january 7 2014

First of all, many checks for this new year and also problems as usual.
The same people as last year were present to admire the following composition to start the session.

1 – White to play and draw – exercise 1 of last year
Sergiy DIDUKH
Olympic Tourney, FIDE 2012
1° Prix

K1b5/P7/1p6/2p5/1P6/8/1bP3P1/8
White : Ka8 Pa7b4ç2g2
Black : Kç8 Bb2 Pb6ç5
= (5+4)

1.b5
other possible moves are :
1, bc b5!! 2, g4 b4 3, g5 Bg7 4, g6 Kc7 5, c6 Kc8 6 c7 Kxc7 7, c4 b3
1, g4 cb ! 2, g5 Bg7 3, g6 b5 4, c4 b3
.... Bc3 ! 2, b5 c4 3, g5 Kc7 only move. See the rest in the main variation
1 c3 ? Bxc3 ? 2, g4 ! b5 4, g5
b5 !
1, ,,, Bç3 ! 2.g3 !
On 2, g4? The answer is Kc7 or c4 and the variation ends with 10, Kxd7 Kb7 11, Qc8+ using move 6. Bd4!!
2, ,,, Kç7 3.g4 Kç8 4.g5 Kç7 5.g6 ç4 6.g7 B×g7 7.ç3 Bd4 8.ç×d4 ç3 9.d5 ç2 10.d6+ K×d6 11.Kb7
11. Kb8??
11. ... ç1=Q 12.a8=Q Qh1+ 13.K×b6 !!

wonderful conclusion

With my traditional best wishes, a crop of problems to start off on the right foot.

Only 3 helpmates, but the 2nd one is, for half of it at least, quite difficult. And in the third, you will probably find a solution, but all three?

To have a rest, two nice direct 2# and a Danish 3#.

In the others 3#, all of which are pleasant to look for, there is a surprise effect. Then two 4# by the Bohemian master. The first is easy, but it's hard to imagine that there are 6 variations. The second has only 3, but the key is not the most obvious move.

The next 4# is purely strategic, so easier. So is the 5#. Finally, I forget to remove the solution to the selfmate 5#, although it is less difficult (but just as brilliant) as usual.

The new world champion in the study section is a regular in the lesson. He offers us a stalemate brought about by a festina lente: the black king must be pushed to a specific place to gain a beat.

For relaxation, a little exercise in the Bishops' endgame. Of course, the White King plays on the least probable square.

An author of books on Mattison, Kubbel etc. could only compose in their style...

A R + P against R where the winner plays better than he comments. Has he forgotten the Creeping King? A sort of extension of the previous Bishops' endgame.

Today's game is a long massage, but the usual masseur is here in the role of the massee. With a subsidiary question: can Black survive with a white c6, or even b7, pawn anchored in his camp?

Rendezvous if God wills... next week, on Tuesday 14 January.

Have a good time.

2 – White to play and win – exercise 2 of last year

8/1K4k1/5b2/B7/P7/8/8/8
White : Kb7 Ba5 Pa4
Black : Kg7 Bf6
+ (3+2)

1.Kç8 !
On 1, Kc7 ? Or 1, Kc6 ?, the answer is the same : 1, ,,, Kf7 threatening to get in a4 pawn box
1, ,,, Bd4
to play Bb6 on 2, Bb4
2.Kç7 Bé5+ 3.Kç6 Bf6
The white threat is 3, Bb4
Note : White have gained time compared to 1, Kc6 ?
4.Bb4 !
Now, it's possible
4, ,,, Bd8 5.Bç5 Ba5 6.Kb5 Bé1 7.Bb4
And there you have it, the case is in the bag, the a4-pawn can advance without fearing the return of the Black King in the box

The 2 exercises for next session :

3 – exercise 1 : White to play and win
Genrikh M. KASPARYAN
Bulletin of the 30 years jubilee of the USSR Chess Championship 1962

6b1/8/1r3P2/8/8/2Q2K1k/7p/7r
White : Kf3 Qç3 Pf6
Black : Kh3 Rb6h1 Bg8 Ph2
+ (3+5)

4 – exercise 2 : White to play and draw

K2kb3/8/2P5/2P5/p7/p2B4/8/8
White : Ka8 Bd3 Pç6ç5
Black : Kd8 Bé8 Pa4a3
= (4+4)

To finish the study part, here is an elegant composition by an Englishman

5 – White to play and win
Timothy WHITWORTH
Assiac 1987

7N/5K2/6P1/r1p4P/5b2/5k2/B7/8
White : Kf7 Ba2 Nh8 Pg6h5
Black : Kf3 Ra5 Bf4 Pç5
+ (5+4)

Needless to say, the "Ujtelkian" knight on h8 will play a significant role in the final position.

The game of the day is a calmly led fight by an in form Beliavsky against Karpov

6 – game of the day : Beliavsky – Karpov 1988
1.d4 Nf6 2.ç4 é6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Bé7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 d×ç4 7.Qç2 a6 8.Q×ç4 b5 9.Qç2 Bb7 10.Bd2

An interesting idea to prevent c5 by Ba5
The other moves are 10, Bf4 or 10, Bg5
10, ,,, Nç6
Naturally prevents 11, Ba5
10, ,,, Nbd7 11, Ba5
11.é3 Nb4 12.B×b4 B×b4 13.a3 Bd6
on the 13, ,,, Be7 variation played by Carlsen against Kramnik, the latter shows his great class:14, Nbd2 Rc8 15, b4 a5 16, Ne5

16, ,,, Nd5 17, Nb3 ! ab 18, Na5 ! Great art
14.Nbd2 Rç8
a nouvelty at the time
15.b4 a5 16.é4 Bé7 17.Rab1 a×b4 18.a×b4 Ra8 19.Rfé1 Ra4 20.Qç3 Qa8 21.Né5 Rd8
21. … Rd8 22 . Nd3
22.Q×ç7 Kf8 23.d5

This move is very deep, with the idea of the e-file clearing if the d-pawn is captured.
It is the only way to justify the exposed position of Qc7
23. … Qb8?!
23. ... Ra7!? is more in the dynamics of the position with the threat of Bxd5, and thus the protection of the f7 square by X-ray
This could be followed by 24. Qb6 ed 25. ed Nxd5 26. Bxd5 Rxd5
24.Q×b8 R×b8 25.Nb3 B×b4 26.Réç1 é×d5 27.é×d5 Ba3 28.Rd1 Bd6 29.Nç6 B×ç6 30.d×ç6 Né8 31.Nd4 b4 32.Nf5 Bç5 33.Rd7 Ra7 34.Rb7

34. … Rd8 35.Rç1 Ra5 36.Bh3 g6 37.Nh6 Nd6 38.N×f7 N×f7 39.ç7 Ré8 40.ç8=Q?!
does not compromise the win, but faster was 40. Bd7! Nd6 41. Rb8
R×ç8 41.B×ç8 Nd6 42.Rb8 Ké7 43.Ré1+ Kf6 44.Bé6 Ra3 45.Kg2 Ra7 46.Bd5 Nf5 47.Ré6+ Kg7 48.Rç6 Bé7 49.h4 Ra5 50.Bç4 Ra7 51.h5! Nd6
Of course, on 51. ... gh 52. Rg8#
52.h×g6 h×g6 53.T×b4 Ta1 54.Fd3 g5 55.Td4 Cf7 56.Td7 Té1 57.Fç4 Rf8 58.F×f7 R×f7 59.Rf3 Ré8 60.Ta7 resigns

I refer you to the electronic report of the Master for a much more thorough (and correct!) analysis.

A little fun with the discovery of the sparrow

7 – serial helpmate 11 moves with sparrow
Gerard BOUMA
T.T. Feenschach 2011

8/8/7s/3S4/8/8/6S1/3K1k2
White : Kd1 Sd5g2
Black : Rf1 Sh6
sh‡11 (3+2)
S=Sparrow : Grasshopper which instead of landing just after the jumping-off point moves backwards by 45°.
example: Sparrow d5 watches over f2 and g3 with the g2 jump
Similarly, Sparrow g2 is also watching f2 with the f1 jump but also g1

Finally, an aerated position in Parrain Circe

8 – h#5 2 solutions Parrain Circe with Locust
Michael GRUSHKO
The Problemist 2007

8/8/2N5/3p4/2k5/8/3G4/8
White : Nç6 Ld2
Black : Kç4 Pd5
h‡5 (2+2)
Parrain Circe : a captured piece remains suspended on the capture square and makes an equipollent move to the move of the piece that plays immediately after
L=Locust : Grasshopper having the unfortunate property of swallowing the saltire which must necessarily be of the opponent's side

One could imagine a slight modification of the Sponsoring Circe rule by limiting the rebirth to the move of the piece of one's own camp, which would give interesting things in the series problems. Notice to problem solvers!

With these considerations, the textual account is finished.
Thanks to the Master for the electronic version.
Please note that January is a month of stakhanovists with the next session on the 14th and the next on the 28th.

Good reading to all.
Sincerely yours

Le greffier