The 21st Japanese Sake Tourney Award

Theodoros Giakatis & Kostas Prentos

Judge: Tadashi Wakashima

Jurmala 2024 Sake 1st Prize

Theme: H#2 Protean (Frankfurt) Chess. No

other fairy pieces and/or conditions allowed.
Entries must be computer-tested.
Protean (Frankfurt) Chess: When a unit

captures, it retains its color but takes thenature of the captured unit. A King
capturing retains its royal power as a royalpiece. In the Protean version a captured
pawn continues in the same direction, so a
captured black pawn becomes a backward
moving white pawn, but in the Frankfurt
version it moves according to its new color.

H#2a) Frankfurt

I received a record-breaking number ofb) Protean

62 problems. To quote Michal Dragoun,“Protean (Frankfurt) Chess is undeservedlya) 1.Rxd5(=P) Bxf7(=P) 2.d4 fxg8=B#

neglected fairy condition, and it has goodb) 1.Rdxd2(=P) Rxb3(=P) 2.d3 bxc2(=R)#

potential for interesting tourney.” Of course,
he was right! Not only quantity but quality

An amazing and magnificent problemof these entries is remarkably good, and thiswhich amply deserves the 1st prize. The

made a very stiff competition. I decided tocomposers skillfully show the differences

give 7 prizes, 8 honorable mentions and 11

between Frankfurt and Protean in a unifyingcommendations (without order).

way.

As Juraj Lörinc pointed out, there
cannot be more than 2 pawns on the same
file (see special commendation problem
below). Among 62 entries, 6 problems were
found “illegal.” Although this so-called
illegality does not affect my judgement, thecomposers of those problems agreed to“correct” them. About such illegality of fairy
problems, there is no consensus. It is
entirely up to composers. A food for thought.

Michal Dragoun

Mario Parrinello

Jurmala 2024 Sake 2nd Prize

Jurmala 2024 Sake 3rd Prize

H#2 3.1.1.1

H#2

FrankfurtFrankfurtb) wBe8

1.Sd4 cxd4(=S) 2.Kxd4(=rS) Bxd3(=R)#
1.d5 Bxd5(=P) 2.Kxd5(=rP) Rxf6(=S)#a) 1.Rxg6(=S) b8=S (b8=B?) 2.Bxb8(=S)

1.d6 Rxd6(=P) 2.Kxd6(=rP) cxb4(=B)#

Sd6#b) 1.Sxe3(=P) b8=B (b8=S?) 2.Sxb8(=B)

Composer: Total cyclic function exchange of

Bc6#

three white pieces including Zilahi, Zajic
theme to change black king into suitable

Composer: Schnoebelen promotions, dual

royal piece, model mates.

avoidance, Follow-My-Leader, exchange offunction between wPe3 and wSg6.

Among the tight package of contents, theFrankfurt-specific interpretation of Zajic
theme is particularly interesting.

The position is rather heavy with thepresence of bQ. It can be replaced with bP if
you do not care about the “legality.” Anyway,
the content amply compensates.

Juraj Lörinc

Dmitri Turevski

Jurmala 2024 Sake 4th Prize

Jurmala 2024 Sake 5th Prize

H#2

H#2 2.1.1.1

ProteanProtean

White Royal Pe5

1.Rc8! Sxc8(=R) 2.Sc4 Rxc4(=S)#b) wRa4

1.Bc8! Sxc8(=B) 2.Sf5+ Bxf5(=S) #a) 1.Rxa4(=B) c7 2.Be8 Sxe8(=B) #b) 1.Bxa4(=R) c5 2.Rg4 Sxg4(=R) #Composer: S-triangulation, Tempo strategy,
Critical moves, ODT.

Composer: White must 1) open gate formoves

Ba4-a8/Ra4-g42)

move

Ba4-The construction lacks fluidity, but thea8/Ra4-g4 3) open guarding line Rf8-f5.

most impressive thing about this problem isThis cannot be completed by White only.

Protean-specific full-length strategy. Well

But as Black has 1 spare move, he borrows

done!

for a while piece from a4, fulfils one ofelements for White (move from a4 to e8/g4),
and then White gets his piece back just intime for checkmate. This is Protean-typicalstrategy impossible in orthodox chess.
Complex and dynamic strategy. The only
weakness is rather feeble W1.

Theodoros Giakatis & Kostas PrentosHans Uitenbroek

Jurmala 2024 Sake 6th Prize

Jurmala 2024 Sake 7th Prize

H#2

H#2 4.1.1.1

ProteanFrankfurt

Royal White Pf2, Royal Black Qg5

1.g1=B Be6 2.Be3+ dxe3(=B)#

b/c/d) ｗPg6→a5/e7/d2

1.c1=Q Rb4 2.Qc4 Bxc4(=Q)#
Composers:A

Schnoebelen

AUW

is

1.c1=R d3 2.Rc4 dxc4(=R)#

elevated to a peculiar case of Babson task,

1.c1=S Rb7 2.Sb3 axb3(=S)#

with both sides promoting on the samesquare. This content can be shown with 4

A fine AUW with apparent ease. If thissolutions instead of twins

can be done by a single Black P, it would be(2r5/1pP1p3/4P1p1/3pq1P1/8/1p6/pPpP

placed higher.

p3/8),
but we favored the more economical version.
The trick of this problem is that royal wPf2
appears only after the capture of bP. This
enforcesthepseudo-Babson

captures/promotions on the 1st rank by this rP. An
interesting theoretical find.

Michal Dragoun

Michal Dragoun

Jurmala 2024 Sake 1st HM

Jurmala 2024 Sake 1st HM

H#2 3.1.1.1

H#2 3.1.1.1

FrankfurtFrankfurt

1.Qxb4(=S) Rxe5(=P) 2.Kxe5(=rP) Bb8#

1.Re8 Rc8 2.Kxc8(=rR) Sd6#

1.Qxe7(=R) Bxc5(=P) 2.Kxc5(=rP) Sa6#

1.Re4 Sd6 2.Kxd6(=rS) Bc7#

1.Qxa7(=B) Sxd5(=P) 2.Kxd5(=rP) Rd7#

1.Re5 Bc7 2.Kxc7(=rB) Rc8#

Highly artistic presentation of Cyclic

Composer: Cyclic Zilahi, cycle of whitedouble Zilahi. The economical use of blackmoves,anticipatory

self-blockorQueen is exemplary.

interference of black royal piece by threedifferent moves or bRe2.
The master of fairy helpmate did it again!

Michal Dragoun

Kostas Prentos & Theodoros Giakatis

Jurmala 2024 3rd HM

Jurmala 2024 4th HM

H#2

H#2FrankfurtFrankfurtb/c/d) Kd1→h1/a8/g8

White Royal Pf7, Black Royal Ra8b/c/d) Pf2→g3/h4/c5a) 1.Bd4 Be3 2.Kxe3(=rB) Ke2#b) 1.Rf4 Rf3 2.Kxf3(=rR) Kg2#a) 1.rRa2 f8=rB 2.rRxf2(=rP) rBc5#c) 1.Ba7 Kxa7(=rB) 2.Sc5 rBxc5(=rS)#b) 1.rRa3 f8=rQ+ 2.rRxg3(=rP) rQf3#d) 1.Rf7 Kxf7(=rR) 2.Sf6 rRxf6(=rS)#c) 1.rRa4 f8=rS 2.rRxh4(=rP) rSg6#d) 1.rRa5 f8=rR 2.rRxc5(=rP) rRc8#

Composer: 2+2 solutions with analogous
play on lines a7-g1 and f8-f1 and sacrificesof both black and white B and R.
The convincing and best entry in theHOTF form.

The most economical rendering of AUW.

Marco Guida & Mario Parrinello

Andy Ooms

Jurmala 2024 Sake 5th HM

Jurmala 2024 Sake 6th HM

H#2

H#2Frankfurta) Frankfurt

Black Royal Pf6b) Proteanb/c) wPh2→d3/b6a)1.Kxh2(=rP)Kxe1(=rB) 2.h1=rSa) 1.Bg3 hxg3(=B) 2.Rxh5(=P) Bh4#

exf3(=B)#b) 1.Re4 dxe4(=R) 2.Sxh5(=P) Rf4#b) 1.Kxh2 (=rP) exf3(=B) 2.h4c) 1.Sc7 bxc7(=S) 2.Bxh5(=P) Se8#

Kxe1(=rB)#

Composers: Triple Umnov and cyclic play
across Black and White transformations.
The degrading of Black piece by capture
attracted many composers. This one is thesimplest example.

Very amusing. Royal Pawnʼs double stepin b) is especially funny. I love it!

Manfred Rittirsch

Dmitri Turevski

Jurmala 2024 7th HM

Jurmala 2024 Sake Special HM

H#2 2.1.1.1

H#2 2.1.1.1

Frankfurt

Protean RexExclusiv

1.Bc4 g4 2.Rxg4(=P) Sxc4(=B)#

1.Kxg6 Re5! 2.Sxe5(=R) Bf7#

1.Sc7 g3 2.Bxg3(=P) Kxc7(=rS)#

1.Kxh4 Bf3! 2.Sxf3(=B) Rh2#

A nice scheme of single/double steps of

The composer says that RexInclusiv

White P active sacrifices to get rid of theversion (without extended Zilahi) is possible,

defending power of Black R/B.

but he prefers this economical one. I
accepted it, because this way of restricting acertain

fairy

condition

may

produceinteresting examples, I believe. Active R/Bsacrifices by White is particularly impressive.

Hiroaki Maeshima

M. Guida, M. Parrinello & F. Simoni

Jurmala 2024 Sake Comm

Jurmala 2024 Sake Comm

H#2 Protean

H#2 Frankfurtb) -Ph4b/c) wKg7→e7/g5a)1.Qb5 + Kxb5(=rQ) 2.Kxh3(=r)R rQf1 #a) 1.bxa5 Sxa7(=B) 2. Qh7+Kxh7(=rQ)#b)1.Sc5 Kxc5(=rS) 2.Kxf4(=rB) rSe6 #b) 1.dxc4 Sxd6(=R) 2. Qe6+ Kxe6(=rQ)#c) 1.b2 Sxa3(=R) 2. Qg4+ Kx4g(=rQ)#

Mario Parrinello
Jurmala 2024 Sake Comm

Manfred Rittirsch
Jurmala 2024 Sake CommH#2 2.1.1.1 Frankfurtb)wPg2→d2

H#2 2.1.1.1Frankfurta) 1.Rxf6(=P) g3 2.Sf4 gxf4(=S)#

White Royal Pe4, Black Royal Bb4

1.Rf3 gxf3(=R) 2.Qf5+ Rxf5(=Q)#b) 1.Bxf6(=P) dxe3 2.Sd4 exd4(=S)#

1.h5 Rxh5(=P) 2.rBxc5(=rP) Be3#

1.Bc3 dxc3(=B) 2.Qe5+ Bxe5(=Q)#

1.h6 Bxh6(=P) 2.rBxd2(=rP) Rd5#

Manfred Rittirsch

Ofer Comay

Jurmala 2024 Sake Comm

Jurmala 2024 Sake CommH#2 2.1.1.1

H#2 2.1.1.1

FrankfurtProtean
Royal queen d5

1.f4 Sxf4(=P) 2.Bf7 Kxf7(=rB)#
1.Ra5 bxa5(=R) 2.Qb3 cxb3(=Q)#

1.Qb6! Rf6 2.rQxd4(=rB) Rxb6(=Q)#
1.Qc3! Bf6 2.rQxc6(=rR) Bxc3(=Q)#

Vlaicu Crisan & Éric Huber
Jurmala 2024 Sake Comm

Ricardo de Mattos Vieira
Jurmala 2024 Sake CommH#2 2.1.1.1Frankfurt

H#2

White Royal Rh5; Black Royal Qd5Proteanb) wBe6

1.Bf6 Sf7 2.rQxf7(=rS) Bxe5(=S)#
1.Rb4 Sa5 2.rQxa5(=rS) Rxc4(=S)#a) 1.Bf6 Re5 2.Kxe5(=rR) Sxf6(=B) #b) 1.Rc5 Bd5 2.Kxd5(=rB) Sxc5(=R) #Michal Dragoun

Juraj Lörinc

Jurmala 2024 Sake Comm

Jurmala 2024 Sake Special CommH#2 4.1.1.1

H#2 2.1.1.1

FrankfurtFrankfurt

1.Rc2 Rxc3(=P) 2.Kxc3(=rP) Bd4#

1.Qb4 axb4(=Q) 2. c5 Qb3#

1.Rb3 Bxb4(=P) 2.Kxb4(=rP) Rd4#

1.Qb6 axb6(=Q) 2. c5 Qb7#

1.Kxd3(=rR) exf5(=B)+ 2.rRg3 Bf2#
1.Kxc5(=rB) fxe5(=R)+ 2.rBf8 Rd8#

Composer: With Protean men, there cannever be more than 2 pawns on the same file

Juraj Lörinc

when playing from the initial position,

Jurmala 2024 Sake Comm

moreover they are always moving in theopposing directions. The reason is that ofthe pawn is captured, it only changes colour,
but does retain the movement direction,
while pawn capturing out from the file is lostfrom the pawn ranks forever, acquiring thetype of the captured unit. (If captured unit
is pawn in this case, the movement of thecaptured pawn is still retained.) I.e. here Pa7
moves downwards (no promotion possible),

H#2 Frankfurtb) -Pa4a) 1.Kxd5(=rS) Sd4 2.rSxb4(=rR) Ba5#b) 1.Kxe6(=rS) Ra4 2.rSxd8(=rB) Ra8#

while Pc4 and Pd4 move upwards.