october 24 2006

for this 3rd session of the year, we had the pleasure of welcoming back K'ptain Benoit to compensate for the physical absence of
friend Guy, who was nevertheless morally with us as the extract of the mail below proves it in which he makes us follow
Peter Harris compositions.
The Master's electronic report is of course at the end of this email, with some additions as usual. Thanks to him.

For technical reasons, the beginning of the course took place in the small adjoining room and the Master had brought his Canadian wall chessboard for the occasion.
It is quite possible that this situation will continue and the next course (14 November) should start in this room.

The first position is a creation of a young French author with a Greek profile.

1 - White to play and win

W.:   Kh3, Rc8 and f2, pa2
B.:   Kh1, Ba6, pa3, e2, g2 and h2

Even if the intro is not great, the rest is worth a look.

To follow, a trapping position from a game.

2 - White to play and win

W.:   Kd2, Bd5, pb4, e4, f4, g4 and h4
B.:   Kb6, Bf1, pa6,  d4, f6, g6 and h6

Three helpmates to look for, only one for the overworked Daniel.


A find by the little genius of FE J. Iglesias, with two natural moves refuted, one by a promotion to C, the other by
a promotion to F. A missed win in an old game, where the most interesting is not where you think it is. For insomniacs, the "missed" Crosskill win by Vaganian against Knezevic, which a Dutch author from 2006 still ignores, 22 years later. The latest table-based behemoth to shatter the length record, from 250 to ..... 517 moves, equally incomprehensible, but with a key position at 467th (marked 211 for reasons explained), reported in the general indifference on FE (where one is more interested in Elistian latrine problems than in "cultural revolutions" affecting Chess). A nice recent pawn endgame: something new with known elements. Finally an old con from a genius old timer who can't be stopped.

The game of the day: 19...Bf6 seems well refuted by the Saint Lazarian 20 e5 but rather with the idea 20...Qxe5 21 Be4! As for 21...Rxb3 22 Bxh7+ Kxh7 23 Qh4+, it had been analysed by Shirov (including the 28 Qg6! Kg8 29 f5! which made the pride of the
Saint Lazarians) but complicated by 26...Qd7 (instead of capturing the R on c6) and leading ...to a white advantage at move 42! But I had rejected it because of 26...Qb7! (keeping the later possibility of a check on b6). The day when I
 will present myself with the totality of my analyses, it will be better! Finally 25 Qh5 (instead of 25 Rf3) seems less good (25...Rxb3
with a leak in d8).

Good reading and see you soon

AV 

The Master's misfortunes

Last night, as I was leaving the course, something happened which illustrates magnificently the "recognition of the railway world" for my work. To get my "horse" back, I entered the code for 19 rue d'Amsterdam, a click was made but the door did not open. Several tries confirm the validity of the code but something blocks. As I had noticed that there was a guard at 21, I knocked about twenty times on the door of 21, without any answer. I come back to 19, I warm up. I decide to go through, I force the door open with a sinister cracking sound: some idiot had nailed a plank to block the entrance! He couldn't have failed to see the parked moped! Before leaving, I think of informing the caretaker of 21: but his office is empty. I knock next door where I see a light, I hear a terrified voice that refuses to open, probably reckoning me a suburban "fuck-ya-ma" thief. Surreal... Apparently there are still a few sessions left in the current location. Will I have to come with an artillery next time? Could you find out more about the moron in question or, failing that, get the code for 21 in preparation for another display of imbecilic zeal? Not only has the SNCF never offered me a ticket in 30 years, but now they want to force me into a taxi!

In the game, White played g5 and only got a draw

A classic now

3 - White to play and draw

W.:   Kh2, Rh3
B.:   Kf1, Rf4, Bf2

To follow, a position which looks like nothing, but which conceals a hellish sinking.

4 - White to play and win

W.:   Kg1, pa3, b2, c3, f2 and g3
B.:   Kb8, pa6, c6, e6, f5 and g5

and to finish the "light positions" part, an endgame won by Viktor the Terrible when he should have lost it

5 - Black to play and win

W.:   Ke2, Rh1, Nh5, pd4, e5 and g6
B.:   Kg8, Rf3, Nc4, pa4, d5, e6 and g7

Viktor has white.

The day's game is played with white by someone who is often seen in Saint-Lazare on the wall chessboard and who is generously endowed by nature, if one is to believe his playing style

6 - game of the day

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 e6 ( 3... e5) 4. d4 cd 5 Nxd4 a6 6. Be2 Nge7 (6. ... Nf6 7. NxN bc 8. e5 Nd5 9. Ne4 Qc7 10. Nd6! is quite nice) 7. f4 (7. Be3) NxN 8. QxN b5 9. 0-0 Qc7 10. Qf2 Nc6  (10. ... b4 11. Na4 Qxc2 11 f5 Qxa4 12. f6 with a big attack not to be put in the hands of the white player)  11. Be3 Be7 12. a4 b4 13. Nb1 Rb8 (the threat was Bb6) 14. Nd2 0-0 15. Bd3 (Tal has already played something like this, so I'm doing the same, says the white player) d6 16. Rad1 (16. Qg3 f5) b3 17. cb Bf6 18. Rc1 Bxb2 19. Rc2 Ba3 (Bf6 was analysed at length during the course and after 20. e5, it is an orgy of variants) 20. e5 d5 ? (20. ... Qd7! 21. Bxh7+ Kxh7 22. Ne4 f6) 21. Nf3 Qd7 22. Bxh7+ Kxh7 23. Qh4+ Kg8 24. Ng5 Re8 25.Rf3 Ne7 26. Qh7+ Kf8 27. Qh8+ Ng8 28. f5 ef 29. e6 fe 30. Nh7 Kf7

As the greffier's paw is numb at this point, you will only get the endgame on the cybernetic version.

For the restoration, we ate light.

7. serial helpmate 18 moves Circe
      serial helpmate : Black plays n moves in a row and help White to checkmate them in 1 move
      Circe: a captured piece is reborn on its native square if this one is free otherwise it disappears

W.:   Kh6, Re6 and g1, Bd4 and h5, Nd8, pb4, g2 and h2
B.:   Ka6, Rh1, Bh7, Nb6 and h8, pb3, e7, f2, g4 and g6

8 - helpmate 3 moves super-Andernach 2 solutions
      super-Andernach: a playing piece changes colour (except Kings)
      2 solutions: there are 2 different ways to respect the statement

W.:   Ke6, Bg4
B.:   Kh6, Rh3, Bh4

It remains for me to wish you a good reading and see you on 14/11.

Yours sincerely


Guy's word

Dear Guy,

I send you two problems, which if you think suitable, you may use at your next dinner.

Both are lightweight, suitable as hors-d'oeuvres?

In problem No.2 Black has 7 possible first moves.

No.1  h#3   [1+1+1]

beg  pie whi se4  bla ph2  neut bd2
stip h#3  cond  republicanchess
opt  now  end


No.2  h#2   [1+2+3]

beg  pie whi kh8  bla kd3 qb1  neut rd1 bb5 sc3
stip h#2  cond  supercirce
end      C+  40 secs


Best wishes,

Peter."

Peter uses the Popeye software notation, which is somewhat opaque.

So I translate these problems into human language, for the attention of our "evergreen clerk".
And I add the solutions

Peter Harris

W. : Ne4
B. : Ph2
Neutral : Bd2
h#3 (1+1+1)
Républican
1.h1=B Ng5 2.Bd5 Bnc3 3.Bg8 Bna1#
C+

Peter Harris

W. : Kh8
B. : Kd3 Qb1
Neutral : Rd1 Bb5 Nc3
h#2 (1+2+3)
Super-Circe

1.Kc2 Nnxb1(Qe2) 2.Kxd1(Rna4) Bnxa4(Rng1)#
C+

Finally, I made an exceptional effort for this occasion, which is no less exceptional, by producing a selfmate without
condition or fairy piece (you are not dreaming!), which can also be included in the report.

As the Marquis is fond of this type of composition, I do not mention the solution.

I strangely took a certain pleasure in composing this selfmate, which can only be explained by a
Stockholm syndrome.

The cybernetic monster not being able to verify this rather long problem, I will have the pleasure to invite to the next fairy dinner the first human who will manage to demolish this inverse.

Guy Sobrecases

W. : Kd4 Qb8 Rf8g5 Bf5 Nd6d3 Pc7d7d5e3
B. : Ka6 Ba5 Pc6c4
s#12 (11+4)
C-

Yours sincerely.

Guy.