Grasshopper Chess: Serieshelpmates

In a 'serieshelpmate' Black plays a series of moves (which may include captures) to reach a position where White can mate in one move.
Black may not check until the last move of the series.

To read the solutions and comments hold down the left mouse key and run the cursor across the blank area.

Serieshelpmate in 3

10 men 6 types (KQBSGP) 1G [and 2 WQ]

H. H. Schmitz
Feenschach 1968 (8942)
Serieshelpmate in 3, in 5 ways

Solution: 1.b1=Q 2.Qb2 3.Qd4 for Qh1‡
1.b1=R 2.Rb3 3.Rxe3 for Qh4‡
1.b1=B 2.Ba2 3.Bd5 for Qg4‡
1.b1=S 2.Sd2 3.Sf3 for Qd3‡
1.b1=G 2.Gd3 3.Gf5 for Bg2‡

Comments: All five promotions. Inactive WQ serves only to justify the promotion to G.

Serieshelpmate in 5

10 men 4 types (KRBG) 6G

P. A. Petkow and K. Gandew
Feenschach 1973 (847)
Serieshelpmate in 5, b) g3-g5, c) g3-e3, d) f8-d8

Solution: a) 1.Rb7 2.Rc7 3.Gb8 4.Gd6 5.Gc5 for Kf4‡
b) 1.Rb5 2.Ga5 3.Gc5 4.Gb4 5.Gd6 for Kf5‡
c) 1.Rb6 2.Ga7 3.Gc5 4.Gb4 5.Gd6 for Ke3‡
d) 1.Rb7 2.Rd7 3.Gd6 4.Gc7 5.Gc5 for Kd3‡

Comments: Four openings of B|K battery, which also closes off a line of one of the four WGs.

10 men 4 types (KBGP) 1G

C. P. King-Farlow
Feenschach 1964 (6949)
Serieshelpmate in 5, with 5 variations

Solution: 1.b3 2.b2 3.b1=Q/R/B/S/G 4.Qd3/Rd1/Be4/Sc3/Gb7 5.Q/R/B/S/G xd5 for Bxd5‡

Comments: All five promotions.

Serieshelpmate in 6

In the first three problems there is no White King, but I have counted it among the men as a bystander. 6 men 3 types (KBG) 2G (No WK)

J. D. Beasley
British Chess Magazine Jun 1979 (11585)
Serieshelpmate in 6, b) White plays one move, then SHM6

Solution: a) 1.Ke5 2.Kf6 3.Kf7 4.Kg8 5.Kh8 6.Bg8 Ga1‡
b) Bb1-h7 then: 1.Kc3 2.Gb2 3.Kb3 4.Ka2 5.Ka1 6.Ba2 Gh8‡

Comments: Exact Echo. Reflection in the a8-h1 diagonal. (Why not WKa8?)

7 men 2 types (KG) 5G (No WK)

J. D. Beasley
British Chess Magazine Jun 1979 (11586)
Serieshelpmate in 6, b) White moves first, then SHM6

Solution: a) 1.Ke7 2.Kf6 3.Kg7 4.Kh8 5.Gg7 6.Gh7 Ga1‡
b) White Gg1 1.Kc8 2.Gb8 3.Kb7 4.Ka8 5.Gb7 6.Ga7 Gh1‡

Comments: Exact Echo. Reflection in vertical median.

7 men 2 types (KG) 5G (No WK)

J. D. Beasley
British Chess Magazine Jun 1979 (11587)
Serieshelpmate in 6, b) White plays one move, then SHM6

Solution: a) 1.Kd5 2.Kc6 3.Gc7 4.Kb7 5.Ka8 6.Gb7 Ga1‡
b) White Gg1 1.Kf5 2.Kg6 3.Gh7 4.Kg7 5.Kh8 6.Gg7 Gh1‡

Comments: Exact Echo. Reflection in the vertical median.

9 men 3 types (KGP) 3G

F. Hoffmann
Feenschach 1973 (980)
Serieshelpmate in 6

Solution: 1.Ge4 2.e2 3.Ge1 4.Gb4 5.b2 6.Gb1 for Gh8‡

Comments: Echoed play.

13 men 6 types (KRBSGP) 2G

C.C.L.Sells
Feenschach 1973
Serieshelpmate in 6, with set mate

Solution: Set mate: 1...f×g(en passant)‡
Play: 1.K×g4 2.Kf3 3.K×e4 4.Kd5 5.Kd6 6.e5 for f×e(e.p.)‡

Comment: The grasshopper method of proving en passant capture legal.
En passant mates. Diagonal and lateral modes.

Serieshelpmate in 7

5 men 3 types (KRG) 1G

J. Mortensen
Feenschach 1965 (7092)
Serieshelpmate in 7, with set mate

Solution: Set: 1.... Ra3‡ Play: 1.Gb4 2.Gb2 3.Gf2 4.Gd2 5.Gd7 6.Gd5 7.Ga2 for Re1‡

Comments: Echo. G uses all three white men as hurdles.

Serieshelpmate in 8

8 men 4 types (KRGP) 1G

W. Pflughaupt
Fairy Chess Review 1955 (10223)
Serieshelpmate in 8

Solution: 1.Gd1 2.Gh5 3.Ga5 4.Ge1 5.Ge8 6.Ga4 7.Gxh4 8.Gd8 for Rh5‡

Comments: 8-move circuit by BG.

Serieshelpmate in 9

4 men 3 types (KQG) 1G

A. H. Kniest
Feenschach 1965 (7114)
Serieshelpmate in 9, in two ways

Solution: 1.Ke5 2.Gd6 3.Kd4 4.Gd3 5.Kc3 6.Kc2 7.Gb1 8.Kb2 9.Ka1 for Qa3‡
and 1.Ke5 2.Kd6 3.Gc7 4.Ke7 5.Gf7 6.Kf8 7.Kg7 8.Gh7 9.Kh8 for Qf8‡

Comments: Knight-line asymmetry. Echo.

7 men 3 types (KGP) 3G

W. Pflughaupt
Fairy Chess Review 1951 (8965)
Serieshelpmate in 9, with set mate

Solution: Set: 1... Gd8‡ Play: 1.Ge8 2.Gc6 3.Gd6 4.Kb6 5.a5 6.a4 7.Ka5 8.Gb6 9.Ga6 for Gd8‡

Comments: Interchange of Ga and P. Switchbacks of Gb and BK. G over G mate.

11 men 4 types (KRGP) 3G

W. H. Reilly
Feenschach 1967 (8518)
Serieshelpmate in 9, with set mate

Solution: Set: 1... Ra8‡ Play: 1.b2 2.Kb3 3.Kc2 4.b1=G 5.Gb8 6.Gh8 7.Gh5 8.Gd1 9.Gb3 for Rc8‡

Comments: P/G circuit.

Serieshelpmate in 12

5 men 3 types (KQG) 2G

B. Rehm
Caissa's Fröhliche Tiefgarage 1970 (23)
Serieshelpmate in 12

Solution: 1.Ka2 2.Ga1 3.Kb1 4.Gc1 5.Gc4 6.Gc2 7.Kc1 8.Kd1 9.Ke2 10.Gf2 11.Gd2 12.Ke1 for Qf3‡

Comments: Discovered G over G mate.

Serieshelpmate in 14

7 men 4 types (KBGP) 3G

J. M. Trillon
Feenschach 1968 (8858)
Serieshelpmate in 14, with set mate

Solution: Set: 1... Ba7‡ Play: 1.Gb4 2.Kb7 3.Kc8 4-6.Kf5 7.Ke4
8.Gf4 9.Ke3 10.Gd2 11.Kf2 12.Gg2 13.Kg1 14.Kh1 for Bh2 ‡

Comments: Echo. BK traverse (a8-h1). G mates.

Serieshelpmate in 31

14 men 4 types (KSGP) 3G

C. Gaulin
Feenschach 1962 (5858)
Serieshelpmate in 31, with set mate

Solution: Set: 1... Sf7‡ Play: 1.Gg2 2.Kg7 3.Kf8 4-7.Kb8 8.Ka7 9-12.Ka3 13.Kb2
14.Kc2 15.Gb2 16.Kc3 17.Gxd4 18.Kb2 19-30.Kh8 31.Gg7 for Sf7‡

Comments: BG circuit. BK switchback journey and triangular circuit, for tempo loss.

16 men 3 types (KGP) 1G

J. J. Lois and H. A. Meylan
after A. Atanasievic [1969 (9146) unsound]
Feenschach 1975 (1558)
Serieshelpmate in 31

Solution: 1.Gxh3 2.Gf5 3-5.h=Q 6.Qxh5 7.Qf7 8-12.h=S 13.Sf2 14.Sxd3 15.Se5
16.d3 17.dxc2 18.c=B 19.Bxa3 20.Be7 21-23.a=R 24.Rxa6 25.Rd6 26-30.a=G 31 Gf6 for gxf5#135;

Comments: All five promotions. G switchback.

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Composer
Source Problem number and date
Stipulation

Solution: 1. ‡

Comments: