Wednesday, December 18, 2013

White & Black double en passant capture in Proca Retractor

The en passant capture is, together with castling and promotion, one of the three special moves in chess. The special character of the en passant capture is underlined by the fact that the arrival square is not occupied by the captured piece – an effect which can be also met in fairy chess compositions.

In Proca Retractor compositions the main challenge is to find good motivations in order to force Black to retract the en passant capture. This challenging theme can be realized combined with different fairy conditions.

Proca Retractor definition:
A Proca Retractor is a defensive Retractor. Black is defending by trying to retract the moves that will forbid (or delay) the achievement of White's goal. You may see at the Retro Corner an example by W. Dittmann of orthodox Proca Retractor showing two en passant captures.


The first composer who successfully showed the Black and White double en passant capture was Dr. Klaus Wenda. In the first two problems we can see how he managed to present this theme combined with Madrasi and AntiCirce Cheylan.



Madrasi: Madrasi Chess is a fairy variant of chess where units (King excepted) are paralyzed when attacked by an enemy unit of the same nature. A paralyzed unit cannot move and does not give check ("Checks are fairy"). It can only paralyze enemy pieces, including its own paralyzer.


Wenda, Klaus
The Problemist, 1986
1st Prize

-8 & s#1Madrasi
Proca Retractor
12 + 4

Show Solution



Anticirce Cheylan: the capturing piece disappears and is immediately reborn on its home square while the captured piece is removed for good. The capture is not legal if the rebirth square is not free. A pawn capturing on the eighth rank is first promoted and then reborn on the home square of the promoted man. Here "checks are fairy" i.e. a King is not in check if its "capture" is not legal because the rebirth is not possible. A piece is not allowed to capture on its home square.


Wenda, Klaus
Die Schwalbe, 2004
1st Prize

-7 & #1Anticirce Cheylan
Proca Retractor
5 + 9

Show Solution


Inspired by these masterpieces of Austrian Grandmaster, the Romanian composers tried also their hand using other genres: Immun Chess and Circe Assassin.

Immun Chess: a piece cannot be captured if its Circe rebirth square is occupied.


Crişan, Vlaicu & Răican, Paul
Christmas Tourney France-Echecs, 2009
1st Prize

-7 & #1Immunchess
Proca Retractor
7 + 7


Show Solution



Circe Assassin: the captured unit is reborn on its rebirth square even if the rebirth square is occupied. And then the occupying unit disappears for good. Hence a unit on its home square cannot be removed.


Crişan, Vlaicu
3rd FIDE World Cup, 2013
2nd HM

-9 & s#1CirceAssassin
Proca Retractor
10 + 8


Show Solution


Let’s hope new examples will occur in the future.

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