july 7 2026

Another heat wave, which normally occurs between July 15 and August 15, hit during this final class before the summer break, but that didn’t stop the hard-core (and parched) group from showering the lesson with variations.

The 8 exercises proposed in the previous session were corrected faster than the usual 4.

The game of the day, featuring two renowned fighters, provided an opportunity to pull a few variations out of the audience's hat.

There was an abundance of fairy compositions, much to the dismay of the scribe, who encountered technical issues in putting it to music.

The next meeting will be after we return from summer pasture.

Happy reading and happy holidays to everyone.

Master's word

Lonely rivers sigh : "Wait for me, wait for me".    https://youtu.be/GkLrfnqvOus   https://youtu.be/aWInBXI83W8            https://youtu.be/jLw5jYDivGc?list=RDjLw5jYDivGc   1956, 1965, 1990 :  a song with three dates!              

“If you see everything, you eventually put up with everything. If you put up with everything, you eventually tolerate everything. If you tolerate everything, you eventually accept everything. If you accept everything, you eventually approve of everything” Saint Augustin

« The world, my friend, will be turned upside down.  We will see nothing that resembles the past.  The rich will be beggars and the nobles will be despised.  Our misfortunes will become blessings; men will become women.  And women will be whatever they wish to be.  The oldest enemies will be reconciled.  The Russian with the Turk, the Englishman with the Frenchman.  Religious faith with indifference.  And modern drama with common sense.  Magistrates: none; laws: none either. I abolish the family and break up marriage.  There you have it. As for children, those who can will have them.  Those who wish to find their father will search for him. » (A. de Musset, 15-07-1838).

"The French soul is stronger than the French spirit, and Voltaire is defeated by Joan of Arc” (V. Hugo).

“Freedom, the spirit of leveling and skepticism, hatred of superiority, the anarchy of ideas—in short, democracy...”? (Joachim du Bellay in the mid-16th century). “Insanecracy” (sister of the republic of the crooks). Or “demoncracy”?

“Democracy always means choosing Barabbas...” (P. Morand).

“Women are truly astonishing: either they think of nothing, or they think of something else.” (A. Dumas).

A wide variety of exercises: endgames of Queens, Rooks, Knights. A few truly surprising moves... And a problem theme.

The game of the day brings to life the Alekhine Defense in one of its wildest forms, in which an eminent member of the great Rouen team was a specialist, as well as a magnificent female Georgian champion. The traditional mini-studies, a middle ground, incredible material disparities, etc. In the end, an astonishing case where 2 Rooks and a Bishop surpass a Queen and a Rook.

Training: the 2# are more difficult, but you have all summer. The easiest ones are 1, 3, 4, 7, 10, and 11. Next comes an extremely brilliant 3# that had impressed me... more than half a century ago! Its author is from the same origin as today's game winner. Three helpmates, including a long one that had seemed difficult to me. Two selfmates, the second one with the solution.

11 fairy compositions: a record since the discontinuation of exclusively fairy compositions courses in 2016!

In tribute to the French Championship here https://lecoursdumaitre.e-monsite.com/pages/concours-de-solutions/2026/championnat-de-france-2026.html I promised a 3# bohemian training. Here is, therefore, the emperor of the specialty. Hide the right half to conceal the solution. And even if you accidentally read the key, take the time to look for the variations. Reminder: a model chechmate is a pure and economical checkmate. They are mentioned in the solution by an exclamation point. Any comments are welcome.

Sooner or later, we’ll have to tackle the daunting Crosskill 2 problem, for which I provided a raw solution (pp. 13–19) in the 1998 edition of my first volume. To help us approach it with a clear head, here is, by way of introduction, Lolli’s extraordinary ZZ, which appears against weak defenses in Lolli 2, the only one of the four “Philidor-type” problems that does not win (Kb6, Rd1, Bb5 / Kb8, Rc7). Recall that Kd6 is Philidor, Kc6 is Lolli 1, and Ka6 is Von der Lasa.  https://lecoursdumaitre.e-monsite.com/pages/moje-zavrsnice/finales-de-tour/lolli.html  Similarly, a setup for the terrifying: https://lecoursdumaitre.e-monsite.com/pages/moje-zavrsnice/finales-de-tour/autour-de-crosskill.html  And the frightening one itself, with temporary analyses: https://lecoursdumaitre.e-monsite.com/pages/moje-zavrsnice/finales-de-tour/crosskill.html

Enjoy your meal. Make the most of not having any homework this summer: review your old lessons, and have fun. Бог да ви благослови. Lai Dievs jūs svētī