Problem 415: Nikola Predrag - Helpmate |
415. Nikola Predrag (Croatia)
24.06.2014
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1.b1B a4 2.Bg6 a5 3.g1R a6 4.Bb7 axb7 5.Rc8 bxc8Q 6.Rg5 Qh3# Active sacrifice of the pieces of same type & color as the pieces promoted earlier. The existing black rook and bishop can selfblock on g5 and g6, but the white pawn cannot promote and reach h3 in time. So black has to produce back up pieces (clones) before sacrificing the existing ones. (Author) Attempts to selfblock with the existing black pieces produce interesting tries which fail for a variety of reasons! (Seetharaman) |
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Comments
hm.... Phoenix is all about rebirth. This theme is more about preparing for death by producing an identical offspring first !!
Theme Phoenix means that the "power/nature" of some officer is first sacrificed and then transferred/reborn into a new body (promoted Pawn). Such sacrifice is a kind of INVESTMENT which is re-paid before the end.
If the promotion happens first, the power/nature of some officer is BORROWED (as from a bank) and given to the promoted Pawn. It is a kind of LOAN which will be re-paid before the end.
"Clone-Prepaid" and "Clone-Loan" might suggest that the sacrificed and the promoted piece are identical in power/nature, but the sequence sacrifice-promotion is reversed.
Cloning is possible only if a particular DNA is known exactly. We "know" the DNA of all orthodox pieces, and of all fairy pieces which are present on the diagram.
Last year's Croatian Championship had this as a theme in two sections (#n, h#n) and AntiPhoenix was suggested as a proper name: crochess.com/.../...
To make it clear, I seriously think that AntiPhoenix is also absurd. Any connection with the concept of Phoenix has no sense, if the promotion happens before the sacrifice.
There is some effect, consisting of two points:
A - capture (sacrifice) of a piece.
B - promotion to a piece of the same type and color that was captured.
This A-B effect (effect 1) is called the Phoenix theme.
Why should not we call the reversal effect B-A (effect 2) antiPhoenix?
"The Chess Composition Glossary", edited by Mark Basisty, defines antiPhoenix as a pawn promotion to a piece of the same type that was taken by the pawn (Kiev, 2004, p.62).
As far as I know this effect is called "mixed Phoenix".
Isn't the effect 2 a some kind of anti-form of the effect 1?
If anyone really likes the poetic concept of Phoenix (I like it) and wishes to keep it in use (I wish), how could he/she accept such a brutal mockery, completely insensitive to the beauty of this concept?
Phoenix theme could have been also considered as a resurrection and named after Christ. How would you name the anti-form?
I like and I wish too, but I would not compare the pagan myths with Christianity.
The purpose of Christ sacrifice is healing of fallen human nature.
And what is the purpose of Phoenix sacrifice?
The reason for problem theme is
Phoenix=rebirth
Anti-form would be anti-rebirth which is pretty absurd, perhaps it could mean that rebirth is somehow disabled.
Disrespect of the concepts inevitably leads to fallse concepts.
A ball falls towards the floor, that's gravity, rebounds and moves in the opposite direction, that's clearly antigravity.
Personally I also think that there is nothing wrong to accept that Phoenix = Capture (part A) + Promotion (Part B), so when they are reversed, we can call it in some similar way, for example "Reverse Phoenix". I saw some authors and judges to call it "Anti Phoenix". Kostas Prentos inform us that he saw it as a "Prenix" etc.
All these names have their logic so it is difficult to say who is most right. As usual in such cases - it is a matter of taste.
Actually - the most important is not the name, but the quality and beauty of the thematic content of the problem.
"All these names have their logic..."
What is the logic for choosing the name Phoenix?
It is certainly not "capture + promotion".
First, a theme is not about ANY promotion but about a promotion into the same type.
Second, the myth of Phoenix is not about a birth of another bird but of a rebirth.
The name chosen for this theme does have its logic: "Phoenix=capture+REbirth through a promotion"
"Capture+promotion of another piece" doesn't have any logic which would connect it with thy myth of Phoenix.
"Disrespect of the concepts inevitably leads to false concepts."
The ESSENTIAL concept of Zilahi requires a sacrifice. Sacrifice means to LOSE completely the influence/power of some piece. If the influence/power of a piece is INCREASED, it is not a sacrifice.
A "capture" which in one phase increases the influence/power of a piece which mates in the other phase, should properly be named "AntiZilahi"! Because the ESSENTIAL effect of such capture is exactly opposite to the essence of sacrifice.
That happens in Circe, AntiT&M etc.
It is terrifying to see how easily the essence of the concepts is corrupted and nobody cares.
A doctor gives a medicine to his patient.
We call it healing and remember the "essential" pattern: "A gives B to C"
When a murderer gives a poison to his victim, we recognize the pattern and we "know" that it is healing so we praise the "doctor".
a devastating march of a whole nation lead by a fanatic? No, that can never happen.
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