april 7 2009
after the delightful report of the previous course written by our friend Daniel; here I am back at the keyboard to translate as best I can the Master's music score of which you will find the electronic version as usual at the end of this report.
For this course, the first of April, but without any fish, a little history to underline the lightness of a French magazine with a European vocation.
Apart from the presence of the hard core (without Pierre, who was excused), we should mention the visit of a new course fan: Alain Fayard, who wanted to test the temperature of the course and warm up his neuron on a few variants, which he did with talent and humility.
To begin with, a little fun.
1 - White to play and win
W.: Kf6, Nc1, pc2 and g6
B.: Kf8, pa3, b4 and c4
A reader of the aforementioned magazine contradicted the expert who indicated that the position was draw with white to move.
Crime of lèse-chroniqueur!
But he was right, it's up to you to show it
2 - what is better for white, to move or not to move ?
W.: Kg5 Nb4, ph6
B.: Kf7, pa3
You can feel that there is something there, but where?
It is up to you to count.
A small papal a parte is related by the Master in the text below which accompanies his electronic version. A feast of usurpation in which the above-mentioned magazine saw nothing but fire (the pope).
Only two helpmates for Daniel. The first one is easy, but in the other one, with 4 solutions, it is quite difficult to find them all.
A magnificent Indonesian 2-mover, a record in three moves, easy with a little hint: which square is best defended by Black? Two 4-mover from a world champion, with back and forth. A "Drumarian" 5-mover, easy enough. A rather difficult selfmate 5# from Shinkman and a superb Japanese PG.
A gag from the "beautiful French magazine" with European pretensions, followed by a reminder from Grigoriev. About the aforementioned magazine, its current editor-in-chief is generally considered the most calamitous chess journalist in history. Despite stiff competition, this is probably true. But the 1978-79 period was also worth its weight in peanuts. Consider the game attributed to Pope John Paul I, then just deceased, by the ingenious Norman forger Morisset, which he is said to have played in 1961 against his alleged "gynaecologist father-in-law" (sic!). We see 16 "great theory" moves in the Meran variation, which could be played by Kramnik and Anand, then suddenly, an inept move (but allowing a sacrifice making the game "publishable") and a little later five aberrant moves in a row! The capture of the Knight f7 is made "after vespers" (resic!). The Norman had to laugh while writing this. But the editorial staff of EE does not see anything wrong with it.
Shortly afterwards, in April 1979, the "papal maniac" (who else would capture the pseudonym of "Michal Rodzaj" from Lisbon, "rodzaj" meaning "kind" in Polish?) brought out two problems allegedly composed by... John Paul II. The EE editorial staff, sheltering under the signature of poor Alphonse Grunenwald, a talented but naive problemist, does not flinch. He even let it be repeated, without batting an eyelid, that the new pope would be the nephew of the problemist Marian Wrobel!
A month later, he refused to give any information about the Paris championship, the second most important event in France, because the winner did not please him!
This is the best Bazlov, far from the sterile controversies about the "best study - sic - of the year".
A composition of our gifted Lorraine player, more ambitious than the one presented on 17 March.
The game of the day is the most exciting of a match that has become sulphurous because of some dubious actions by an intermediary. One wonders which is more exciting, the middle game or the final.
Enjoy your reading and see you next Tuesday.
AV
After this digression, here is a magnificent study by Bazlov
3 - White to play and draw
W.: Ke2, Nd3 and h4, pg6
B.: Kh5, Rh1, Ba8, Nh2
It's heavy stuff.
and to finish the studies, a very nice composition by a Frenchman.
4 - the whites play and make the best of it
W.: Ke7, Rh6, Be8, Nh5
B.: Kg8, Ng5, pf3, f5, g2 and g7
Lots of charm and a nice warm (but unfortunately false) track.
And now, the big one.
5 - game of the day
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 dc 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. 0-0 Nbd7 9. Qe2 Bg6 (one can envisage Ne4 or Bg4) 10. e4 0-0 11. Bd3 Bh5 12. e5 Nd5 13. Nxd5 cd 14. Qe3 Bg6 15. Ng5 Re8 (you have to play Nf8 quickly enough and then you're fine) 16. f4 (there's f5 in the air, it's starting to heat up a bit, we need to take some preventive measures) Bxd3 17. Qxd3 f5 18. Be3 (18. exf6 Nxf6 and on 18.g4 Black can answer h6 19.Nxe6 Rxe6 20. gf Re7 21. Kh1 Kh8 22. Rg1 Qf8 and it is not clear on 23. Qb3 (Fayard) Rd7 24. e6 Rd8, there is still work to be done) Nf8 19. Kh1 Rc8 (Be7) 20. g4 (full of energy) Qd7 (you can play fxg4 but after f5 it gets hot otherwise with h6 you have Nxe6 again with unclear things) 21. Rg1 Be7 22. Nf3 Rc4 23. Rg2 (drop the a4 pawn) fg 24 Rxg4 Rxa4 25. Rag1 g6 26 h4 Rb4 27. h5 Qb5 28. Qc2 !! Rxb2 29. hg h5 (only move Nxg5 30. Qxg6) 30. g7 hg 31. gxf8=Q+ Bxf8 ? (Kxf8 draw) 32. Qg6+ ? (32. Rxg4+! Bg7 33. Qc7 and Black can fold the canes Qf1+ 34. Nf1) Bg7 33. f5 Re7 34. f6 Qe2 35. Qxg4 Rf7 36. Rc1 (36. Bh6 looks good but after Rb3 it becomes less so. The good move was 36 Qh5 which prevents Qxe3 because of Ng5) Rc2 37. Rxc2 Qd1 ? (it helps the white king to get to the net) 38. Kg2 Qxc2+ 39. Kg3 Qe4 (poses big practical problems for white people who would have had to try 40. QxQ from 41. Ng5 Bh6 42. Nxf7 Bxe3 43. Nd8 and d4 is not takeable) 40. Bf4 Qf5 (the Black Queen is really a swinger) 41. QxQ ef 42 Bg5 ? (Ng5) a5 43. Kf4 a4 44 Kxf5 a3 45. Bc1 Bf8 46. e6 Rc7 47. Bxa3 Bxa3 48. Ke5 Rc1 49. Ng5 Rf1 50. e7 Re1+ 51 Kxd5 Bxe7 52 fe Rxe7 53. Kd6 Re1 ? (Re3!) 54. d5 Kf8 55. Ne6+ ? (55 Kd7 b5 56. Ne6+ Kg8 57. d6 b4 58. Nc5 Kf7 59. Kc6 Rc1 60. Kb5 and Blacks don't have b3) Ke8 56. Nc7+ Kd8 57. Ne6+ Kc8 58. Ke7 Rh1 59.Ng5? (Kd6 to go for the draw held more the position) 60. d6 Rd1 61. Ne6 b4 62. Nc5 Re1+ 63. Kf6 Re3 resigns
A great fight.
It was, as some will have guessed (hello Pierre) the 2nd of the match Kramnik - Topalov won by Kramnik
For the dining part, Guy gratified us after his razzia in a thematic contest, with some of his compositions, including one in collaboration with Daniel.
The other composers are only beginning to get suspicious, but it's too late, he's flooding the market!
Good reading to all and see you soon for the corrections.
Sincerely yours
Le greffier ,
Add a comment