Allumwandlung

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This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.
Niels Hoeg
1905
Image:chess zhor 26.png
Image:chess zver 26.png a8 b8 c8 d8 e8 f8 g8 h8 Image:chess zver 26.png
a7 rl b7 c7 d7 e7 f7 g7 h7
a6 b6 c6 d6 e6 kd f6 pl g6 pl h6
a5 b5 c5 d5 pd e5 pd f5 pd g5 h5
a4 b4 c4 d4 bl e4 f4 pl g4 h4
a3 b3 kl c3 d3 pl e3 f3 pl g3 h3
a2 b2 c2 d2 e2 f2 g2 h2
a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1
Image:chess zhor 26.png
Mate in three. A chess problem with Allumwandlung.

Allumwandlung (German for "complete promotion", sometimes shortened to AUW) is a chess problem where, at some stage in the solution, the pawn (or sometimes pawns) is promoted variously to a knight, bishop, rook and queen.

At right is a chess problem composed by Niels Hoeg and first published in 1905. White to move and mate in three. The key move (white's first move) is 1.f7, and depending on how black defends, white promotes to either a queen, a rook, a bishop or a knight on move two. The lines are:

1... e4 2. f8Q any 3. Qe7 mate (or Qf6 mate)
1... Kd6 2. f8Q Kc6 3. Qc5 mate
1... exf4 2. f8R Kd6 3. Rf6 mate
1... exd4 2. f8B Kf6 3. Ra6 mate
1... Kf6 2. f8N exd4 3. Rf7 mate

The importance of white's underpromotions can be understood by considering what happens if he promotes to a queen no matter what black plays: after 1... exf4 or 1... exd4 2. f8Q is stalemate, while following 1... Kf6 2. f8Q Kxg6 there is no mate.

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