september 29 2020
The greffier had a big technical problem for this first day of the course, having left his old computer to rest during the holidays.
Between the reboot of the computer in diesel mode and the system updates, the course could only start with a big delay.
Only the hard core of 3 listeners were present for this back to business of the Master of which you will find below the animated report
Master's words
"I am French by birth, I have represented "Marianne" and am known to the whole world, so I'm taking you, you lesson givers, politically correct, bunch of emasculated cowards" (Brigitte Bardot, 12-6-2020).
"They are only great because we are on our knees" (Etienne de la Boétie).
"We live in a time when the height of indecency is to tell the truth".
"Servitude lowers men to the point of being loved by them" (Luc de Clapiers, Marquis de Vauvenargues).
"You are very French, you never doubt -- I doubt all the time, but I never despair" (Maigret voit rouge, 1963).
"Most people are good and honest -- we must not have met the same ones" (Bruce Willis in "Red").
"The only way to reach others in depth is to look after oneself and only oneself, the deepest part of oneself. The 'altruists', the philanthropists, the 'generous' spirits do not really understand or help anyone" (E. M. Cioran).
"We must have, at the head of the State, a world-class chess player" (F. Asselineau).
On the hysteria of the muzzle fans: "It is not a question of public health, it is a question of public control" (Robert Kennedy, quoted by V. Bugault).
"The only thing you need to turn people into slaves is fear" (R. Kennedy).
Chess] is the most violent sport one could think of, it can be compared to boxing, although it is much more chivalrous and sophisticated" (In memory of E. Morricone, Requiescat in pace).
"She has eyes to empty a Trappist convent in five minutes" (Boris Vian, speaking of "Zizi" Jeanmaire, RIP).
Let us also salute Wolfgang Uhlmann. If you don't know it yet, have a look at his game against Polugayevsky at the 1970 Palma Interzonal. An incredible rescue illustrating the strength of the rook + knight + pawn trio. RIP.
A nice pawn endgame from our national Tarta, who didn't suspect a bunch of reciprocal zugzwangs (ZZ). Neither did the official analysts, as attested in the two editions of the Encyclopaedia of Endgames, 31 years apart. It is amusing that the conjugate square of c3 is e7 in one pawn scheme (b4/b5) and... d8 in another (a4/a5)!
The famous 6th game of 1984 which presaged an explosive match. The defending champion's technique in the endgame is beyond praise, but his opponent could have made things difficult for him. A hymn to the glory of the Knight-Pawn in the Rook endgame. And here too, an echo of ZZ!
A success of my commensals from Ostróda (see http://lecoursdumaitre.e-monsite.com/pages/concours-de-solutions/cat-2015/championnat-du-monde-2015.html ) with an unchained White King. Making a study of a played game, strange, it reminds me of something.
An exercise where you have to find the key square for the White King, the one where he must necessarily pass. And also a surprising Bishops' endgame with, again, ZZ. Finally, a rest with an amusement: where to take out the King?
The 1959 Candidates' Tournament is best remembered for the fantastic battle between Tal and Kérès, overshadowing the others participants. We will come back to this. But there were other fierce battles, like this draw where a white decisive advantage is shamelessly passed to... a black! The sharing of the point is therefore not undeserved.
The supporters of the two Bishops will have arguments, those of the two Knights also! Remember that half of this fantastic tournament (including this game) took place in Bled, by the lake, the 3rd quarter in Zagreb and the 4th in Belgrade.
Practice: the first 2# has a fearsome try. Then a little Marjan festival to warm up the brains. Lots of essays too, as well as in the english and the french. The last one is by an unknown author. In 3 moves, a magnificent byte (White has the 8 figures and nothing else) from the great Moravec. The 3 main mates must imperatively be models (pure and economic), the 7 other figures than the King participate in the mate or... disappear. In the most beautiful mate, only one will disappear. Rest with 3 french. The one from the 19th century was solved in less than two minutes by your "master"... twice at more than 40 years interval!
Then two logical 5# also very affordable. A single helpmate 2#, but with 6 solutions, which curiously correspond. Echo chameleon in the first 3# helpmate, the second was fixed by yours truly. No relation between the 2 solutions of the 9# helpmate, which the human solves faster than the monster. The selfmate 2# illustrates an orthodox 2# theme. Let's finish with a superb cycle in selfmate 3# from the Macedonian wizard.
New section: moje završnice (my endgames) inaugurated by (to all lords, all honour) one of the best players in history, when our country was not yet in decadence. A reminder: François-André's great-grandfather was an oboe player at the court of King Louis XIII. The latter, wanting to congratulate him, called him "Philidor" in homage to Filidori, an Italian oboe virtuoso. Hence the addition of Philidor to the surname Danican.
His winning method will thus be more accessible, especially to super-elites who have been unable to apply it until now. Our 2nd example is a double classic: of the game (a historical part) and of the analysis, which current events reminded me of, when I read this, to hang on the blooper: "As it's theoretical draw, the question is rather how Marshall will manage to lose it... even if it's not easy to hold it". I've read hundreds of stupid comments on chess over the last 60 years, but this one, as Audiard would say, is a synthesis.
We are in Marshall-Rubinstein 1911 after the 50th black move. Let's try to unravel. "How Marshall will manage to lose it": no, the game was a draw. "It's a theoretical draw"-sic. In 1911, no "theory" of this ending existed, Maïzelis' research dating from 1939, Kopaïev's from 1955-56. The ignorant 21st-century booby activates the "tablebases", which tell him it was draw, and so he "knows" and immediately starts to legislate. "It's not easy to hold it": in 1911, no one thought of "holding it", since no one knew whether the position was a draw or a loss. 45 years later, a brilliant analyst named Nikolai Kopayev demonstrated that Marshall played a losing move on the 57th, that Rubinstein missed the win on the 58th. The humanoid of the 21st century can only press a button and see these analyses confirmed. Should we laugh or cry?
In addition to "moje završnice", the summer allowed me to rejuvenate some courses, such as Lputian's beautiful attack on February 15 2005 and Nisipeanu's beautiful defence on February 10 2004. And to include illustrations to make the pages less austere.
Have a good time. See you in 3 weeks or a month. Idzcie z Bogiem. Niech żyje Polska.
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