The wind of change blows straight
Into the face of time
- The Scorpions, Wind of change
Today's quote is aimed on describing what we'll look upon today. The change in the position will make black losing while white couldn't fulfill the condition if he had to move himself - or maybe he could but only in a manner that also creates a position where he couldn't win if it was him to move.
A very famous example of this is very recent:
Tony Lewis
The Problemist, 1985
Mate in 2
After the key 1.Ra6! black is in zugzwang. If however white was to move after the key, he'd play 1.Ra8! and black is in zugzwang again. Ad infinitum - it is, as WinChloe says, a perpetuum mobile.
Talking about this, it is of course more impressive if more mates are changed between the solutions. The following one doesn't make a good perpetuum mobile but is still a brillant problem.
Milan Vukcevich
Plain Dealer 1971, 2nd prize
Mate in 2
The key is 1.Ka8! and black is in zugzwang. If white was to move after the key, he could mate in 2 by 1.Kb7.
The oldest perpetua mobile seem to be from Sam Loyd. (PS: See reply of Michael McDowell for an earlier one!)
Sam Loyd <--- left |----------------------------------------------| right ---> Sam Loyd
Baltimore Dispatch, 1859 <--- left |----------------------------| right ---> The Gambit, 1859
Mate in 2 <--- left |-----------------------------------------------| right ---> Mate in 2
In the left diagram, the solution is 1.Bb3-a2!, while in the right diagram, black's end comes after 1.Ke7!. I'd liked it more if Loyd placed the king on e7 in the initial position.
A very famous zugzwang without the perpetuum mobile theme is by Taverner, based on Loyd's organ pipes.
Thomas Taverner
Dubuque Chess Journal 1889, 1st prize
Mate in 2
Here, also a bristol is shown by the key 1.Rh1!, when one reply can be 1...Bg5 2.Qh2 mate.
Bad thing possibly for solvers if there is a zugzwang in the starting position but you can't keep it...
Piotr Ruszczynski
The Problemist 1979-1980 (thematic tourney), 1st prize
Mate in 2
It's impossible to keep the zugzwang, so...
1.Sh2! with the new lines 1...S~ 2.Qxh4 mate and 1...Sf2! 2.Qd2 mate
Especially hard to solve is such a problem when the solution has another surprise.
Dmitry Banny
Olympic tourney 1981 (published in 64), 1st/2nd prize
Mate in 2
This problem is widely known. The key is 1.Sxf2! and black is in zugzwang again. Here, white takes a pawn which is, however, necessary to show the matrix. A fine construction to solve (which you're encouraged to do. When you're done, mark the black line to see the solution).
Since I want this to be an article and not a book (well, at least not this article alone :D ), we will end the lesson now. You can vote for three more problems with perpetuum mobile (1) or apparent zugzwang (2 and 3).
André Caresmel
dedicated to Camil Seneca
Themes-64 1963, 1st prize
Mate in 2
a) diagram
b) after the key
a) 1.Qb7! leads to four variations:
1...Sb~ 2.Qb3 mate
1...Sd5! 2.Qd7 mate
1...Sf6 2.Rxe7 mate
1...exd6 2.Qf7 mate
b) 1.Qe4! leads to four variations:
1...Sb~ 2.Qc4 mate
1...Sd5! 2.Qf3 mate
1...Sf6 2.exf6 mate
1...exd6 2.exd6 mate
Jean Oudot
Le Probleme 1949
Mate in 2
Set:
1...Rxb/d3 2.c2xRb/d3 mate, 1...Rxc2 2.Rb2xc2 mate, 1...Rxc4 2.c3 mate
1.Se3!, and the set mates are kept while a few new ones appear:
1...Rxc5 2.c4 mate, 1...Kd/f2 2.Qd/f1 mate
Comins Mansfield
Miniature tourney, Salut Public 1929, 1st prize
Mate in 2
Set:
1...B~ 2.Be4 mate
1.Sf4! leads to:
1...Bxf4 2.Be4 mate
1...Bf6 2.Qe4 mate
1...Kxf4 2.Qg5 mate
