april 30 2024
This fifth lesson of the year saw the return of Pierre and Gilles, significantly strengthening the audience.
No problem to report, except for the greffier with just the sound during the second hour which required a good effort of concentration and imagination!
Correcting the exercises took quite a bit of time, but it was necessary especially for the first position.
The day's game was lively; in Saint-Lazare, when we have one Rook less, we are in our element!
A little less fairies than usual because of the avalanche of variants that preceded it.
The next session will be May 25.
Happy reading everyone.
Master's words
“Come with me in Paris, I will make your fortune – I prefer to stay poor” (Katia Miran in “My name is Bernadette”, 2011). “I want her to tell the truth so much that I prefer to call her a liar” (M. Aumont, ibidem).
Happy “like God in France”, they used to say. Should we admit that the Devil now reigns in France?
“Victrix causa diis placuit, sed victa Catoni (the gods were for the victor, but Cato for the vanquished)”
“To define beauty is not to understand it” (F. Pessoa)
“Listen to what will be said and try to guess... what will not be said” (Alexander II, played by Curd Jürgens, speaking to his son, in “Katia” 1959).
“Uncertainty, indeterminacy, unpredictability, incompleteness, undecidability: science now knows that it cannot know everything. To go to the end of the path and access ultimate reality, we must call on other modes of knowledge, such as mystical or spiritual intuition, informed and illuminated by the discoveries of modern science. Science and spirituality are two complementary windows that allow man to understand reality” (Trinh Xuan Thuan, 2007).
My dearest was in Istria for a weekend, staying with a friend who had 4 corgis. I pointed out to her that she would have to multiply the number of her adorable little animals by 7 to hope to join the Queen of England. But, the Croatian language being what it is, the "c" was translated as a "k", which reminded me of a great philosopher from 40 years ago. “Everyone has something to learn at one time or another.” Isn't it true? https://youtu.be/kuuSlHw2Dw8 
Most players, of the Gutenberg generations at least, have more chess books than they read. I am in the opposite case, I have read many more books than I own, having spent my time giving them away. I have barely a hundred left, including 90 on studies and problems, amateurs being rarer. They are allowed to manifest themselves. It's at the top and right of the screen!
I place separately the 5 encyclopedias on the endgames, archi-annotated: I do not intend to offer them, but I offer the numerous comments to those who wish, in the hope that they will succeed me as commentator- demolisher-rebuilder. However, I understand that the enthusiasm for this kind of gift is hardly crazy...
The Queen versus Rook fight with pawns on the same side is often very complex, you must always be careful of fortresses like that of Grigoriev here : https://lecoursdumaitre.e-monsite.com/en/pages/tools/cb-2007/cb-20070116.html A new episode of a known theme: "as far as possible": Re7 draws, Re8 loses in the 88th. The same goes for the other favorite theme: on the 90th black, the good one with bKc1 becomes the bad one with bKc2 and vice versa.
A French study composed well before the "tablebases" by a player cultivating at the same time "the game, the problem and the study" as existed in the 60s (4 problems of his are already in our course, consult the index). Armand Lapierre advised me to take him as a model, which I did successfully, thank you both. Then one of the most pleasant studies of the genius of the 20th century, of which it is difficult to imagine that an equivalent could emerge today. Finally a nice and subtle Hungarian rescue.
Exercises for the next session: choose between two candidate moves to draw a difficult Rook endgame, then a struggle of heavy pieces, finally the relaxing study par excellence.
Today's game features one of the rare world-class players who is unanimously appreciated. Without any concessions, simply being himself. A brilliant design, allowing you to dominate the game with one Rook less, but recognizing your own faults. A threatened species ?
Training: tries in the 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th (especially!) & 12th, while the 9th surprises differently. A 3# of "Mister Young" which is hardly obvious, another (easier) where open lines close. Not an easy 4# although very logical.
Three helpmates by the great Swedish specialist, the first is a record, the 3rd offers us model mates, only the 2nd will make you think a little more: a certain square is featured, but which one? A surprising 3# selfmate of our favorite Nice composer, finally a 5 where our magnanimity leads us not to delete the solution.
Have a good meal. Que Deus vos proteja.
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