february 16 2021
For this second leeson of 2021, the start on Teams was just as difficult for the Master as it was with the previous one, but once started, despite the cold, the diesel went the distance!
As the audience was made up of regulars, the course was rather confidential but nevertheless lively.
Below is the Master's report written in his castle on the coast.
Master's words
"The measures taken are similar to those of the Incas: faced with solstices and major climatic disasters, they sacrificed their most beautiful adolescents... These decisions are methodically destroying a large part of the living forces of our society" (J.F. Toussaint).
"All my life I have dreamed of a passionate and yet honest enemy. Unfortunately, I have only met enemies of whom I was ashamed" (E. M. Cioran). On the subject of EMC, it must be acknowledged that the french people are particularly good at the "forcible nostalgia for servitude" that he denounced.
"The West is controlled by satanic pedophiles" (V. Putin).
"The consumption of baby blood is so popular in Hollywood that it essentially functions as a currency in its own right" (M. Gibson in 2018).
Yep, as my grandmother might have said, there are "conspiracists", because there are conspirators.
"Without art, man is just a womb with legs" (quoted by M. Menant).
"Artistocracy consists, for each individual, in making his life a free and disinterested work of art, above all limitations and parties" (G. de Lacaze-Duthiers).
"You won't get 10 minutes of my time for 'maybes'" (Scorpio, 1973).
"To avoid war, we must begin by defining the meaning of words". Sentence by Confucius quoted on a forum on 28-02-2009 and taken up by Bruno Gollnisch in January 2021.
"The french people believe they speak French well because they do not speak any foreign language" (Tristan Bernard).
Clarification: when I hear "celleszéceux" or "toutezé[à]tousses", I immediately run away. So if you want to send me a message, please speak French; thank you in advance!
Straight as an "i": an old expression that evoked the admirable health of certain old men. Here, it is a white King who does not deviate from his path, seeming to climb towards the stars. Then an endgame of a "bad" Bishop against a magnificent Knight where a concept from... middle game saves. And the Bishop in turn becomes "magnificent" in defence.
Then a Rook endgame where it is surprising that a position several times winning suddenly turns out to be... losing. Tasty nuances according to the location of the black King and the white "f" and "h" pawns with, of course, ZZ. Finally a study of two world champions. "To take or not to take". Not necessarily Shakespearian but we find the unexpected (and often distrustful) notion of pawn sacrifice in the endgame. A secondary variation leads to a R / B +N + Ph which draws more easily than R / 2B + Ph, see Ciocaltea-Pachman here: http://lecoursdumaitre.e-monsite.com/pages/tools/cb-2009/les-positions-du-13-janvier-janvier-2009.html
For next month: a rather difficult pawn endgame in spite of the thin material (2 against 1). You may be inspired by the demolished study (Sackmann, see after the 4th move) http://lecoursdumaitre.e-monsite.com/pages/tools/cb-2010/les-2.html The 3rd move is the most difficult, in connection with the 4th. And there is still a difficulty in the 6th. A tip: in the introduction, find the right white move in Ke3, Pg4 & h2 / Kd5, Pg5 (J. Kling, 1849). And, for the passionate, a side exercise: Kd3, Pg3 & h3 / Ke5, Pg6, White wins.
The other two exercises are about promotion, to be favoured, then prevented. First you must avoid perpetual check, play the right 3rd move, which only makes sense if you have seen the 4th. In the other, keep the extra rook, or give it only to good effect.
Your master bucket had the honour to play (simultaneously) and even... not to lose, against the most brilliant world champion of the 20th century. This happened more than half a century ago at the Cercle Caïssa in Paris. Each player is winning at some point in the game. Some say that one should not "analyse blitzes and simultaneous games". This is (obviously) not our opinion.
The opening is the brilliant Kholmov-Bronstein seen here http://lecoursdumaitre.e-monsite.com/pages/cours/cat-2017/9-mai-2017.html
The other game of the day is less complex than the previous ones. A strategic and then tactical lesson, a balanced realisation of the advantage. A one pawn advantage is often compensated by a better King.
Training: a Novotny festival echoing the last lesson, then a Swedish record for the number of tries. The next two, Dutch and French, have a few more, but the rest is quieter. Two 3#, the second (a masterpiece) having been scandalously treated by the "judges". The 19th century 5# illustrates a theme that has become fundamental.
Amusing "corridor matting" in the 2# helpmate (with twin). The 3# helpmate seemed difficult to me. Finally, a selfmate 6# with the solution, which I ask you not to look at too soon.
Have a good time. See you in a month if Deus vult.
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