TOTAL FLECK THEME IN 2 MINIATURE

by Ian Shanahan (1996).

In the total Fleck theme, White generates three or more threats; each threat appears
only once, singly, as the mate after some Black move, there being no further Black
moves which lead to any duplicated mates. So, the basic Fleck pattern (where the
threats are primary) is: Key 1.X! (>2.A, B, C,...) 1...a/b/c/... 2.A/B/C/... . Although the
total Fleck theme is relatively challenging to present in miniature, a number of
worthwhile settings have emerged over the years. Below are all of the published
examples known to me, ordered chronologically. The problems basically speak for
themselves, but a few comments would not go amiss.

Constructional difficulties are evident through unavoidable flaws such as unprovided

checks (15), unprovided flights (1, 6, 8, 1016, 18), and poor or dubious keys
notwithstanding the fact that the key will be inherently aggressive whenever the threats
are primary. Nevertheless, some composers have managed to blend this theme with
other ideas in miniature: 3 is a classic asymmetric; 4 exhibits Java dual avoidance, while
11 conflates Fleck and Banny patterns. 15 succeeds at a price in weaving together
halfbattery and castling motives, a cyclic pattern of refutations, and the total primary
Fleck structure. 10 and 12 display model mates and pin mate, respectively. In 17, a
geometric pattern develops: after the key, the duel between wS and bS yields a
correspondence effect via echoed moves; an analogous effect arises (in the set play)
between wQ and bP. 6 achieves a five-fold total primary Fleck separation by exploiting
the Grab mechanism: is this the record for a miniature? Multiphase settings are also
possible. One finds legitimate try-play in 8 (with cyclic refutation), 11, 1416 and 19; set-
play with changes of mate or defence occur in 8, 17 and 19. Is 12 unique in
demonstrating a total secondary Fleck format in miniature? Here, the three wQ mates
would all work if the bS were simply to be removed from the board, yet in moving the bS
to specific squares the wQ mates are separately forced.

If readers know of any additional total Fleck miniature examples or anticipations of

these problems, I would appreciate hearing from them. My postal address is 57 Yates
Avenue, Dundas Valley NSW 2117, Australia. I can also be contacted by e-mail:
i.shanahan@nepean.uws.edu.au

1 H. Laaksonen
Vr Vrld 1944 C+
________
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[Kdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[kdwdPdwd]
[0pdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdw!]
[dwdwdwdw]
--------
2

1.Qe5! (>2.Qa5, Qb5, Qd4) 1...a2/b2/Kb4 2.Qa5/Qb5/Qd4.

~1~
 2 Roald Bukne
Source? 1946 C+
________
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdw0wdw]
[wdKdkdwd]
[dwdwHw!w]
[wHwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwhw]
--------
2
1.Sbd1! (>2.Sc3, Sf2, Qg4) 1...Sh3/Se2/Sf3 2.Sc3/Sf2/Qg4.

3 N. van Dijk
South African Chess Magazine 1948 C+
________
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdRdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwIPiBdb]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdRdw]
--------
2

1.Bd1! (>2.Re1, Re5, R5f3, R1f3) 1...Bg2/Bg4/Bf1/Bf5 2.Re1/Re5/R5f3/R1f3.

4 H. Laaksonen
Die Schwalbe 1950 C+
________
[kdKdwdwg]
[dwdwHw$w]
[wdpdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwGw]
--------
2

1.Sd5! (>2.Sb6, Sc7, Ra7) 1...c5/Bg7/cd5 2.Sb6/Sc7/Ra7.

~2~
 5 David Hjelle
British Chess Federation Tourney 1957 C+
________
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdw0wdw]
[wdwdw$wd]
[dw0k0wdw]
[wdwdwdQd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwIwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
--------
2

1.Kd3! (>2.Qc4, Qe4, Qd7, Qe6) 1...c4/e4/ef6/e6 2.Qc4/Qe4/Qd7/Qe6.

6 W. Hoek
Source? 1969 C+
________
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dKdQdwdw]
[wdBdwiwd]
[$wdwdwdw]
[wdwdw)wd]
[dwdwdndw]
--------
2

1.Ra4! (>2.Ba2, Bb3, Bd3, Be2, Bf1)

1...Sa2/Sb3/Sd3/Se2/Kg4 2.Ba2/Bb3/Bd3/Be2/Bf1.

7 Dr Werner Speckmann
Die Schwalbe 1970 C+
________
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwdNdwd]
[dwdwdKdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwiwdw]
[n$wdwdPd]
[dwdRdwdw]
--------
2

1.Sf4! (>2.Sd5, Rd3, Re2) 1...Sc1/Sc3/Sb4 2.Sd5/Rd3/Re2.

~3~
 8 Zvi Hernitz
Comm Die Schwalbe 1975 C+
________
[ndwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[w0wdwdwd]
[iwdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[HKdw!wdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
--------
2 *

Set: 1...b5 2.Qa7.

1.Qd3/Qe4/Qd4? 1...Sc7/b5/Ka6!
1.Qe8! (>2.Qa4, Qb5, Qa8) 1...Sc7/b5/Ka6 2.Qa4/Qb5/Qa8.

9 Hilding Frberg
Expressen 1981 C+
________
[wdwdwdwd]
[hwdwdwHw]
[wdwdwdRd]
[dwdkdwdK]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dPdw!wdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
--------
2

1.Sf5! (>2.Se7, Rd6, Qd4) 1...Sb5/Sc6/Sc8 2.Se7/Rd6/Qd4.

10 Nils Bakke
Mat 1985 C+
________
[QdwdwdwI]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[w0wdwdwd]
[Hwdw0wdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[iwHwdwdw]
--------
2

1.Qg2! (>2.Qg7, Sb3, Qa2) 1...e2/b3/ba3 2.Qg7/Sb3/Qa2.

~4~
 11 M. Tomasevic
The Problemist 1987 C+
________
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[Qdwdwdwd]
[dpdw)wIw]
[wdwdwdpd]
[dwdNdwiw]
--------
2

1.Sf2/Sc3? 1...Kf1/Kh1!
1.Qa1! (>2.Sb2, Sc3, Sf2) 1...b2/Kf1/Kh1 2.Sb2/Sc3/Sf2.

12 P. Kondratiev
Kudesnik 1991 C+
________
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdQdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[$wdwdwdp]
[wdwdwdwi]
[dK$wdndw]
--------
2

1.Qg5! () 1...Sd2+/Se3/Sg3/Kh1 2.Qd2/Qg1/Qg3/Rh3.

13 Christer Jonsson
Smasaker-Hugskott 1991 C+
________
[wdwdndwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[RdQdwdw$]
[dwdwiwdw]
[wdwdwdPd]
[dwdwdwIw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
--------
2

1.Qc4! (>2.Rae6, Rhe6, Ra5, Rh5) 1...Sf6/Sd6/Sg7/Sc7 2.Rae6/Rhe6/Ra5/Rh5.

~5~
 14 V. Krizhanovsky
The Problemist 1993 C+
________
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[Hwdwdwdw]
[wIw)wdwd]
[dwdkdwdw]
[wdpdw!wd]
[dwdwdwHw]
--------
2

1.Sc6? 1...c1S!
1.Sb3! (>2.Sc5, Qe2, Qf3) 1...c1S/c1Q/Ke4 2.Sc5/Qe2/Qf3.

15 G. Maleika & H-P. Suwe

The Problemist 1993 C+
________
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwdpdwd]
[dwdwdpdw]
[pdwdwdwd]
[iwGwIwdR]
--------
2

1.0-0/Kd2/Kf2? 1...Kb1,f2+/1...f2,e3+/e3+,Kb1!
1.Ba3! (>2.Kd2, Kf2, 0-0) 1...Kb1/f2+/e3 2.Kd2/Kf2/0-0.

16 Slobodan Saletic
The Problemist 1994 C+
________
[Kdw!wGwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dpdwdwdw]
[k0wdwdwd]
[dpdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
--------
2

1.Qe7/Qd1/Bg7? 1...Ka3/Ka5/b2! 1.Qd1?

1.Qd4! (>2.Qa1, Qa7, Qb4) 1...Ka3/Ka5/b2 2.Qa1/Qa7/Qb4.

~6~
 17 Ian Shanahan
Fleck memorial Tourney 1995 C+
________
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdQdNdw]
[w0wdwdwd]
[dwiwdwdw]
[w0wdwdwd]
[dndKdwdw]
--------
2 *

Set: 1...b3 2.Qd4.

1.Sd6! (>2.Sb5, Se4, Qc4) 1...Sd2/Sa3/b3 2.Sb5/Se4/Qc4.

18 Robert Lincoln
Fun with Chess Miniatures 1996 C+
________
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[w0NdwdKd]
[GkdwHwdR]
--------
2

1.Sb4! (>2.Sed3, Sec2, Sf3) 1...ba1Q(S)/Ka1/Kc1 2.Sed3/Sec2/Sf3.

19 Robert Lincoln
Fun with Chess Miniatures 1996 C+
________
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdQdw]
[wdwdwdwd]
[dwdwdwdw]
[pdwdwdRd]
[Iwdwiwdn]
--------
2 *

Set: 1...Kd1 2.Qf1.

1.Ka2/Qd3/Qc5/Qa5+? 1...Sf2/Sg3/Sf2/Kf1!
1.Qc2! (>2.Qc1, Qe2, Rg1) 1...Sg3/Kf1/Sf2 2.Qc1/Qe2/Rg1.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~7~