chess-The Oxford Companion to Chess - First Edition by David Hooper & Kenneth Whyld

The evenl thlt kindled the enlhusilsn ol
problcmhts qas thc publication of Lov.DAyi
problem showing lhe Indian thene in Feb. 1845.
For a long ine Slaunion reprinted il nonthly on
ihe covcrolhis magazinc, hc and othcn dc.laring
ir lo be the grealest problem ever composed.
Problemins lound nany ne* ways oI showing
citical play, Loveday\ ieBarkable inlendon.
rouRNrrs for composcn bcgar in thc 1850s.
Thc winner of the Bristol touney ol i861 vas
the Englishman Frank Healey (1828 1906), and
the Brislol theme becane almost !s tanous as the
lndian thene. For ihc Lo.don tourncy. 1862.
norc than 400 problems Nere submiited: tbe
winner Nas rhe Austnan onposer Confud Bayer
(1828 97)wbo becanelhellrslolrhe grealtourncy
In thc sccond halfolthc 1gth cenrury ihere Nere
diffcrenr ideas as io lhe form a problen should
take. Tbe BoEEMAN style, fien as now. empha
sized MoDEL uES. For rhe so callcd Old Ccrman
sttle BrRGri madc a codc oI slandards in 1884:
problems were to be rHREE Movms or MoRE
MovERs, diifrcult to solve, Nnh Dany larialionsand
with somc nodcl matcsithc pa$n lormarion
sbould seem natural, as iI it might have arise! in
play: ds far as possible Whne-s noves should nor
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A problen by o rr. S.r,.rptobleme , lAlA. Afiet
I Od2 h6 2 ND several variations show nodel
2...K93 3Nxe4+ Kf,l 4Ng3andnow4 ..
(xg3 5Nfl or4...Kxe5 5 Nag,l
2 . . . Be3 3 Nex84+ KI5 4 Nxh6+ Kx.5 5
Neg4.
INnoDUooRl Pi.AY (1 Qd2 h6) is added ro make
tne problem harde. to solve and also, perh.ps, to
increase rhe nunber oi non lorcctul movcs. B,
onnling this the probl.m could be sel as a mate in
loui. Ccncrally probleN in thls style bad les
xhite pieces (else nodel nates could not be
achieved) and, unllne Bohemian problems, a lair
nrnber olwhite pavns, often used lo guard {har
would otheMise be FLrcEr salAREs.
In Aneiic. .oyD was composing problens ol
quile a djllerenl kiad. His aim sas to pnzzle and
amuse. Neither solving dilficulty nor variations
were souSht as ends in rhenselles and unham-
PROBLEM IIISTORY 265
pcrcd bythe need lo prcvidemodelm.les he {as
ableto develop!wide rlnBeotide.s. Hisproblems
{ere ingenious rather lha. complcx and showed
distinct thcmes in sharply pointed form. He Nas
followed bysENru$ rvho explored sone possibi
hies ot the nurale Gee Br.oc() aid thc sclrmate.
(For exanples of lhc work of these tNo see rurNo,
rHdr. and PT.GNTNNY.)
In EnCland composeB sought neat.ess oI conslruction,
pleasing scttings, and good cr moles
lbr all of which they evolved lhen osn artisric
crircria, and the avoidance oi lesser DUAIsi in
shorr, a concern sirh lorm althoueb content was
nor disrcgardcd. The leading exponents sere
n.ArHCorE aDd Percy Francis Blake (1873-1936).
horh oftrhom.ifre lolhe iore inlhc lS9G.lForan
exanple oI the English style applied lo a two
nolel sec (NGT WHLEL,)
Mosl problenists supposed lhal lhe diffcrcnl
srylcs ol the lale 19fi cenlurywould mcrgc into a
univeBd stvle; but thc chanecs thal besan in tbe
neq centur! rcscmblcd a renaissance raDer tban a
Iusion. As regards three .nd nore mov.rs thc
principal foundes ol thc ic$ movcmeot were
rcErz and (oc(Fr.rcRN who pubiished lbeir
lamous book D,s /dn.nc r/o6la in 1903 They
drcs then hpiration ftom the lransidonalperiod,
in particul.r iron the lndian froblcm whcn the
criical move madc its lint appeamnce Problens
$erc to shoiv ihemes and to show then in lhe
clearest nannerj il natural' senings, pure males,
or solling dilncufty could aho bc shown, so nuch
the bctl.r. but all such considerations Bere ro be
subordinated ro purnyoiain(Z e.k4inh.n). Th.
manner ot achieving the malc was to be of nore
inporra.ce than thc mating posiiion. Tbese ideas
eere ncarcr lo those ol Loyd whom the rulhors
praise rhan ro those oi Berger's code Although
odly fitical play is eaamincd in D6 /dn.n.
Prorlm thc authors and olher composeE soo.
dcmonsrrated rhar many themes could be used in
accordance Nith the ner cnGria. Theproblem art
urs enn.hed lor theie,re ihcmcs that.annot be
shown il model mates are io be achieled. More
move6 in this 'NeN Gern.n' style cane io be
called loeical probteos- logical in the scnsc lhat a
single idea doni.ales thc play. a rcquirementthat
ncccssaril], Iimits thc nnmbe. ol vanalions The
solution may consist ol a single Iine ot play sith
variet! achieved by w.y ofhies rhai relatc in some
* aI lo the soiurion. (For problems b, tbe founden
scc.RrrrcAL sau^tu and Ntuto rwo MovER.)
the rvo'MovER, hnherto conparalilely .eglecred,
also receiled a ne$ inlusion of lile, unity in
rhis case hcing a.hieled by lhe provislo. oI
variations thal relare to one another in some Nay.
In i904 A. F.
abic to shos a
.Ross cHEc( in ca.h of thrce variations. Soon
conposcrs began ro fearure E^LF p'Ns. lNprNSbatredes.
hallbattenes. inlerlerence, and olher
tacdcalelenenh, sonetimes uing onc ofthcm nl
several vaiatio.s (whi.h are thus linked), son,