Sunday, September 29, 2013

Awards from WCCC, Batumi

Here are some Awards from the composition Tourneys in WCCC, Batumi 2013.

The president of WFCC mr Harry Fougiaxis has compiled (22 Oct 2013) a bulletin file with all the proceedings in Batumi.

D.Gurgenidze 60 JT Announcementjt_gurgenidze-60_2013_congress-batumi.pdf
G.Mosiashvili 65 JT Announcement...
G.Nadareishvili MT Announcementmt_nadareishvili_eg_2013_congress-batumi.pdf
SPIŠSKÁ BOROVIČKA Announcementmany thanks to all participants! 
this year i have received 23 entries by 17 authors from 11 countries. 
as there will be some time needed to publish the whole award, and the authors are surely waiting on it, here i give just the list of awarded problems with position of kings. 
once the award is ready, i will post here the new link, too. 
peter
2° Recommandé (h4/d4)
1° Recommandé (e2/e4)
5° Mention d'Honneur (f3/d5)
4° Mention d'Honneur (b2/f5)
3° Mention d'Honneur (f7/a5)
2° Mention d'Honneur (g8/d8)
1° Mention d'Honneur (/d1)
4° Prix (g6/a4)
3° Prix (d1/c4)
2° Prix (a4/e4)
1° Prix (h4/f6)
4th Bulgarian Wine Tourney 2013 Announcement4th-bulgarian-wine-tourney.html
1° Azemmour AnnouncementAward_1o_Azemmour.pdf
11th Romanian Tzuica Tourney AnnouncementTzuica-2013-Award.pdf
2013 13th Sake Announcement...
2th Azerbaijan Study tourney, Batumi 2013 Announcement...
Jenever Ty 2013 Announcement...
Sabra 16 AnnouncementSabra 16 Award revised
VODKA 2013 Announcement?VODKA TOURNEY-awards.pdf
Champagne 2013 Announcement?Notes of award

Saturday, September 28, 2013

World Championship in Solving, for Teams and Individuals

For the world championship of solving chess problems WCSC, which is organized during WCCC, the full results are published here : http://www.wfcc.ch/competitions/solving/wcsc13/

Team results :
1) Poland, 178,5 points in 600 minutes.
2) Germany, 162.5 in 635.
3) Serbia, 159.25 in609.

The Greece (71st Konidaris with 30 points, 44th Mendrinos with 56.5, 75th Fougiaxis with 26) is ranked 18th (in 19 teams) with 98.5 in 680 (the two best results are included).

Individual results :
1) Murdzia, Piotr, POL, GM, 85.75 points in 332 minutes
2) Zude, Arno, GER, GM, 84.5 in 281
3) Piorun, Kacper, POL, GM, 83.0 in 302
4) Mista, Aleksander, POL, FM, 82.25 in  306
5) Paavilainen, Jorma, FIN, GM, 80.0 in 360
6) Kovacevic, Marjan, SRB, GM, 79.75 in  319

Friday, September 27, 2013

Next WCCC in Bern, Switzerland

Next year, in August 2014, the WCCC (World Congress on Chess Composition) will be held in Bern, Switzerland.

The voted proposal : http://www.franziska-iseli.ch/WCCC2014.pdf

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Results from Open Solving, Batumi 2013

The results were published in the page http://www.wfcc.ch/competitions/solving/open-solving-batumi-2013/

The three first are
1) Comay, Ofer, ISR, 50/60
1) Zude, Arno, GER, 50/60
3) Vuckovic, Bojan, SRB, 49/60

7) Selivanov, Andrey, RUS, 39.5/60, the only one who solved the selfmate-in-6!

Greek participants:
23) Mendrinos, Nikos, GRE, 32/60
73) Konidaris, Panagiotis, GRE, 16/60

Congratulations!

You can see the problems with solutions here :
http://www.wfcc.ch/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/2013_WCCC-OPEN-56_solutions.pdf

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Michel Caillaud, Composing in computer times

A presentation by the great French composer Michel Caillaud, (August 01, 2013, Marianka, Slovakia).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh3wXcrlWB4

When there is good disposition and interesting subject, the language problems are set aside.
Here the French (who is wearing the t-shirt of the Italian problemists) speaks English and there is translation to Slovakian.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

12th Greek Championship in Solving Chess Problems


It is the 12th Championship in Solving Chess Problems in Greece.

Winners : (1) Nikos Mendrinos, (2) Panagiotis Konidaris, (3) Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis

Try to solve these 12 problems. The solutions will be shown if you select the text between the brackets [ ].


12th  Greek Championship, 15 IX 2013

Round 1  -  Problems, Time 2 hours
(725) 1
 #2, Mate in 2 moves
R7/1Q2pbKp/3Bk1P1/3R4/2pps2r/s5S1/6B1/3r2b1 (8 + 11)

Anatoly Slesarenko & Valery Shansin
1. Prize, The Problemist, 2000

[Key : 1.Rg5! (5) [2.Qxe7#]
1...Sxd6 2.Bd5#, 1...Kxd6 2.Ra6#, 1...exd6 2.Qxf7#


Changed mates, Themes Rudenko, Option, Chernet, etc
]
(726) 2
#3, Mate in 3 moves,
8/2p1Sp2/2p5/1p1Bp2K/Qb2pkP1/5pS1/r1P2PsP/8  (9 + 11)

Michael Keller & Thornsten Zirkwitz
1-2. Prize, Sachsische Zeitung, 2001

[Tries : {1.Bxf7? [2.Sg6#] Sh4!}, {1.Bxc6? [2.Sd5#] Se3!}

Key : 1.h3! [2.Kh6 ~ 3.Sh5# (1)]
1...Rxc2 2.Qxc2 (1) 2...cxd5/ f5 3.Sxd5# / 3.Sg6#
1...Sh4 2.Bxc6 (1) Bxe7 3.Qxe4#
1...Se3 2.Bxf7 (1) Bxe7 3.Qxe4#
1...e3 2.Qxb4+ (1) e4 3.Qxe4# 

Logical, Themes Banny, Pseudo Le Grand].
(727) 3
#7, Mate in 7 moves,
qr6/pp2Pb1B/rP6/p1R1SS1k/R4P2/2pPP2p/5p2/5K2 (11 + 11)

Olivier Schmitt 
Diagrammes, 2011

[Tries : {1.Bg6? Bxg6!}, {1.Sd7? Rxb6!}

Key : 1.Rc6! (1)
1...bxc6 2.Sd7 Kg4 3.Sf6+ Kf3 4.Ra2 Bxa2 5.Sd7 Kg4 6.Se5+ (3) Kh5 7.Bg6#
1...Rxb6 2.Sg7+ Kh4 3.Rxb6 [4.Sf5+ Kh5 5.Rh6#] axb6 4.Kxf2 [5.Sf3+ Kg4 6.Bf5#] Be6 5.Sf3+ Kg4 6.f5+ (1) Bc4 7.Rxc4#

Switchback of wSe5, sacrifice of wR. Two foreplans for the deflection of bBf7]. 
(728) 4
+, White plays and wins,
1b6/5b2/3p1B1k/8/6Kp/1P1S2S1/8/8 (5 + 5)

Sergeo Nikolaevich Tkachenko  
2nd Commendation, Israel-Chess-Composition-Society-50 JT, 1998

[1.Sf5+ Kg6 2.Bd8! (1) Bxb3 3.Se7+ Kf7 4.Sc6! Ke8 5.Ba5! (1) (5.Bb6? Kd7! 6.Sxb8+ Kc8 7.Sc6 Ld1+ 8.Kxh4 Kb7 9.Sd4 Kxb6! 10.Sb2 Kc5 11.Se6+ Kd5 12.Sf4+ Ke4) 
5...Bc7! 6.Bxc7 Kd7 7.Sd4! (1) Bd1+ 8.Kxh4(1) (8.Kg5? Kxc7 9.Sb2 h3 10.Sxd1 h2 11.Sf2 Kb6 12.Kg4 Kc5 13.Se6+ Kc4)
8...Kxc7 9.Sb2! (1) +- 

Domination to ensure win (according Troitzky)
].
(729) 5
h#3, 211111, Helpmate in 3 moves, 2 solutions 
2R5/3S4/1pr4s/3p1kq1/2rs4/4p3/1K6/1b6 (3 + 10)

Christer Jonsson
1.Prize, Schach, 1988

[1.Kg6 Rc7 2.Sh6-f5 Sf8+ 3.Kh6 Rh7#  (2.5)
1.Ke4 Rd8 2.Sd4-f5 Sf6+ 3.Kd4 Rxd5# (2.5)

Exchange of positions between bK and each bS, Model mates.
]
(730) 6
s#5, Selfmate in 5 moves,
2b4R/1p1p1S2/1P1Q1RSb/P1p4k/1B6/2P2KP1/ 3P1P2/5B2 (14 + 6)

Bohuslav Mikyska
Sachove Listy, 1901

[Key : 1.Sh4! zugzwang (1)
1...c4 2.Bd3 cxd3 3.a6 bxa6 4.Ba5 Bb7+5.Qd5+ (2) Bxd5#
1...cxb4 2.Bh3 ~ 3.Sg2 ~ 4.Qc5+ d5 5.Bg4+ (2) Bxg4#
]

2#: Write the key.
3# and 7#: Write the key, possible threats and all the variations until the last-but-one white move
Study: Write all the moves until a visible win.
H#: Write the full solution
S#: Write the key, possible threats and all the variations until the last-but-one white move.


12th  Greek Championship, 15 IX 2013

Round 2  -  Problems, Time 2 hours
(731) 1
 #2, Mate in 2 moves
sr6/3QS1bb/qB1S4/1R5r/p1P2R2/PPk1p2s/2B1P3/2K5 (12 + 10)

Carel J. R. Sammelius
1-2 Prize, JT Nederlandse-Bond-van-Probleemvrienden-35, 1966

[Tries : {1.Se7-f5? Re8!}, {1.Sd6-f5? Sh3xf4!}, {1.Qf5? Sxb6!}, {1.Rf4-f5? Qb7!}, {1.Bf5? Qxb5!}

Key: 1.Rb5-f5! (5) [2.Sd5# / Se4#]

Sacrifice Novotni, where only one from six moves is right!
]
(732) 2
 #3, Mate in 3 moves, 
3S1b2/Q4B2/5pp1/1kpSpR2/8/p7/2b5/K7 (6 + 8)

Cenek Kainer
Casopis Sach 1921

[Key: 1.Sc6! [2.Sd5-b4 [3.Qa5/Qa6] cxb4 3.Sd4# (1)
1...Bxf5/Be4 2.Qa4+ (1) Kxa4 3.Sd5-c3#
1...gxf5 2.Sa5 (1) ~ 3.Be8#
1...Kxc6 2.Qb6+ (1) Kd7 3.Qc7#
1...Kc4 2.Qa6+(1) Kb3 3.Qb5#

Sacrificial key, Model mates, Theme Cyclic Zilahi (the mating piece is captured in another variation)
]
(733) 3
 #4, Mate in 4 moves, 
2s5/3s1Q2/2R4B/qP1ppB2/S1pk2P1/Ppb1p3/4P3/5K2 (10 + 10)

Igor A. Agapov (after Anatoly Styopochkin)
Special Prize, 1st FIDE World Cup 2010

[Key: 1.Qe6! (1) [2.Bxe3+ Kxe3 3.Qh6+ Kd4 4.e3# (1)
1...Sf6 2.Qxe5+ Kxe5 3.Re6+ (1) Kd4 4.Bxe3#
1...Qd8 2.Rxc4+ Kxc4 3.Qc6+ (0.5) Kd4 4.Qxc3#, 3...Sc5 4.Qxc5#, 2...dxc4 3.Qc6 (0.5) Sc5 4.Qxc5#, 3...Sd6 4.Qxd6#
1...Bd2 2.Qxd5+ Kxd5 3.Be6+ (1) Kd4/Κe4 4.Rxc4# 

Changed mates, Switchback of bK, Themes Zilahi, Kniest, Bristol, Chumakov, ODT
].
(734) 4
 =, White plays and draws,
6r1/2R3pk/q1s1p3/4S2K/b3P3/4P3/2Q5/8 (6 + 7)

Amazia Avni
Chess in Israel, 1999

[1.Qh2 (1) (1.Sf7? Qa5+ 2.e5+ g6+ (2...Βxc2? 3.Sg5+ Kh8 4.Sf7+ Kh7 5.Sg5+) 3.Kg4 (3.Kg5 Βxc2) 3...Qxc7 4.Sg5+ Kg7 5.Sxe6+ Kf7] 
1...Rh8! (1...Re8? 2.Kg5+ Kg8 3.Rxg7+) 
2.Sf7 (2.Kg5+? Kg8 3.Qf4 Sxe5) 
2...Kg8+! 3.Sxh8 Qa5+ (3...Bd1+ 4.Kh4! Kxh8? 5.Kg3+) 
4.Kg6! (1) (4.Kg4? Se5+) 
4...Se5+ 5.Qxe5! Be8+! (5...Qxe5 6.Rc8+) 
6.Rf7! Qxe5  = (3)

Stalemate by self-pin.
]
(735) 5
 h#6, Helpmate in 6 moves
8/1s2k3/qp6/rB6/8/8/8/5K2 (2 + 5)

Frantiek Korostenski
Prize, Sachove Umeni 2001

[1.Kd6 Bd3 2.Qc4 Ke2 3.Qc7 Ba6 4.Kc6 Kd3 5.Rd5+ Kc4 6.Rd6 Bb5# (5)

Circuit of wB and Pelle move (while it is pinned), Bicolour Bristol
].
(736) 6
 s#3, Selfmate in 3 moves,
4b3/2S1p3/2p1p3/P1k1P2p/K4P1P/PR1R4/3S4/Q7 (11 + 5)

Leonid Kubbel
Jas 1935 , 1st Prize

[Set play : 1…Bd7 2.Sxe6+ Bxe6 3.Rb5+ cxb5#

Key: 1.Rd8! zugzwang (1)
1...Bd7 2.Qd4+ Kxd4 3.Kb4 (2) c5#
1...Bxg6  2.Qc1+ Bc2 3.Sb5 (1) cxb5#
1...Bf7 2.Sxe6+ Bxe6 3.Rb5+ (1) cxb5#

Critical move of wR, Model mates
].
       
2#: Write the key.
3# and 4#: Write the key, possible threats and all the variations until the last-but-one white move
Study: Write all the moves until a visible draw.
H#: Write the full solution
S#: Write the key, possible threats and all the variations until the last-but-one white move.

Saturday, September 07, 2013

World Team Tourney, WCCT-9, results

The relevant site for this event is here : http://www.wfcc.ch/competitions/composing/9_wcct/

There are pdf files available for download with all the contributions.

The results are here.

(My entry, (is the A68 composition in page 25), took 1,5 grades and simply allowed Greece to appear in the 37th position).

Congratulations to the winners!