october 16 2012

For this second session, and with winter approaching, only the core group, of which Greg is now a full member, had come.
So the audience was light.
For the next session, which will be held on 30 October, we are expecting a less thin attendance.
The greffier, now a Beauceron, is not used to sparse fields!

To warm up the atmosphere, the Master presented a study of Akobia whose creative qualities are no longer praised.

1 - White to play and draw

Iuri AKOBIA
British Chess Problem Society
K7/8/6p1/6P1/2kN4/P3P1p1/2B5/r7
W. : Ka8 Bç2 Nd4 Pg5a3é3
B. : Kç4 Ra1 Pg6g3
= (6+4)

This is a difficult position and it takes a certain amount of courage to face up to the perilous variants

What follows is a study of Bazlov which is very hard to understand, since we find ourselves in a position which we do not suspect, a priori, to be a draw.

2 - White to play and draw

Yuri V. BAZLOV
Jubilé M. Dvoretsky-60
4k3/8/1q6/4N1N1/8/2n5/7K/3R4
W. : Kh2 Rd1 Né5g5
B. : Ké8 Qb6 Nç3
= (4+3)

A new judgement of helpmates has just been published. The first prize was presented to the recipients of the report, who are always well informed and receive only quality. We give it again.

The same goes for several other problems in this prize list. Some had been discarded for being too simple. But I had kept another one under my belt, from the great "Mister Jones". Here it is.

Three more helpmates for Daniel's training, one in 3 with two pairs, one in 5 with... humour, one in 6 (and its twin in 6.5) with C against... 2D. Some directs too, a 2# with trials by Marjan, a cyclic 3# by Goumondy, another 3# based on the zugzwang, a Polish logical 3#, a "secret passage", a 5# by Uncle Adolf on the theme of "good or bad side", a superb 7# by another German magician, and finally a selfmate 3# showing two geometrical effects in white and black.

A typical 21st century study from the time of assisted composition This was a very important part of the competition, with two surprising and at first sight enigmatic King's moves, but where everything is absolutely understandable, a sine qua non.

It was out of the question to show our club the first prize of the Dvoretzky contest organised 5 years ago for his 60th birthday, for a simple reason. It contradicts completely his main profession of faith of realism in Chess, since it supposes the 2B/N win which he himself is unable to understand, a fortiori to teach! The 2nd prize appeared to us more human, although from an author who is not always human.

A clarification (and a dispelled confusion): in Karstedt's fortress, the King must remain on the board (g8 & h7 with Bg7 & Ne5); in Kling & Horwitz's pseudo-fortress, he must on the contrary obstruct the opposing King (f7 & g6 with Ng7).

The impressive thing about today's game is that it is hard to detect White's real fault, or at least when the situation goes from uncomfortable to desperate.

An incredible player-listener variation (20 Bc2) led to 3r2k1/pp4p1/1r2p2p/5R2/3q1n2/1B3Q2/PP3PPP/5RK1 where 26...Rxb3? 27 Qxb3 maintains the pin, but no one had seen 26...Nxg2!

Enjoy. We invite our faithful listeners in a fortnight, on Tuesday, October 30. May God keep you.

AV

For the game of the day Karpov with Black faces his old enemy Viktor Kortchnoi with White

3 - Game of the day
1.c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3.d4 Be7 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 0-0 7. Rc1 dc
Contrary to the claims of the Black player, this move had already been encountered in a grandmaster game in 1962 with Forintos whose idea was to follow up with b6 and Bb7

8. e3 c5 9. Bxc4 cd 10.ed Nc6 11. 0-0 Nh5 !

A soothing move that allows the blacks to see the future with serenity
12. Bxe7 Nxe7 13. Bb3
13. d5 the position completely levels position, but Kortchnoi is not a man to level !
13. ... Nf6 14. Ne5 Bd7 15. Qe2 Rc8 16. 16. Ne4 Nxe4 17. Qxe4 Bc6 18. Nxc6 Rxc6 19. Rc3 Qd6 20 g3?!
This move gives some air to the King but takes some away from the attack. You can't have everything !
20. ... Rd8 21. Rd1 Rb6

of course 21. ... Qd7 immediately is not what you would call a good move. You have to manoeuvre a little bit
22. Qe1 Qd7 23. Rcd3 Rbd6
Here the Master has mischievously suggested
24. Qe4 Qc6 25. Qf4 Nd5 26. Qd2 Qb6
Here the Master has mischievously suggested Qd7 !
27. Bxd5
The flag of the Kortchnoi clock begins to rise, so he simplifies
27. ... Rxd5 28. Rb3 Qc6 29. Qc3 Qd7 30.f4
It is not clear how else to parry e5
30. ... b6 31. Rb4 b5 32. a4 ba 33. Qa3 a5 34. Rxa4 Qb5 35.Rd2 e5!
So the e5 move was not quite right
36. fe Rxe5 37. Qa1 Qe8!

After this move, which can be described as a thunderclap (but not in a serene sky!), it unfolds in a natural way.
38. de Rxd2 39. Rxa5 Qc6 40 Ra8+ Kh7 41. Qb1+ g6 42. Qf1 Qc5+ 43. Kh1 Qd5+ resigns

A nice fight between the 2 K
Sorry for being stingy with the variants, but the game was so exciting that the handwritten notes suffered.
You will find more in the electronic version of the Master.

The meal began with a composition by our national (and even international) Michel in a genre that had not been tackled in Saint-Lazare

4 - direct helpmate 3 moves 2 solutions

Michel CAILLAUD
T.T.
8/b7/8/5P1b/1p1Pp1Pp/1N2k3/3p4/1KN2R2
W. : Kb1 Rf1 Nb3ç1 Pf5d4g4
B. : Ké3 Ba7h5 Pb4é4h4d2
hd‡3 (7+7)
2.1.1.1.1.1

helpmate direct : Black starts as in a normal aid until move n-1,5, then direct 2 moves which corresponds to 1,5 half moves

Very nice pattern probably composed under the shower in Andernach.
Only the 2nd prize. What a pity! We don't know the first prize (hello Michel?)

Patrol chess to continue the meal

5 - h#2 Patrol with Lion

Michal DRAGOUN
4° T.T. Chess Composition Microweb 2000
2° Prix
L7/5q2/8/1r6/8/1p2k3/2n5/3Q1K2
W. : Kf1 Qd1 La8
B. : Ké3 Qf7 Rb5 Nç2 Pb3
h‡2 (3+5) C+
2.1.1.1
Patrol : a piece can only capture if it is observed (patrolled) by a friendly piece
L=Lion : Extended Grasshopper

A very nice problem that plays well with the condition

We finish with a Chinese dessert.

6 - h#2 4 solutions with chinese pieces

Diyan KOSTADINOV
2° FIDE World Cup 2011
4° Prize
8/3p4/p1p5/4WM1U/pk1Z2u1/p4p2/2p1p3/Kz6
W. : Ka1 Ncf5 Ph5 Vé5 Ld4
B : Kb4 Pd7a6ç6a4a3f3ç2é2 Ug4 Zb1
h‡2 (5+11) C+
4.1.1.1
Nc=Nao Chinese Nightrider
V=Vao : Chinese Bishop
L=Léo : Chinese Queen
P=Pao Chinese Rook
Chinese pieces move normally, but need a sautoir to make a capture

Very nice battery festival