Zajic theme

A black moves to the vacant mating square of the bK and is captured there by a white piece; the bK then captures this white piece (a special case of the Kniest theme). If the capturing white unit is a pawn, the theme is usually called pawn-Zajic.

White Zajic theme: the roles of white and black thematic pieces are reversed.

See also: Kniest theme; Pawn-Zajic; White Zajic theme.

Zajic, Helmut

Schach-Echo, 1976

3rd HM

Example: Zajic theme
h#2 2.1... (6+8)

1.Qf5 Sxf5 2.Kxf5 Rxh5#
1.Qh4 Rxh4 2.Kxh4 Sdxf3#

View in Helpmate Analyzer

FEN: 8/3pK3/3n4/4N1kp/3Nrq2/4Ppp1/6P1/7R

External links:

Zajic, Helmut

Die Schwalbe, 1978

Example: Zajic theme
h#3  (6+6)

1.Rf6 e6 2.Ke5 Sxf6 3.Kxf6 Se8#

Delayed Zajic.

View in Helpmate Analyzer

FEN: 1B2Nr2/1pNK4/1P4n1/4Pnb1/3k4/8/8/8

External links:

Rotenberg, Jacques

Caillaud, Michel

Phénix, 1995

1st Prize

Example: Zajic theme
h#2 2.1... (8+6)

1.Rd4 Bxd4 2.Kxd4 Qe4#
1.Bd5 Sxd5 2.Kxd5 Qe6#

View in Helpmate Analyzer

FEN: 8/4K3/2P1b1Q1/4B3/1Pk1rp2/2Np1p2/3P1P2/8

External links:

Rice, John Michael

The Problemist, Zajic TT, 2001

1st Prize

Example: Zajic theme
h#3 2.1... (3+14)

1.Rf5 Sxf3 2.Ree5 Sxe5 3.Kxe5 Rxe2#
1.Be7 Sf5 2.Sd6+ Sxd6 3.Kxd6 Rxb6#

View in Helpmate Analyzer

FEN: 2n5/2np4/1p1bkq2/2p1r3/p1K2p1N/4rp2/1R2p3/8

External links:

Caillaud, Michel

feenschach, P. Kniest MT, 1999

2nd Prize

Example: Zajic theme
h#3 2.1... (6+11)

1.Sb5 Bb4 2.Qc5 Bxc5+ 3.Kxc5 Sxd7#
1.Se8 Se6 2.Sac7 Sxc7 3.Kxc7 Ba5#

View in Helpmate Analyzer

FEN: nbq2N1K/1bnp4/1k1p4/3P4/p1rpP3/P1B5/8/8

External links:

Feather, Christopher John

Moultings 12, 1993

Example: Zajic theme
h#3 2.1... (5+6)

1.a5 Sxa5 2.Kb4 Sd5+ 3.Kxa5 Ra8#
1.d5 Sxd5+ 2.Kc4 Sa5+ 3.Kxd5 Rd8#

View in Helpmate Analyzer

FEN: 7R/1N6/p2ppN2/1p6/3Pp3/2k5/8/7K

External links: