The two, two-part blends above are symbolic of Bill Salot's newest Problem Composing Contest. No, Bill didn't switch from checkers to coffee--- we understand in fact that he personally eschews coffee--- but what he has done is to present us with two two-part blend problems which will challenge and entertain you as never before. You can find them on the contest page, where you are invited and requested to vote for the one you like best.

As a sample of what awaits you, here is a previously unpublished two-part problem composed by Mr. Salot himself. He calls it The Albatross for two reasons. One is that the setting (somewhat) resembles an albatross. The other is that an Albatross symbolizes something that makes accomplishment particularly difficult, as in the expression "an albatross around one's neck" which takes its derivation from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's celebrated poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W6,K7,18,24,25,K27,K29:B2,8,9,K11,15,16,K20,22

Will this problem be the albatross that hangs around your neck? We certainly hope not, for after giving it a go you can always click on Read More to see the solution.

Solution

*18 14, 9-18, *7 3A, 2-9, 3 10, 18-23, *27 18, 20-27B, *25 21, 22-26, *21 17, 9-13C, *10 15, 13-22, *18 25, 11-18, *25 22, WW

A---7 10 and 27 32 each also accomplish a triple jump, but they do not achieve the win.

B---Forms the beginning of the second phase.

C---Now same as Misdirection at its 6th move (Misdirection was a Bill Salot problem entry in Contest 12, August 2013; it can be see here).

We hope you enjoyed this problem. The ones on the contest page are somewhat more challenging; go check them out!