april 24 2012

An audience reduced to its simplest plural expression for this preparatory session for Daniel's European Railwaymen's Championship.
By the way, as the Master points out, the calendar has been modified because of this competition and the next session will be held on Tuesday 15 May.
Let's hear it!
You will find, for those who are equipped, the electronic version of the report written by the Master at the end of the textual version.

The first study is a piece of anthology whose initial position could look like a normal game.

1 - white to play and win
Anatoly SKRIPNIK
Jubilé Argentine-200
1° Prize

1q1r4/2R1Qp1k/5pb1/3p2R1/n2p4/K1p5/1P6/8
W. : Ka3 Qé7 Rç7g5 Pb2
B : Kh7 Qb8 Rd8 Bg6 Na4 Pf7f6d5d4ç3
+ (5+10)

This position is either a task or a miracle, depending on how the solutionist sees it.
To paraphrase Sam Loyd, and to help you a little, the question could be:
- what is the white piece that certainly does not mate in the main variation of the study?
And yet!

The second study will give you a break from the first one, but don't be discouraged, it's still a very good composition that reminds us of Rinck in his best moments.

2 - white to play and win
Mario MATOUS
Chervony girnik 1984
4° Prix

k3q3/3N4/1P5p/8/8/3B3K/8/2B5
W. : Kh3 Bd3ç1 Nd7 Pb6
B. : Ka8 Qé8 Ph6
+ (5+3)

The selection for Daniel will involve longer than usual helpmates, which does not mean more difficult. A man who competes in the French and European Championships in succession should not be overworked.

Those who stay quietly in the warmth can be asked to do more. A 2# warm-up, some 3# (the most surprising seems to be the last), but the first 4# should make you think. The second 4# and the selfmates are from a recent solution contest, surprisingly won by... Murdzia.

Not all art studies are endgames. And some of them look like a wild mid-game. Is that a reason to sulk? A Ukrainian composer achieved a feat, crowned by a sumptuous mat, which pleased the majority of our art lovers, but displeased a few grumpy Russians, who were themselves talented. This will not prevent us from continuing to appreciate the works of the grumpy people in question, just as the absurd viewpoint of a great German problematist (claiming that resolution is useless) will not keep us from his masterpieces.

Knowing the name of the author makes it easier to solve a study, which was not the case for participants in a recent solutions tournament. For, knowing one of his specialities, the struggle for the tempo of a white king against a black pawn, saves time.

An exercise by Jansa in the style of his remarkable book "The best move" (with V. Hort). The best response to a trap: to show that it is not a trap...

By the way, there was a ZZ presented in the course several years ago. Let's recall: Kb5, Pa5 & h7 / Kd5, Rh2.

The game of the day is famous for a White Rook festival, which has been quoted often, which does not mean that it has been fully appreciated. It is clear that I had not understood it at all, and that thanks to the Saint-Lazare course I know a little more about it. Despite its fascinating aspect, I still believe that it was a little overestimated. A theoretical novelty: the time usually spent studying what would have happened on the best defence was replaced by what would have happened if Black had not lost on time.

Let's rectify an erroneous variation: 9...h6 10 Qh5 Nxd4 11 Bxd4 e5 12 g6! Nf6 13 gxf7+ Ke7 14 Nd5+ Nxd5 15 exd5 exd4 16 0-0-0 with compensation. Besides, Black's position at move 16, which was qualified as "notably inferior" in an abusive translation, as "worrying" in a better translation, is simply delicate, but equal on the best defence.

See you in three weeks, on May 15, for a high level railway competition. May God keep you.

Have a good time.

The end of the hors d'oeuvres is devoted to a little exercise that will refresh your memory.

3 - Black plays Kxf4

8/P1R5/6p1/5k2/1K3P2/8/8/r7
W. : Kb4 Rç7 Pa7f4
B. : Kf5 Ra1 Pg6
(4+3)

the alternative is as follows:
a) correct move and white cannot win
b) blunder and white wins

The game of the day is a titanic struggle

4 - game of the day : Karpov - Hort 1971
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cd 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. g4

lKeres attack
6 ... Nc6
one have also 6... h6 or a6 or Be7
7. g5 Nd7 8. Be3
8. Ndb5 Nb6 9. Bf4 Ne5 10. Qh5 Ng6 (10. ... a6 11. 0-0-0) 11. Bg3 a6 12. Nd4 (12. Nxd6+ Bxd6 13. 0-0-0 e5) Be7 13. 0-0-0 Bxg5 14. Kb1 0-0 15. Bxd6 Qxd6 Qxg5 with a dynamic but complex play
8 ... a6
8 ... h6 9. Nxe6
8. ... Beè and 8. ... Nb6 are the 2 other continuations
9. f4
9. Rg1 or a4 or Qd2 or h4
9. ... Be7 10. Rg1 Nxd4 11. Qxd4 e5 12. Qd2
Note that 10. Qd2 instead of Rg1 would have lost a time! A little Karpovian finesse.
12. ... ef 13. Bxf4 Ne5
14. ... Qb6 14. Rg3 Qxb2 15. Rb1 Qa3 16. Nd5 Qxa2 17. Rd1 Bd8 18. Bxd6 and it starts to smell a bit like a bad smell
14. Be2
the Knight's access boxes had to be contained
14. ... Be6
On 14. ... Qa5, Karpov would have been on his home ground: 15. Nd5 Qxd2+ 16. Kxd2 Bd8 17. Rad1 Be6 18. Kc1
15. Nd5 Bxd5 16. ed

Extends the white bishop from the white square, which is now unopposed in a stabilised position. On 16. Qxd5 the stability is less
16. ... Ng6 17. Be3 h6 !?
A fighting move to engage in a complicated but perfectly playable (and commendable) struggle
18. gh Bh4+ 19. Kd1 gh 20. Bxh6 Bf6 21. c3 Be5

22. Rg4 ! Qf6
22. ... Bxh2 23. Kc2 Be5 (23. ... Ne5 24 Rg2! Qh4 25. Rxh2) 24. Rf1 Qb7 25 Rb4! b5 26. Bg4 Qb7 27. Rd4 a5 (27. ... Ne7 28. Rxf7! with Bh5 and Qg5 to come)
23. h4
Take advantage of the variation 23. ... Nxh4 Bg7
23. ... Qf5
Prevents h5
24. Rb4 Bf6
Of course, 24. ... 0-0-0 is strongly discouraged but with 24. ... Rg8?! 25. Bd3 (no more Qh5+ xh6) Qh3 26. Kc2 Nxh4 27. Bf1 Qf5+ 28. Kb3 Rg4 29 a3 Rxb4+ 30. ab 0-0-0 31. b5 ab? 32. Qg5!! Bf6 33. Bj3 the position becomes clearer in favour of the whites
The best variation is 24. ... Ne7! immediatly :
- 25. Rxb7 Qe4
- 25. Bd3 ?? Qh5+
- 25. Bg5 f6 26. Be3 a5
25.h5
25. Rxb7 Rxh6
25. ... Né7
25. ... Ne5? 26. Rf4
25. ... Nh4 26. Rf4 Qe5 27. Rxf6! threatens Bg5
26.Rf4 Qé5 27.Rf3 Nxd5?!
27. ... Qxh5? 28. Rxf6 Qh1+ 29. Bf1 Ng8 30. Qe1+
27. ... 0-0-0!
- 28. Bf4 Qxh5 threatens Qxd5
- 28. Re3 Qf5
- 28. Rd3 Rdg8
- 28. Kc2?? Rxh6
- 28. Rf1 Rxh6!
28.Rd3 R×h6 29.R×d5
29. Qxh6 Bg5
29. ... Qé4

29. ... Qe6 30. Rxd6 Qxd6 31. Qxd6 Rd8 32. Qxd8+ and Kc2 with a slight White advantage
30.Rd3!
As translated into French, it is an "hymne à la Tour" to paraphrase and divert Edith Piaf.
30. Qxh6 Qxd5+ 31. Kc2 Qe4+
30. ... Qh1+?
30. ... Qh7! 31. Kc2 (31. Rxd6 Bg5) Be5 (31. ... 0-0-0 32. Bf3 Be5 33. Qe3 Kb8 34.Be4 Qh8) 32. Rf1 0-0-0 33. Rxf7 Qxf6 34. Qxh6 Qxa2 35. Qg6 Qg8
31.Kç2 Q×a1 32.Q×h6 Bé5 33.Qg5 blacks lose on time

But let's dig in anyway !:
33. ... Kf8 34. h6
- 34. ... Qe1 35. Re3 ! (35. Bh5 Qf2+ and Qf6) Qh1 (35. ... Qf2 36. h7) 36. Rxe5! de 37. Qg7+ Ke7 38. Qxe5+ Kd7 39. Bg4+ Kc6 40. Qf6+ Kc7 41. Qf4+! Kb6 42. Bf3 wins
- 34 ... Qxa2 35 h7 Qa4+ 36. Kb1 Bg7 37. Re3 Re8 38. Qh6!!
- only move 34. ... Qh1 35. Rf3! Re8 36. Qf5 f6 37. h7 Ke738. Qe4 Qh2
33. ... Rd8 34. h6 Qxa2 35. Re3! Qa4+ 36. Kb1 Kd7 37. Bg4+ Kc6 38. h7

Only one dessert, but what a dessert!
When Petkov attacks the fairy tale, you have to hang on!

5 - h#2 Take&Make anti-Andernach with twins
Petko A. PETKOV
dédicated to H. Laue
Die Schwalbe 2009
2° Prize

4K1nib/7r/k1ppp2p/8/1p3NI2/2p5/8/1B4R1
W. : Ké8 Rg1 Bb1 NIf4
B. : Ka6 Rh7 Bh8 Pç6d6é6h6b4ç3 NIg8
h‡2 (4+10) C+
a) the position
b) pc6 --> f7
c) Ka6 --> c4
Take & Make : after a capture, the capturing piece must make a move by adopting the march of the opponent piece it has just captured
Anti-Andernach : a move made without a capture changes colour (Kings are not concerned)