Qxe5 is met by 2.Nb6#; 1.. .Rxe5 by 2.Qxd3# and 1...Nxe5
by 2.Bxe4#. A very attractive set of 'changed mates', which amply compensate
for the lack of a set mate for 1...Kxe5.}) *
[Event "Revista Romana de Sah"] [Site "?"] [Date "1928.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White
"I A Schiffman"] [Black "Mate in 2"] [Result "*"] [Annotator "Friedgood,David"]
[SetUp "1"] [FEN "k2r2qR/1R6/8/N2P4/Q1P5/1K3B2/7B/8 w - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "3"]
[EventDate "1928.??.??"] {The key is} 1. Rc7 $1 {threatening 2.Nc6#. The rook
has to move to the right so as to keep a7 guarded, but any move further than
c7 will permit the black rook to cut the line to a7 by 1...Rd7! But on c7 the
rook interferes with the h2 bishop, giving the black king a flight on b8. There
is also the little matter of a check becoming available to the black rook, so
the key move is pleasingly paradoxical. Let us look first at the two Schiffman
variations:} Qxd5 {self-pins the queen, but defeats the threat, which would
unpin her and allow the check to be met by 2...Qa5. But now the queen loses
control of the d8 square and allows} ({The second Schiffman defence leads to
the same effect: } 1... Rxd5 2. Rxg8#) ({The only distinct non-thematic variation
is} 1... Rb8+ 2. Nb7# {as, in giving check, the rook has blocked the b8 square})
2. Rxd8# { to be mate. A neat, lightweight demonstration of the theme by its
originator.} *
Next time we will be looking into one of the most fertile of all traditional
themes, the half-pin. Any queries or constructive comments can be addressed
to the author at david.friedgood@gmail.com.
Copyright in this article David Friedgood 2012/ChessBase
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