The Sandbaggers Solution

White suddenly realises if he wins this game his grade will go higher than 1900 and as
he wants to play in an under 1900 tourney he must lose.


He is so far ahead in material He cannot resign without attracting attention
to his sandbagging ways so he forces Black to mate him.
(a study by J. R. Harman. White to play and commit sui-mate in 10 moves.)

Hi Greenpawn,

Are you sure the study is by Harman? Richard Harman is well known for inventing a system of cataloging studies (useful for judges who wanted to check that a study was new) but I didn't know that he created any studies himself.

Hi Fat Lady.

I took it from Assiac's The Delights of Chess (pub 1960).

Assiac writes (page 17) R. J. Harman is a succesful solver and here
is a sui-mate of his own inspired by Shrinkman.

Sounds like it is the same guy.

Yes, undoubtedly the same guy. I've read that book many times but never noticed that it contained a problem by Harman.

Shrinkman = Shinkman

Ahh, a thread on Selfmates. They are probably my weakest genre for solving. But playing through solutions can be fun.

Here's another K/P mate with two variations.

Good SG.

But the lads on here are all expert sui-maters. They have it down to a fine art.

sunnyday25 - SuperSweetP RHP Ch 2013

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Good SG.

But the lads on here are all expert sui-maters. They have it down to a fine art.

sunnyday25 - SuperSweetP RHP Ch 2013

[pgn]
[FEN "2kr3r/ppp1q1pp/2nbbn2/8/1P2p3/P1PP2PP/N4PBN/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 15"]

15. dxe4 {Open up the d-file so Black can play....} 15... Bxg3 16. fxg3 {Which allows White to expose his King to a check. Also the White ...[text shortened]... ave thousands of games like this on RHP. Playing over them is driving me slowly insane.}[/pgn]

Originally posted by SwissGambit
Ahh, a thread on Selfmates. They are probably my weakest genre for solving. But playing through solutions can be fun.

Here's another K/P mate with two variations.

Petko A. Petkov
11019 Schach 06/1986
[pgn]
[Event "Edited position"]
[Date "2013.08.09"]
[Round "-"]
[White "-"]
[Black "-"]
[Result "0-1"]
[FEN "3R4/Q2PkNP1/2R1P3/2p1P3 6+ Kd3 8. Bg1 { No exf2 for you. } 8... e2#
[/pgn]

Originally posted by woodypusher
Ahh, self-mates. I would've guessed it was your strongest genre for solving, "SwissGambit".
😉