627:(the most common type of problem, where White tries to checkmate Black, and Black tries to avoid being mated). In directmates, a great variety of play can be found in the solution because although White has only one move at each juncture which will solve the problem, Black can choose between several to try to thwart White's efforts. In helpmates, however, both White's and Black's moves are limited to just one at each juncture; this may seem simple, but a well-constructed helpmate also shows thematic play, and the cooperating moves should not always be easy to find. It has been noted by Jean Oudot that "helpmates are the purest form of all the chess arts"
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856:. Here, more than one problem is wrought from a single diagram by making small changes to it, such as moving a piece from one square to another, adding or removing a piece, turning the board round or some other device. Twinning is occasionally found in other types of problems, but is particularly common in helpmates. The example shown is a helpmate in 2 by
1097:, another way of getting two problems for the price of one. The first problem is a normal helpmate; the second starts from the same position but has White moving first and helping Black to checkmate him. Again, duplex problems have been composed with other types of problems, but the vast majority are helpmates. To the right is an example by
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In order to introduce more lines of play into a problem, various devices can be employed. Most straightforwardly, a problem can have more than one solution. The solutions will usually complement each other in some thematic and aesthetically pleasing way. Each solution can be considered a different
658:), at the same time opening the line on which mate is eventually given, then White moves a bishop to close a line so that Black's next move will not give check. Black's second move closes another line so that after White's last move, giving check, Black will not be able to interpose one of his
635:. If there is more than one solution, the composer will state this; if there is no such statement, the problem has only one solution. The example to the right is a helpmate in 2 (h#2) with two solutions. It was published in the June 1975 issue of
343:) of having a second, completely separate solution, not noted by the author. Even so, it was a much better problem than Lange's and its presentation, incorporating a story written by D. W. Fiske, established the genre.
240:, the solution consists of a Black move, a White move, a second Black move, then a second White move, giving checkmate.) Although the two sides cooperate, all moves must be legal according to the
1132:
Very popular today also are helpmates where White moves first; then the stipulation contains a "½", for example a helpmate in 2½ moves. Helpmates, like other problems, can be composed with
654:. These lines are very closely linked, with both exhibiting the same basic pattern: first, Black takes the white piece that gives mate in the other solution (this is known as a
1152:. All of these variations can be, and have been, combined. (So it is possible to have, for instance, a series-helpmate in 7, twinned with two solutions in each phase, using
640:
857:
1120:
covering the black king's flight squares in the first part and promoted pieces blocking White's flight squares in the second. This problem is an
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Because the nature of helpmates sees Black and White cooperating, the play in helpmates may seem to be a great deal simpler than in
323:
published the first helpmate with Black to move as is now standard, one intended main line, and an attractive but false solution (a
1160:.) Problems related to helpmates can have other kinds of stipulations involving cooperation between White and Black, in particular
655:
357:
by T. B. and F. F. Rowland (Kingstown, 1897). The helpmate problem task has since increased in popularity to be second only to the
315:
300:, December 1854. The problem had White to move and White could play in a number of different ways to achieve the same mate (
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847:
Helpmate in 2: a) diagram, b) replace queen on a6 with a black rook, c) with a bishop, d) with a knight e) with a pawn
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864:). The twins are created by substituting the black queen on a6 with a different piece. The solutions are:
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Helpmate in 2: a) Black moves first and White checkmates, b) White moves first and Black checkmates
333:) to mislead solvers. However, this problem too had a minor dual, and also had the major flaw (or
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1. Kf3 Kd3 2. Bb3 Kc3 3. Ke4+ Kd2 4. Kd4 Ke2 5. Kc3 Nb4 6. Kb2 Kd2 7. Ka1 Kc1 8. Ba2 Nc2
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move checkmating Black. (In a helpmate in 2 for example, sometimes abbreviated
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The first completely sound helpmate was by A. Barbe of
Leipzig, published in
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problems, like seriesmates, serieshelpmates, serieshelpstalemates, etc.
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1294:(F. Chlubna, Vienna, 1994) - a general survey of helpmates, as PDF in:
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Hilmar Ebert + Hans Gruber "Early
Helpmates" 2001, as PDF in:
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recall that in helpmate solutions, Black's move is given first
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in which both sides cooperate in order to achieve the goal of
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1300:
1299:
Hilmar Ebert + Hans Gruber "Top
Helpmates" 1995, as PDF in:
852:
Another way of giving variety to the play of a helpmate is
1116:. These two lines are closely linked, with two white pawn
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The first helpmate problem was by the German chess master
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The example problem illustrated is a helpmate in 8 (or
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moves, Black moves first, then White, each side moving
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1223:"The Discovery of Helpmate - ChessProblem.net"
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361:and is no longer considered to be part of
319:, November 1860, American puzzle inventor
1108:The solution with Black moving first is
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310:), considered a serious flaw today.
353:The term "help-mate" originated in
348:105 Leipziger Ill. Familien-Journal
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639:and is by the helpmate specialist
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1112:. With White moving first, it is
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1192:Frederic Friedel (2002-12-29).
232:times, to culminate in White's
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618:Helpmate in 2 (two solutions)
369:Varieties of helpmate problems
1:
1262:The Oxford Companion to Chess
1179:
1103:CHM avec 6 pieces Bad Pyrmont
251:) by Z. Maslar, published in
1128:Unorthodox helpmate problems
886:d) with black knight at a6:
880:c) with black bishop at a6:
19:For the hospital robot, see
7:
1167:
1093:A further variation is the
905:Milan Vukcevich, June 1961
665:
10:
1341:
1136:or with fairy conditions (
892:e) with black pawn at a6:
874:b) with black rook at a6:
285:
273:
257:in 1981. The solution is (
18:
899:
652:1. Rdxd8 Bc6 2. Nd7 Rxb3#
224:Black. In a helpmate in
1114:1. f8=R Nf7 2. d8=B Nd6#
1110:1. Ng6 f8=Q 2. Ne5 d8=N#
648:1. Bxb8 Bd5 2. Nc7 Bxg5#
280:to describe chess moves.
1267:Oxford University Press
1194:"Need some help, mate?"
894:1. a5 Rb3+ 2. Ka4 Nc5#
888:1. Nc5 Nc1 2. Na4 Rb3#
882:1. Bc4 Ne1 2. Ba2 Nc2#
876:1. Rb6 Rb1 2. Rb3 Ra1#
870:1. Qf6 Nc5 2. Qb2 Ra4#
860:(published in 1935 in
646:The two solutions are
297:Deutsche Schachzeitung
1259:(1996) . "helpmate".
868:a) diagram position:
862:Revista Romana de Şah
671:Henry Forsberg, 1935
16:Type of chess problem
379:Chris Feather, 1975
335:
325:
302:
23:. For a spouse, see
1134:fairy chess pieces
374:Multiple solutions
278:algebraic notation
276:This article uses
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316:The Chess Monthly
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1320:Chess checkmates
1290:Chris Feather ,
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1265:(2nd ed.).
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1236:chesshistory.com
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1285:Further reading
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1292:Black to Play
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1276:0-19-280049-3
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1253:Hooper, David
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1204:on 2007-01-28
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1158:Madrasi chess
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1206:. Retrieved
1202:the original
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1150:Patrol chess
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254:Die Schwalbe
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213:
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21:Mobile robot
1162:seriesmover
1154:nightriders
1142:Circe chess
625:directmates
363:fairy chess
222:checkmating
1314:Categories
1208:2006-10-27
1180:References
1146:Grid chess
1118:promotions
359:directmate
1105:, 1996).
292:Max Lange
1238:quoting
1174:Selfmate
1168:See also
854:twinning
666:Twinning
350:, 1861.
321:Sam Loyd
214:helpmate
25:Helpmeet
286:History
1273:
1101:(from
1095:duplex
900:Duplex
660:pieces
656:Zilahi
637:Schach
1148:, or
305:duals
1271:ISBN
1156:and
650:and
338:cook
1241:OED
328:try
313:In
261:):
249:h#8
238:h#2
234:nth
1316::
1255:;
1196:.
1144:,
662:.
643:.
365:.
244:.
212:A
1279:.
1244:.
1225:.
1211:.
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27:.
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