A tribute to G. W. Chandler - John and Sue Beasley

Two-movers, three-movers 17
19 (Commended, The Problemist, January-March 1976). The set check
1...Qc3+ is met by 2 Ng3; the key 1 Qf4 (threat 2 Qe3) preserves this and adds
two more cross-checks (1...d6+ 2 Rf5, 1...d5+ 2 Re6), and another neat line is
1...Rxb5 2 Rc5.
20 (The Problemist, July 1978). The flight-creating moves 1...Bc7/Bb6 need
attention, which is perhaps the logical way of reaching the key 1 Qa4 (threat
2 Qh4), and the star lines are 1...bxa4 2 Ba3 and 1...b4 2 Re6. However, this was
not how I solved the problem in practice. It was used prior to publication in the
solving contest held to choose the British team for the 1978 World Solving
Championship, and when the demonstration boards were turned round I took one
look at the position and thought, “This reminds me of 17, I wonder if it’s Qa4.”
That was a flying start, and although I was quickly overtaken by John Nunn
I managed to hold on to the second qualifying place. One needs a bit of luck in a
solving competition, and on that occasion I had it.
21 (Gazette de Lausanne, 21 December 1979). This was Chandler’s last
published two-mover, and although competent rather than outstanding it was good
work for what the editor called “a young man of ninety”. It is natural to withdraw
the White bishop from e6 so as to threaten 2 Qe6, and 1 Bf7 turns out to be the
only move that does White no harm. Any move of the knight on g4 will defeat
this threat, but each damages Black in some way: 1...Nf2 2 Qc5, 1...Ne3 2 Qc3,
1...Nf6 2 Bf4, and 1...Nh6 2 Qh8.
22 (The Morning Post, 14 January 1907). An excellent light-weight to start
the three-movers. The key 1 Be2 threatens 2 Bf3+ Kd4 3 Qe3 but gives a second
flight, and if Black takes the new flight we have the elegant model mate 1...Kd5
2 Nf7+ Kc6 3 Nd8 (2...Ke6 2 Nd8, 2...Kd4/Ke4 3 Qe5). The other flight 1...Kd4
gives the switchback line 2 Qe3+ Kd5 3 Bc4, and the only other defensive move,
1...Rf6, denies f6 to the Black king and leads to echo mates 2 Qe3+ Kd5 3 Bc4
(as after 1...Kd4) and 2...Kf5 3 Bd4. This is unlikely to have been wholly original
even in 1907, but it was good work for a 17-year-old. Solvers liked it: “Charming
model mates” was a typical comment. Chandler’s scrapbook contains a slightly
different setting, but it is flawed and I have quoted the problem as published.
23 (2nd Prize, Western Daily Mercury, 1910). This is much more fullblooded.
The key 1 Qe4 threatens the pin-model mate 2 Nxb7+ Kb6 3 c5;
remarkably, the natural defence 1...Nxa5 leads to a very similar mate after 2 Qd5+
Kb6 3 c5. It doesn’t seem to matter which side plays NxN! Another fine
variation is 1...axb3 2 Qd4+ Kxd4 3 Nxb3, and we also have 1...Rxf1 2 Qxb7,
1...Kb6 2 Qxb7+, 1...Nd8 2 Qe7+, 1...Bc6 2 Qxc6+, and 1...Bb5 2 Qd5+.
24 (Natal Mercury, 23 March 1918). A White force of queen and two rooks
is not usually a recipe for attractive play and the capture key 1 Rxa5 (threat
2 Ra4+) is a pity, but the natural reply 1...bxa5 is elegantly met (2 d3+ Ke3
3 Qa7) and there are two fine queen sacrifices in the lines 1...Kf5 2 Qxe6+ Kxe6
3 f5 and 1...Nxf4 2 Qd4+ Kxd4 3 Rxf4. Chandler had won 2nd Prize in the
Haagsche Post in 1917 with an earlier setting of this idea, but this strikes me as
the tidier version despite the capturing start.