Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Solving Contest 2008-01-27, ISC categ1 round2

The Fifth ISC (International Solving Contest) for 2009 is approaching, which takes place parallely in many countries at the same time.

We present, from the Fourth ISC (2008-01-27), the problems of the Second Round of the First Category (difficult problems, with international rating) for you to practise.



Problems to be solved. (The solutions are at the end of this post).

(Problem 288)
H. Ahues,
Second Prize, Problemisten, 1977,
Mate in 2.
#2 (8 + 9)
[1b1R4/6sS/r4pS1/2Q5/r3kp2/2Pp4/b2P1R2/7K]


(Problem 289)
V. Sichev,
Third Prize, 8. kom. perveistvo SSSR, 1972-73,
Mate in 3.
#3 (9 + 10)
[1b6/1s6/7Q/1pprp3/4S1p1/P1SkP3/B1s3P1/2K2bB1]



(Problem 290)
E. Grosdemange,
Regence, 1860
Mate in 5.
#5 (9 + 9)
[6s1/1b5S/2p4p/b1B1k3/K1PSrpB1/p4P2/3P4/1R6]


(Problem 291)
L. Falk,
First Prize ex aequo, Reti Memorial Tourney, 1989,
White plays and wins.
= (4 + 5)
[3k4/B7/3P4/1R6/p7/r3s3/7b/2K5]


(Problem 292)
A. Beine,
Problemforum, 2008
Helpmate in 6 moves.
h#6 (5 + 8)
[8/8/6p1/4p3/3p3p/3Pp2p/2BkP2P/3s1K2]


(Problem 293)
J. Arefjev,
Die Schwalbe, 1996
Selfmate in 3 moves.
s#3 (8 + 13)
[7B/Q4PPk/1p4pr/1p1B4/7b/2pPpP1K/4p1rs/5b1q]




Solutions of the problems

(Problem 288) H. Ahues, Problemisten 1977, Second Prize

Tries : [1 Rd4+? Rxd4!], [1 Re8+? Sxe8!], [1 Sxf6+? Rxf6!], [1 Sg5+? fxg5!], [1 Qd5+? Bxd5!], [1 Rxf4+? Bxf4!], [1 Rd6? (if 1...Rxd6 / Bxd6 2 Rxf4 / Sxf6#) Sh5!], [1 c4? (if 1…Rxc4 / Bxc4 2 Qd5 / Td4#) Be5!].

Key : 1 Qb5! (5)


(Problem 289) V. Sichev, 8. kom. perveistvo SSSR, 1972-73, Third Prize

Tries : [1 Qf8? / Qf6? Be2!], [1 Qc6? Rd4!], [1 Sf2+? Kxc3!].

Key : 1 Qe6! ( > 2 Qxd5+ (0,5) )
1...Rd7,d8 2 Bb1 (1) Rd5 3 Qxd5#
1...Rd6 2 Sf2+ (1) Kxc3/Kxe3 3 Qb3# / Qxe5#
1...Rd4 2 Qb3 (1) Sc~ / Sxe3 3 Qd1 / Sf2#
1...Sxe3 2 Qh6 (0,5) S~ / Sc4 3 Qd2 / Bb1#
1...Sb4 2 axb4 (0,5) R~ 3 Bb1#

A second threat, discovered later (special thanks to Harry Fougiaxis and Zoltan Laborczi), was graded as follows : 1 Qe6! ( > 2 Bb1 (1) Sb~ 3 Qxd5+ (0,5)).

(Problem 290) E. Grosdemange, Regence, 1860

Tries : [1 Sxc6+? Bxc6+!], [1 Kxa5? a2!], [1 Rxb7? Rxd4!], [1 Re1? Rxe1! 2 Se2 Bxd2!].

Key : 1 Rh1! Bd8 (αν 1...Sf6? 2 Sf8 and 3 Sd7/Sg6#)
2 Re1 Rxe1
3 Se2 Rd1 (if 2...Re3? 3 Sb3 and 4 d4#)
4 Sxf4 (5) Kxf4
5 Bd6#

(Problem 291) L. Falk, Reti Memorial Tourney, 1989, First Prize ex aequo

Key : 1 Rb8+! (1) Kd7 (if 1 Rb4? Bxd6 -+)
2 Rb7+ Kc6 (now, if 3 d7? Rd3 4 Rb4 Rd1+ 5 Kb2 Be5+ -+)
3 Rb6+ (1) Kd7 (if 3...Kd5 4 d7 Bc7 5 Rb8 Ra1+ 6 Kd2 Sc4+ 7 Kc2 Sa3+ 8 Kc3 Be5+ 9 Kb4 Bd6+ 10 Kxa4 Sc4+ 11 Kb3 =)
4 Rb7+ Kxd6
5 Rb4 (1) Ra1+ (if 5...Rc3+ 6 Kd2 Rc4 7 Rb6+ Kc7 8 Kxe3 Bg1+ 9 Kd3 Bxb6 10 Kxc4 Bxa7 11 Kb4 =)
6 Kb2 (1) Be5+
7 Bd4 a3+
8 Kxa1 Sc2+ (now, if 9 Ka2? Sxb4 10 Kxa3 Sc2+ -+)
9 Kb1 Sxb4
10 Bb2 (1) =

(Problem 292) A. Beine, Problemforum, 2008

Key : 1 e4! Kg1 2 Kxe2 dxe4 3 Kf3 Kf1 4 Kg4 Ke2 5 g5 Bxd1 6 d3+ Kxe3#

(Problem 293) J. Arefjev, Die Schwalbe, 1996

Tries : [1 g8=Q/R? / Qxb6? g5!], [1 g8=B+? Kxh8!]

Key : 1 Be4! ( > 2 g8=R ( > 3 f8=R+ (0,5) Be7#) Rh5 3 f8=Q+ (0,5) Be7#)
1...e1=Q/R/B 2 f8=S+ Kg8 3 Qa2+ (1,5) Rxa2#
1...c2 2 g8=B+ Kxh8 3 Qa1+ (1,5) Bf6#
1...Rh5 2 g8=Q+ Kh6 3 Qxg6+ (1) Rxg6#

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