march 23 2010
For this first spring session, the Saint-Lazare Club was very well attended, despite the systematic sabotage of a certain category of public transport staff.
Chairs were almost in short supply, which goes to show just how many people were brave enough to attend!
The pace is steady for this early spring with the next course on 30 March.
The electronic version of the Master is at the end of this email, thanks to him.
For the appetizer, some small material, which kept us busy for almost 3/4 of an hour!
1 - White to play and win
8/8/2p5/8/1P3k2/K1NP4/8/n7
W. : Ka3 Nç3 Pb4d3
B. : Kf4 Na1 Pç6
+ (4+3)
Very surprising with a nice economy of means.
If you like well-gelled mechanics with perfect cogs, the following study is for you.
2 - White to play and draw
8/1P1P2p1/8/8/1r4p1/K5p1/p3rk2/R7
W. : Ka3 Ra1 Pb7d6
B. : Kf2 Rb4é2 Pg7g4g3a2
= (4+7)
There are two hares, you have to use them!
Four helpmates to recovery, two of which are long and I consider quite difficult; but rather attractive. Three problems in homage to an unexpected railwayman: wasn't Havel his country's minister of transport? His 4# is certainly the easiest of the three (and one of the few easy 4# by this author). Another 4# of the "logical" kind, then a very simple and very pleasant 7#. Finally, a superb selfmate 4# by the Austrian grandmaster.
An equestrian warm-up as an appetizer. Its key contradicts a fundamental principle of endgames: "when you have the material advantage, exchange pieces, not pawns". A position evoked in the essay 1 Nd1? (Kc7, Nb6, Pd6 / Ke6, Ne5) turns out to be a draw, even for Black: 1...Kf7! (Kf5! also) 2 Nc4 Nd3! 3 d7 Nc5 or 2...Ng6! 3 d7 Nf8! Like what, if N+P/N wins in general with the pawn in 7th, it is always necessary to be wary when it is only in 6th.
Then a fantastic repetitive manoeuvre of the great Pervakov. The correction of this study is a miracle, the refutations of the false leads, as well as the continuations on the lower defences, must be distinct, because if the key-scheme is found in equipollent positions, the black pawns of the kingside have not moved! Here again, we had the opportunity to unearth an interesting position, which will perhaps even be the subject of an article: in Kb5, Qg3 / Ke3, Rc2, Pg2, Black holds the draw, but just barely (1...Ke4!). As for Q / R+Pc6, the wK must not go to b4 but stay on the "e" file, then go up, while the bP also goes up: paradoxically the more the Black pawn advances, the closer White's win is (see Halberstadt & Chéron).
Curious game of the day. A position that promises to be flat comes to dizzying life, until Black misses the good defence that... would have restored the flatness. And, as an aside to the last comment, Kramnik's rescue in the Queen's endgame.
Enough to get you over the new railway aggression. Obviously, the saboteurs consult the course calendar before triggering the paralysis. But they are wrong. The listeners are not lemmings.
See you next Tuesday, 30 March.
Have a good lunch
AV
The game of the day is quite fine and sophisticated.
With simple means, White unfolds his moves almost naturally
3 - game of the day
1.é4 é5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 N×é4 4.Bd3 d5(4... Nc6 is an alien move actually played in a game) 5.N×é5 Nd7 6.N×d7 (6. Nxf7 leads to a draw Kxf7 7 Qh5+ Ke6 8 Qe2 Kf7)) B×d7 7.0-0 Qh4 8.ç4 0-0-0 9.ç5 g5
(Antoni's Nxf2 is watched with great attention 10 Rxf2 Qxd4 11 ç6 and it is not clear) 10.g3 (10 f3 Nf6 11 Be3 Bg7 12 g3 and White is not really afraid) Qh3 11.Nç3 Bg7 12.N×é4 d×é4 13.B×é4 Bb5 14.Bg2 (14 Bxg5 Rxd4 15 Bg2 Qf5 16 Qb3 c6 and a draw is likely) Qf5 15.Bé3! B×f1 16.B×f1!
(Kxf1 leaves space for surprises on first row) Rhé8 17.Qa4 Kb8 18.Rd1 ç6 19.Rd3 Qé4 20.Ra3 a6 21.Bd3 (21 Bxa6 Rxd4 22 Bxd4 Bxd4 threatens Qe1+) Qg4? (the decisive mistake, Qd5! kept Black afloat) 22.Rb3 B×d4 23.R×b7+ K×b7 24.Q×a6+ Kb8 25.Qb6+ Ka8 26.Q×ç6+ Kb8 27.Qb6+ Ka8 28.Bb5 resigns
Clear
For the dining part, Guy has, of course, shown off some of his secret positions.
Decency dictates that they do not belong in this report for reasons of exclusivity.
The Master was nevertheless able to slip in 2 positions of his own choice including Chinese pieces.
4 - h#2 2 solutions with Vao and Mao
8/8/8/1Bk2m2/2P5/8/1Mm5/K1W5
W. : Ka1 Bb5 Pç4 Mb2 Vç1
B. : Kç5 Mf5ç2
h‡2 (5+3)
M=Mao
V=Vao
helpmate: black plays and helps white to checkmate
2 solutions : there are 2 distinct ways to respect the statement
Vao : piece moving like a Bishop and needing a sautoir to capture
Mao : Creeping knight making a rook step and then a bishop step (if the orthogonal square is occupied, the Mao cannot pass there)
5 - h=3 Madrasi with Mao and Moa
7K/B7/1M2b3/8/4km2/1B1O4/o3P3/8
W. : Kh8 Ba7b3 Pé2 Mb6 Od3
B. : Ké4 Bé6 Mf4 Oa2
h=3 (6+4)
Madrasi
M=Mao
O=Moa
Madrasi: 2 opposing pieces of the same kind that control each other are paralysed
Moa: Creeping knight making first a bishop step and then a rook step (if the diagonal square is occupied, the Moa cannot pass through it)
This last problem marks the end of the report.
Good reading to all and see you next week.
Yours sincerely
Le greffier
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