april 15 2008

Guy's word

Rémy, our valiant greffier, being excused, I have the honour to write this modest report.

The attendance was respectable, with the permanent hard core, composed of Daniel, Pierre, and the substitute. But also for varying lengths of time Michel, our double World Champion, and also Jacques, an Oriental - and Norman for the occasion - IM, my favourite co-author, and a new guest who gave us the pleasure of a short but dynamic appearance.

First of all, a beautiful study by Yuri Bazlov which offers starter, main dish and dessert (the diagrams are at the bottom of the page, in the same order)

W. : Kf3 Rc3 Bf6 Nd7 Pg7

B. : Kd5 Qg8 Bg5 Nb7 Pf4

White to play and win

A word from the boss

Two classic helpmates and one recent twin of which only a part is difficult.

A few directs to prepare for Messigny. Two small two-moves, well, not so small. Ivanov's 3-moves is especially surprising. Shinkman's 5-shot is a classic often shown in a wrong version (with the wK in h1, there is a major dual). Finally, a long and fairly easy strategic problem: imagine what you would do without the f4 pawn.

And for the insomniacs, a great (as always) Gamnitzer. Click on "practice": I did not have the cruelty to delete the solution.

A curious ballet with two dazzling moves by the future Queen. An amusing fight of another Russian to, following an ingenious defence, transpose (more or less) into Larsen-Miles 1979. To which I add a study by Réti from a forthcoming article in tribute to Halberstadt, about a digression on "tolerable" duals.

A Krikheli marvel where you have to play eight (!) moves from the White Rook before bringing your King closer! This study includes a horizontal-vertical echo, which is often found in modern compositions.

Today's game involves an extremely original mind, which was always contested even (especially?) in his own country. But, as we know, you can tell a genius when all the fools are ganging up on him.

The end of Sotchniev's study reminded me of a Knotek problem in which the mate in question is tripled. In the restaurant, I took the opportunity to mention, still on the subject of Q+B versus King, the comparison between two problems with three identical mat pictures, one by Wheeler already presented in the past, the other published three years earlier by Havel, with a less good key but an additional variation. Which one do you prefer?

Have a good time. See you on 13 May and God bless you.

Followed by another beautiful piece by Alexei Sochniev, which shows a surprising finale.

W. : Kf7 Be8 Pg6f5

B. : Kg3 Bh8f1 Pb6d5h5

White to play and win

A classic by Iosif Krikheli, to sharpen his technique with some "echoes" as a bonus:

W. : Ka8 Rh5

B. : Kf1 Pc6b4

Whit to play and win

Today's game shows a fiery, but precise game

JH Donner – O Troianescu

Wageningen 1957

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 0–0 6.Nf3 d5 7.0–0 Nc6 8.a3 cxd4?! (8...Bxc3 9.bxc3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Qc7 is the main line) 9.exd4 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Be7 11.Re1 a6 12.Ba2 b5 13.d5! (13.Bg5 simply Bb7) 13...exd5 14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.Qxd5! (15.Bxd5 Bb7 16.Ne5 -16.Bf4 Bf6 17.Re2 Na5 18.Rd2 Bxd5 19.Rxd5 Qc8 20.Be5!- 16...Nxe517.Bxb7 Ra7!=) 15...Bb7 (15...Qxd5? 16.Bxd5 Bb7 17.Bxc6+-; 15...Qd6? 16.Rxe7! Qxe7 17.Qxc6+-; 15...Bd7 16.Bg5 h6 -16...Bxg5 17.Nxg5 Be8 18.Rad1- 17.Rad1) 16.Qh5 g6 17.Qh6 Nd4 (17...Bf6 18.Ng5 Bxg5 19.Bxg5 Qd4 -19...Qd6 20.Re4- 20.Rad1 Qxb2 21.Rd7 Rab8 -21...Ne5 22.Bf6 Nf3+ 23.gxf3 Qxf6 24.Rxb7- 22.Bd5 Qg7 -22...Ba8 23.Bf4- 23.Qh4 Rbe8 -23...Qc3 24.Bd2- 24.Rf1) 18.Ng5 Bxg5 (18...Ne2+? 19.Kh1) 19.Bxg5 Qb6 (19...Nf5 20.Bxd8 Nxh6 21.Bg5 -21.Bf6 Rfe8 22.h3- 21...Nf5 22.Re2 Rae8 23.Rd2 Kg7 24.Rad1) 20.Rad1 Rac8?

(better is 20...Nf5) 21.Re7! the start of the fireworks 21…Qd6 (21...Nf5 22.Rxf7! Rxf7 23.Bxf7+ Kxf7 -23...Kh8 24.Qh3 Qc6 25.Bd2- 24.Qxh7+ Kf8 25.Qh8+ -25.Rd7 Bd5 26.Bh6+ Ke8 27.Rxd5- 25...Kf7 26.Rd7+ Ke6 27.Re7+ Nxe7 28.Qf6+ Kd7 29.Qxe7+ Kc6 30.Qe6+ Kc7 31.Bf4+; 21...Rcd8 22.Rxf7! -22.Rde1 Qc6- 22...Ne2+ 23.Kf1 Rxd1+ 24.Kxe2 Rxf7 25.Bxf7+ Kxf7 26.Qxh7+ Kf8 27.Qe7+ Kg8 28.Bf6+-; 21...Qc6 22.Rxb7 Nf5 -22...Qxb7 23.Rxd4- 23.Bd5) 22.Kh1! (22.Bb3! Qc6 a) 22...Ba8 23.Rxf7! -23.Qh3 Rc5 24.Rxf7! Ne2+ 25.Kf1- 23...Rxf7 24.Bxf7+ Kxf7 -24...Kh8 25.Kh1- 25.Qxh7+ Ke6 26.Qxg6+; b) 22...Rb8 23.Rxf7; 23.Rxb7! Nxb3 -23...Qxb7 24.Rxd4- 24.Rbd7 Nc5 -24...Rce8 25.Be7; 24...Rfe8 25.Rxf7- 25.R7d6 Qb7 26.Bf6 Ne6 27.R6d3+-; 22.Kf1 Bd5 23.Rxd4 Bc4+ 24.Rxc4) 22...Qc6 (22...Bxg2+ 23.Kxg2 Qc6+ 24.Kg1 Nf5 25.Rc1 Qd6 -25...Qa8 26.Rxf7; 25...Nxh6 26.Rxc6 Rxc6 27.Bxh6- 26.Bxf7+ Kh8 27.Rxc8 Rxc8 28.Qh3 Nxe7 29.Qd7! -29.Bxe7? Rc1+- 29...Rc1+ -29...Rc6 30.Qxd6 Rxd6 31.Bxe7- 30.Kg2 Qc6+ 31.Qxc6 Rxc6 32.Bxe7 Kg7 33.Bd5 Rc7 34.Bd6 34...Rd7 35.Be5+ Kh6 36.Be4 Re7 37.f4 g5 -37...Rd7 38.Kf3 Rd2 39.f5- 38.Kf3+-) 23.Rxb7 Nf5 (23...Qxb7 24.Rxd4) 24.Bd5!! (24.Rxf7? Nxh6 25.Rc7+ Nf7; 24.Bxf7+? Rxf7) 24...Qc2 25.Rc1 Qe2 (25...Qxb2 26.Rxf7! -26.Bxf7+? Kh8!- 26...Nxh6 a) 26...Rxc1+ 27.Bxc1 Rxf7 28.Bxf7+ Kxf7 29.Qxh7+ Qg7 30.Qxg7+ Kxg7 31.g4 Nd6 (31...Nh6 32.h3) 32.RKg2+-; b) 26...Qxc1+ 27.Bxc1 Nxh6 28.Rc7+; 27.Rxf8+ Kxf8 28.Rxc8+ Kg7 29.Rc7+ Kf8 30.g3! a) 30.Bxh6+ Ke8 31.Be3 HJD 31...b4 -31...Qxa3 32.Bf7+ Kd8 33.Bb6- 32.axb4 Qb1+ 33.Rc1 Qxb4; b) 30.h3; 30...Qe5 a) 30...Qxf2 31.Be7+ Ke8 (31...Kg7 32.Bc5+) 32.Bc6+ Kf7 33.Bc5+; b) 30...Nf5 31.Rc8+ Kg7 32.Rg8#; c) 30...Qxa3 31.Bxh6+ Ke8 32.Bg5 with threat Bf7+; 31.Bxh6+ Ke8 32.Bc6+ Kd8 33.Ra7 Qc5 34.Ra8+ Kc7 35.Rxa6 Qxf2 36.Bf4+ Kd8 37.Bxb5 and White wins) 26.Bxf7+ 1-0 (si 26.Bxf7+ Kh8 -26...Rxf7 27.Rxc8+- 27.Bf6+)

At Pierre's initiative, the railway workers from Batignolles went to dine in the eastern part of the capital; an old station buffet to keep their bearings. The cheerful atmosphere created by the productions displayed on the chessboard was not tempered by the abundance of liquids on the table. On the contrary. The owner of the place, his team, as well as his son, a former French youth team champion, took part in the party, to the delight of the guests. A bistro that I warmly recommend:

http://www.lefooding.com/restaurant-427-aux_zingots.htm

And as a testament to the courage of those present, here are two of the pieces shown by the Master, who was in a light mood:

Peter HARRIS

The Problemist Supplement 2008