Retro problem

N.Beluhov, StrateGems 2011

Release the position [find out what the last few moves must have been. Keep taking back moves until you can show that the position is legal.]

Bump now that we've got some interest in retros.

I believe that it's White's move here.  The last move was ..Na1-b3 blocking the check.  The previous White move was Nb3-a5 giving discovered check.  The move before that was ..d3-d2.  By the way, this is probably Black's original c pawn - and the pawn on c5 got there from e7 by capturing twice.

There is more to it. You should be able to unlock the position completely, meaning mainly that the Kings can get free of the cages they are in.

Well yes, of course that's not the whole thing, but all that I felt like working out at the time.

What you worked out isn't all correct. I'm working on it now, but a quick glance says it's 12+15 so the d2-pawn came from e7, otherwise there would be too many captures.

Additionally, black can't have just played ...d3-d2 due to some subtle reasoning. The last moves you stated are impossible.

...I'm still working on the details, but the idea is clear at least: Two Knights' Tango. How do these composers do it.

...And done. Solution sent by PM.

Getting the kings out of the cages is the name of the game. A few hints to start: ...d3-d2 was not recently played by black. Both sides almost lack last moves. Only one pawn in the diagram is really free to be retracted.

SOLV'D

Beluhov is a Sam Loyd-type prodigy of composition. He is a young composer who burst on to the scene with a slew of excellent retro problems. For a year or two, he was in every problem magazine, contributing most of their content for the year.

Then he retired and went on to other things. With talent like his, you can rapidly exhaust a single genre of composition, especially one like retros that is near end-of-life as far as original ideas are concerned.