Longest Seriesmovers

[Siegfried Hornecker]

I got a wonderful booklet [see PS below] by Milos Tomasevic (who sadly had died at the time it was prepared). Included are all records for serieshelpmovers (based on the number of pieces). However, I don't want to recreate all 398 diagrams here, instead let's just recreate the four most common and I'll just give the numbers for the other ones.

Note: Only the seriesmovers with standard material are listed (i.e., no fairy pieces).


Milos Tomasevic
The Problemist 1984
ser-h#126


M. Ott
feenschach 1980, 1st prize
ser-h=153


A. Atanasijevic & T. Petrovic & Milos Tomasevic
MAT 1979
ser-s#131


Milos Tomasevic
feenschach 1979
ser-s=116


Now to the other records:

Stipulation moves - pieces

ser-# 128 - 23
ser-= 139 - 23
ser-E= 116 - 19
ser-+ 110 - 19
ser-x 59 - 21
ser-Z 128 - 22
ser-RK 121 - 21
ser-PW 129 - 22
ser-F 126 - 22
ser-EF 122 - 20
ser-s# 131 - 20
ser-s= 116 - 20
ser-s+ 127 - 21
ser-sx 126 - 22
ser-sZ 133 - 21
ser-sF 125 - 22
ser-h# 126 - 20
ser-h= 153 - 21
ser-h+ 46 - 22
ser-hx 114 - 18
ser-hZ 127 - 22
ser-hF 118 - 21


Explanations:
prefixes
s = self (white forces black to...)
h = help (black helps white to...)
E = own (black does something to himself)

suffixes
# = mate
= = stalemate
+ = check
x = capture
Z = destination (e.g., "ser-Zb3 2" means the white king reaches b3 in two moves)
RK = return to a certain field. Obviously the king must be in check or it's over too soon (I wonder, however, if that's true, what about a cage?)
PW = platzwechsel (should be in english the same word)
F = pin (so ser-EF means one pins himself)

If anything is unclear, send note or e-mail and I'll try to make it clear.


PS: The booklet is called "398 Zuglängenrekorde im Serienzüger in Bezug auf die Steineanzahl" or "398 duzinskih rekorda u seriuskim problemima prema broju figura" and in both german and serbian language with english notation. It's like the classical books with a short prelude, a "printed database" as I like to call it (i.e. diagrams and solutions without comments), a table of records, sources, authors and epilogue.

(EDIT at March 11th: Typo corrected)

[Siegfried Hornecker]

A reader wants to see the seriesdirectmate in 128 so here it is:

M. & R. Tomasevic
USPB 1988
ser-# 128

[ChessChef]

Maybe I miscounted, but I solved the Milos Tomasevic, The Problemist 1984, ser-h#126 in 125 moves. Or is it just a matter of the way move numbers work in this kind of problem? Maybe you add one for white's last mating move? After 110.Kxc6 (if that is the correct count to that point), I find 111.Kd5 112.c5 113.cxb4 116.b1Q 117.Qh1 118.Qxh4 119.Qf4 120.Qd6 124.h1B 125.Bc6 c4# (or is that supposed to be written 126.c4#?).

[ChessChef]

I see my error. I moved the bK up one square to d5 too early making the promoted B move to c6 impossible. The move order after 110.Kc6 is then
111.Kd6 (only square to get out of the way of the promotee), 112.c5 113.cxb4 116.b1Q 117.Qh1 118.Qxh4 119.Qf4 (and now she waits here a while) 123.h1B 124.Bc6 (yes, it does not pass through a bK now) 125.Kd5 126.Qd6 c4#.

Putting 126 on white's one move makes sense to me now.

Outstanding achievement by the composer.