View source for Reflexmate

{{Short description|Type of chess problem}}
{{unreferenced|date=June 2013}}

A '''reflexmate''' is a [[chess problem]] in which White, moving first, must force Black to deliver [[checkmate]] within a specified number of moves against their will – with the added condition that if either player can give checkmate, they must. If this condition applies only to Black, it is a '''semi-reflexmate'''. (Without this condition, the problem is just ordinary [[selfmate]].)
{{AN chess|pos=toc}}

==Example==
{{Chess diagram
| tright
| Štefan Sovík <br />Second Place IV WCCT 1990
|  |  |rl|rd|kd|  |  |  
|  |  |pd|  |nd|  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |pl|bd|bd
|pl|qd|  |  |pl|ql|  |  
|bl|pd|rl|bl|nl|  |pl|pl
|  |rd|pd|kl|pd|  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |pl|  |  |  
|nd|nl|  |  |  |  |  |  
|Reflexmate in two moves
}}

The problem illustrated is a fairly recent example, successful in the [[World Chess Composing Tournament]] despite only a single [[phase of play]] present. It is by [[Štefan Sovík]] and is a reflexmate in two moves.

The {{chessprobgloss|key}} is '''1.Qh5{{chesspunc|!}}''' and White threatens '''2.Nbxc3''', after which Black is compelled by additional condition to mate by '''Rxc3{{chessAN|#}}''', with triple [[pin (chess)|pin]] of Rc4, Bd4 and Ne4.

There are three thematical variations with unpinnings of three pieces, but every time Black has to mate by {{chessprobgloss|switchback}} after selfpin of unpinned piece on c3:
* 1...Qxa4 2.Rxc3 Qb5# (White move: [[Rook (chess)|rook]] unpinned by [[Queen (chess)|queen]] move selfpins)
* 1...Rxc8 2.Bxc3 Rd8# (White move: [[Bishop (chess)|bishop]] unpinned by rook move selfpins)
* 1...Bxh5 2.Nexc3 Bg6# (White move: [[Knight (chess)|knight]] unpinned by bishop move selfpins)

Another three variations result in unpinnings of white pieces, but the mates are not by switchback:
* 1...Qd7 2.Rc6 Qxd4# (White move: unpinned rook unguards d4 and unpins queen)
* 1...Nd5 2.Bxe3 Nf4# (White move: unpinned bishop opens d-{{chessgloss|file}} and blocks e3)
* 1...Kd7 2.Bxc3 Kxc8# (White move: unpinned bishop opens d-file and selfpins on c3)

In the next three variations the black pieces are unpinned and mate:
* 1...Qc6 2.Bxb3 Qxe4# (White move: bishop unpins queen)
* 1...Nf5 2.Rxc7 Rxd4# (White move: rook unpins rook)
* 1...Bf7 2.Qf5 Bxc4# (White move: queen unpins bishop)

The last variation is just technical:
* 1...Rxb1 2.Bd1 Rxd1#

The example is putting emphasis on unpinning and pinning (see [[motif (chess composition)|motivatioñs]]) and illustrates one of the artistic advantages of reflexmate over selfmate, namely the presence of more varied mates (on average).

[[Category:Chess problems]]
[[Category:Fairy chess]]