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Stephen Emmerson, Michael McDowell & BDS

1st Comm., McWilliam MT, 1999-2001

#2
LEO a8
PAOs d4; g1
VAO d8
MAOs b7, f1

1.PAc4!  (2.d4#)

1...VAxg5 2.LEg8#
1...f5    2.LEc8#
1...MAg3  2.LExg2#
1...MAa5  2.LExa4#
1...MAc5  2.LEe4#

Following the death of Bob McWilliam, for many years the popular bookseller of the BCPS, a composing tourney in his memory was held. I and my co-composers were all keen to take part and this problem was our entry. The tourney asked for problems showing or inspired by Bob’s favourite Schiffmann Defence theme.

The first three variations are the thematic ones. Each of them position a black piece so that, if White were to carry out his threat of anti-battery mate, that piece could interpose on the anti-battery line. However, in each case the Black piece is incarcerated at its new location. It can’t return from whence it came and it can’t interpose on the intended anti-battery line as that would be illegal self-check. White can take advantage of these incarcerations by further anti-battery mates. The by-play features two further mates, this time along White’s threatened anti-battery line. It is good that all the mates are by the white LEO, but it is unfortunate that in the 1...VAxg5 line, that move carries the extra error of opening a line to the mating square.