january 26 2010

For this refreshing session, considering the temperature outside, and after a Sunday spent digging into the cigar on twisted positions, a few survivors had the courage to give it another go during the Master's course.
In addition, the charming Adeline added her stone to the edifice with a few welcome remarks.

To begin the agape, the A position of the B tournament which was, between us, more difficult than the B position of the A tournament!

1 - White to play and win

2n5/8/1PN1Pk2/8/4K3/8/8/8
W. : Ké4 Nç6 Pb6é6
B. : Kf6 Nç8
+ (4+2)

It looks like it's going to fall apart for white with their 2 pawns in the grip, but a little zug will fix that

To continue, an improvement of a monument which, by definition does not have the right to a prize in a contest, but what a treat all the same!

2 - White to play and win

8/K7/1P6/8/k6p/3n4/4N3/8
W. : Ka7 Né2 Pb6
B. : Ka4 Nd3 Ph4
+ (3+3)

One helpmate, and three logical more-movers. We have to leave space for an assortment of problems from the International Solving Contest (ISC), which took place the day before yesterday in the room of the best circle in France. The two-movers were not particularly interesting, nor were the helpmates, but the 3#, selfmates and studies were worth a look. Some candidates enjoyed a 6# that I find rather boring. But if you want a "white Roman", I offer you an old Rehm in exchange. And I add a 3# helpmate with only one solution (it has become a rarity) much better than the two of the day before yesterday. In addition, in an incomprehensible fit of kindness, I give you the Gamnitzer solution. Other solutions on request.

A recent game, following a conversation with Adeline, where a very good player drops half a point because she did not attend our classes and therefore studied Vandiest, Halberstadt and so on.

A small equestrian warm-up with a nod to a tip from a recent course and a nice final tableau. Strangely enough, this study, which had been planned for a long time for the Saint-Lazare course, was proposed on Sunday in the B tournament. But the judges were magnanimous in... not requiring the main variation. Then a "Letzform" of a King's square to promote a pawn, composed 60 years after Halberstadt. We find our Parisian genius of Odessa in the inspiration of an original hold refusal... ukrainian (it's a small world), awarded in the excellent review of a Saint-Lazare regular. A strange triplet of pats, certainly difficult to solve, but easy to understand.

The game of the day will not be recognised by Pierre, unlike the previous one. The attack of the White player is unexpected after such a dull start. And knowing the character. A new blinding of the listeners, even a double: 14 Bh6+? (after the Ra1 capture) is one of the few moves that does not win.

This is no time to rest: see you next Tuesday 2 February.

Have a good time

The White King's journey is monstrously aesthetic.

A main dish for the middle of the study meal.
A little heavier to digest, therefore.

3 - White to play and win

7k/2pp1p1p/K6P/3pPPp1/3Pp3/4P3/8/8
W. : Ka6 Ph6é5f5d4é3
B. : Kh8 Pç7d7f7h7d5g5é4
+ (6+8)

Great art, as Jean-Luc would say.

The last one, in which Maître Jacques excelled, is a poisoned dessert.

4 - White to play and draw

4k3/8/1r3cR1/8/2B3n1/6pK/8/8
W. : Kh3 Rg6 Bç4
B. : Ké8 Rb6 Nf6g4 Pg3
= (3+5)

Everything is in an unstable balance, so you have to find the secret passage

The game of the day is a tussle between a python and a man named Savon.
Savon can't get out of the embrace
5 - Game of the day
1.d4 Nf6 2.ç4 g6 3.Nç3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bg5 (5 cd Nxd5 6 e4 has become the main line) d×ç4 (5 ... Ne4 is also good) 6.é3 (6 e4 is a man's thing c5 7 d5 b5 8 d6 Bb7 9 e5) Bé6 7.Nd2 (7 Be2 without holding on to the pawn is also good) ç5 8.d×ç5

(excellent is 8 Bxf6 Bxf6 9 Nde4 cd 10 Nxf6+ ef 11 ed Bd5 12 Qa4+ Nc6 13 Bxc4 Bxg2 14 Rg1 with withe advantage) Nd5 9.B×ç4 N×ç3 10.b×ç3 B×ç4 11.Qa4+ (11 Nxc4 Bxc3+ 12 Kf1 Qxd1 ( on Bxa1 we see that greed is an ugly flaw 13 Nd6+ Kf8 14 Qb3) 13 Rxd1) Nç6 (Nd7) 12.Q×ç4 0-0 13.Nb3 Né5 14.Qé2 Nd3+ 15.Kf1 Né5 16.é4 Nç6 17.Rç1 Qd7 18.h4 Qé6 19.h5 a5 20.Rh3 a4 21.Nd4 Qé5? (Nxd4 22 cd Bxd4 23 Rd3 Bg7=) 22.Qg4!

Q×ç5 23.Qh4 h6 24.B×h6 ("le python envoie du boa") N×d4 25.ç×d4 Q×d4 26.h×g6 f×g6 27.Bé3 Qf6 28.Qh7+ Kf7 29.é5 Q×é5 30.Rf3+ (30 Bh6! is faster) Ké6 31.Q×g6+ Bf6 32.Qg4+ Kf7 33.Rf5 Qb2 (Qd6) 34.Qh5+ Ké6 35.Ré1 Kd7 36.Rd5+ Kç7 37.Rç1+ resigns

For the nutritional part, where we had the joy of finding our friend Jean-Luc, the Master presented two problems on the same theme.

6 - #2