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Chess by Herman Steiner 16 Jul 1933, Sun The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.com
The Los Angeles Times Chess by Herman Steiner Sunday, July 16 1933, Los Angeles, California L.A. Times Problem No. 376...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Monday, April 12, 2021
Key: QxP/Qxf3
To those who sent in the following solutions, I shall give the answers to their moves. RxP(R5)—QxB, Q-B2—NxN. P-B6—PxP. K-R3—N-B5ch.
We have received a few letters of criticism about Problem 376. Most of them refer to the capturing key move. The former editor was prejudiced against this particular type of problem, as I discovered in reading the following excerpt from a letter, quoting a statement made by the editor: “A problem with a checking or capturing key move is very undesirable. In rare cases a certain idea cannot be shown with anything but a checking or capturing key. Nevertheless, we never expect to run any problem in this column with either kind of key mentioned.” We do not want to go into any unnecessary argument, and so we shall discuss the issue logically.
In the first place, in a problem we should not overlook any possibilities that would lead to a mate. Therefore, a problem is not solved before we know that there is no other solution. Let us say that if we have these set rules that we mate in capture, or start in with checks, we are analyzing the whole composition. Say that we have a mate in two on hand, all set up for mate except the key move, which is a waiting move. This type of problem we would easily solve, because we could readily see which key move would not change the position in any way. In modern problem composition, in the case of two-moves, these set up positions are just for the eyes, or mostly to lead the solvers astray; in other words, the key move controls the situation entirely. Sometimes this cannot be done in any other way than by a capturing key move. Such compositions are the difficult ones; and can you blame the composers for trying to keep the two-movers alive?
I hope that this explanation will keep peace between the writer and the solvers, at least for the present, or until another occasion arrives.
A “cook” is more than one solution to a problem.
The Los Angeles Times Chess by Herman Steiner Sunday, July 16 1933, Los Angeles, California L.A. Times Problem No. 377...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Monday, April 12, 2021
L.A. Times Problem No. 377 by J. Szekely, Budapest. White mates in three.
FEN 1n1N3K/b7/p2R4/k1P4Q/Pp6/1P1P4/6b1/8 w - - 0 1
Key: R-QN6/Rb6
