october 27 2009
The report of the night greffier.
For this second course of the year, we found the Master in full possession of his means, back from Brazil,
after being shot at in a bus and having his camera stolen by a high level sprinter, but with a good individual and team place.
No news from Michel who probably wanted to have some rest after all these emotions.
To start with, a series of 3 "Brazilian" studies from the 5 brought back as souvenirs.
You will note that the pseudo-diagrams have disappeared so as not to see the word "pouffiaaâssse" or "grognaaâssse" in the Master's rectifications.
Indeed, this could hurt the eyeballs of some readers of the report (if ever there are any!).
As usual, thanks to the Master for his electronic version.
In the first study, a very nice rescue in the middle of a storm
1 - White to play and draw
2BNK1n1/8/5k1P/8/7N/8/5pp1/5b2
W. : Ké8 Bç8 Nd8h4 Ph6
B. : Kf6 Bf1 Ng8 Pf2g2
= (5+5)
A small panorama of the Open, then the World Championship in Rio de Janeiro. The 2-moves of Reeves and Rice, the helpmates of Jones, Abdu/elling, Penni and Arnold, the selfmates of Guy and Richter are to be published soon and therefore should not be reproduced. But you can show them to your friends.
I particularly like Genttner's 3#. Rice's 2#, Johandl's 7# and Legentil's 4# are the easiest of the series. Ort's 3# is easier than the others... 3# ! Johandl's 5# is difficult, at least if you approach it wrongly, which I did. The selfmate 2# is not really difficult, but requires some vigilance. The Akobija study is not meant to be solved. In fact, it was not. Guy's selfmate 8 moves dried up 55 out of 57 competitors. I give the solution assuming you are not in a heroic mood. I do the same for the other selfmate 8 moves, which received the same reception. But the two lucky humans who solved it were the first two in the world championship. There is a justice...
Three studies out of the five shown in Rio deserve to be presented to the Saint Lazarus course: Sidorov and the two Slepjans. I also give the solution of the two others by curiosity.
A Czech work on asymmetry. In the main variation, one has to attract the opponent's rook on its second row, to gain a decisive time in two echo-variations. Philidor, Centurini and Mandler would have appreciated it.
The game of the day might seem like a challenge to traditional principles by young and talented iconoclasts. It is not, by the winner's own admission, with the subsequent agreement of the "great guru". Simply a "dynamic" use of the said principles! I forgot... the winner in question is the current world champion, this game was played 17 years ago.
I had met him 6 years earlier in a tournament in London, in a strange way: wanting to contemplate this young Indian prodigy, I went to his table at the beginning of the round. He had not yet arrived. I went to play the beginning of my game and came back to see him 20 minutes later: he had already left, having crushed the Yankee grandmaster De Firmian at blitz rate!
See you in a fortnight, on November 10th.
Have a good time.
AV
2 - White to play and win
4K1N1/8/2P3B1/1pP5/1bk5/8/6r1/8
W. : Ké8 Bg6 Ng8 Pç6ç5
B. : Kç4 Rg2 Bb4 Pb5
+ (5+4)
In the position below, a kind of magic works for the final aesthetic of the position
3 - White to play and win
5B2/Q3p3/8/4q3/1b2b2n/5B2/3kPK2/8
W. : Kf2 Qa7 Bf8f3 Pé2
B. : Kd2 Qé5 Bb4é4 Nh4 Pé7
+ (5+6)
For the normal player, only happiness, for the experienced problemist too.
the last study is infinitely less playful, because it calls upon the fundamentals (Philidor, Centurini), all mixed with Mandler.
A real bedside study to be savoured slowly during the winter evenings
4 - White to play and win
4r3/8/3p4/1R6/2KN4/8/8/3k4
W. : Kç4 Rb5 Nd4
B. : Kd1 Ré8 Pd6
+ (3+3)
For the day's game, it is the simplicity of means that is astonishing.
5 - game of the day
1.é4 ç5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 ç×d4 4.N×d4 Nf6 5.Nç3 Nç6 6.Bg5 é6 7.Qd2 a6 (or old-fashioned Be7) 8.0-0-0 h6 9.Bé3 (or Bf4) N×d4 (or Be7) 10.B×d4 b5 11.f3 Qa5 12.a3 é5 13.Bé3 Bé6 14.Kb1 Bé7 15.g4 Rb8 (tired, the black player plays less active than b4 16. Na2 d5) 16.Nd5 Q×d2 17.N×f6+ g×f6 18.R×d2 h5 19.Rg1 h×g4 20.f×g4 Bç4 ! 21.b3 B×f1 22.R×f1 Rh3 (Kd7 23. g5) 23.Ré2 (23.Bg1 is better Kd7 24. Rd3 Rh4 ...) Kd7 24.g5 Ké6 25.g×f6 B×f6 26.Bd2 Bé7 27.Bé1 f6 (the bad good Bishop !) 28.Bg3 d5 29.é×d5+ K×d5 30.Rf5 Kç6 (Ke6 31. Bxe5) 31.Réf2 Rh6 32.Kb2 Kd7 33.Ré2 Bd6 34.Rf3 Rç8 (Ke6 35. Rc3 Bxa3+ 36. Ka2 Rb6 37. Bf2 Bb4) 35.Bé1 Ké6 36.Rd3 Rh7 37.Rg3 Bç5 38.Ka2 Rd7 39.Rç3 Rçç7 40.h4 Rd1 41.Bf2 Bd6 and the greffier's pen failed to follow
Bicolour chess is an interesting genre where our national Michel gives his full measure with the 6 and the 8
In Bicolour Chess, a King cannot move on a square observed by a piece of his own camp
A little warm-up first
6 - h#4,5
6B1/8/8/1K6/1P4k1/2r4p/7P/8
W. : Kb5 Bg8 Pb4h2
B. : Kg4 Rç3 Ph3
h‡4,5 (4+3)
Bicolores
it's pure
The next one is a bit more acrobatic in helped selfmate :
White plays and black helps him to put him in a position where he will be forced to checkmate him
7 - hs#4,5
bN6/K1b5/4p3/8/8/2Pk1N2/8/8
W. : Ka7 Nb8f3 Pç3
B. : Kd3 Ba8ç7 Pé6
hs‡4,5 (4+4)
Bicolores
A certain agility is needed
And finally, the last one, from Michel again.
8 - #2 with Grasshopper and Rose-Grasshopper
Grasshopper : piece moving on the Queen's lines but needing a sautoir behind which to land
Rose-Grasshopper : rose needing a sautoir to move
Rose: Extended knight with a circular move (e.g. RGe2 could go to h5 or g7 by g3 if it were not a Grasshopper in addition)
7N/R3p2b/4r1g1/2g5/4p1P1/4K3/4M2B/3R4
W. : Ké3 Ra7d1 Bh2 Nh8 Pg4 RGé2
B. : Ké6 Bh7 Pé7é4 Gg6ç5
‡2 (7+6) C+
Bicolore
RG=Rose-Grasshopper
G=Grasshopper
It's a beautiful problem of Michel (already a problem of Michel, we look for it, but if on top of that it's beautiful!)
Enjoy your reading and see you on November 10th.
Yours sincerely
Le greffier
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