[Retros] Traditional Christmas Contest of Stuttgarter Zeitung

[Jens Guballa]

Dear retro friends,

the traditional Christmas Contest of the Stuttgarter Zeitung has been
published by Harald Keilhack. The German version is available online:

http://www.kaniaverlag.de/htm/Sonstige Berichte.html

Here is a translated version of the puzzles:

Among the senders of correct solutions for A) and B) the following
prices are drawn by lot: an Apple I-Pod, a Falk navigation system and a 
Philips DVD player. Participants having solved correctly all five
puzzles will receive a book price.

Take care that after a retraction and after the insertion/removal of a
chessman a legal position occurs. Furthermore please check whether more
than one solution exists. Have fun solving and commenting!


A)
Günther Weeth
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

| k |   |   | K |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

| p |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   | P |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
[k2K4/p7/1P6/8/8/8/8/8]
White retracts his last move and checkmates instead.


B)
Günther Weeth/Werner Keym
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

| r |   |   |   | k |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   | R |   |   | p | R | p | K |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   | P | p |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   | p |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   | P |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

| b |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
[r3k3/1R2pRpK/6Pp/6p1/8/1P6/b7/8]
Remove a pawn and checkmate in two moves hereafter.


C)
Werner Keym
A rook is positioned on an ordinary 8x8 chessboard. The rook performs
seven succeeding moves, which are steadily increasing in length. At the
end of his tour the rook returns on his original square. How many
changes of direction by 90 degrees does the rook perform
  a) at most
  b) at least
on his journey?
Symmetrical solutions are not needed to be given.


D)
Günther Weeth
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   | k |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

| p |   |   | p |   | p |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

| p |   |   | P |   | P |   | p |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

| P |   |   | P | B | P |   | P |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

| p |   |   | P |   | P |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   | K |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
[4k3/8/8/p2p1p2/p2P1P1p/P2PBP1P/p2P1P2/4K3]
White retracts his last move and draws hereafter.


E)
Günther Weeth/Werner Keym
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   | n | r | b | q |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   | p |   | n | p | b | p | p |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   | p |   | p |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   | P |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

| P | P |   |   |   | P | P | P |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   | k |   |   |   | R | K |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
[3nrbq1/1p1npbpp/4p1p1/8/8/4P3/PP3PPP/1k3RK1]
Add a pawn and a chessman so that in the resulting position /two/
/dedicated/ pieces are verifiable promotees (release the position, give
a retrograde analysis).

Send your solutions by latest 15th Jan. 2010 to:

Stuttgarter Zeitung (Schach)
Postfach 106032
70049 Stuttgart
Germany


Good luck and all the best for 2010,
Jens