june 8 2010

 

A small anthology of the last European championship (which, if it had only been on the second day, would have been won by our GM Michel). With a diagram of each of the 6 events. You have already suffered on the h#2 a month ago. Note that the #4 of the event had already been submitted for the 2009 German championship. They must have been in need of help, as Guy does not compose #4. I add a few provisions for the summer : a nice #2 from Emperor Marjan, a curious restored #3, a h#5 which may require some time and a superb s#6 (solution on request).

Exclusively for our readers, the future first prize for an excellent magazine in the reflex category. For once, I give the detailed solution, which will not be found in the said magazine, as the editor obviously did not understand the problem !

For fairy positions, see the report of the master-tabellion.

Merry beaches and see you, God willing, at the end of September.

AV

 

for this last lesson of the season, there was place for fairy composition.
The Master had made a selection of which he has the secret and of which here are the different compositions presented.

For the definition of the rules and fairy tales, I refer you to the reference links:
http://christian.poisson.free.fr/problemesis/condus.html
 http://christian.poisson.free.fr/problemesis/pieces.html

For the starting up, a rather old problem on the scale of the fairy composition (1960) .

1 - #2 with Nightrider and Grasshopper

 
very nice imbroglio of lines and diagonals

A small diversion to Chinese pieces
 

2 - h#3 with chinese pieces

  Very pleasant to search with a coffin construction made of different materials
 
Now here is a magnificent triplet.

3 - #2 with chinese piece

 

A superb work with a beautiful purity of mat

To expand the bestiary, we will take a tour of the Chameleons.

4 - h#2 Andernach

There are 4 black "chameleon" pieces and 4 solutions, it's up to you !

A little break with a work by the great Michel which is much more affordable at the vulgum pecus, and which provides more aesthetic sensations than some other compositions of the dypterian sodomizers.
 

5 - #2 Circe

3 black corrections, sorry for the lack ! What a talent !

Another compositional genius approaches the Zebra and the equistopper.
Here's the thing :
 

6 - #2 Transmuted Kings with Zèbra and Equistoppers

 

Here below is the definition of the Equistopper from an English site
"The Equistopper (invented by Peter Harris and named by Brian Stephenson at Pitlochry, see The Problemist May 2004, p. 361) is the opposite of the Equihopper; it moves to any square that is exactly halfway towards any other unit of either colour, which must (naturally) be an even number of rows (ranks and files) away orthogonally. In J1, similarly to F1, we see how a Transmuting K, stripped of all powers except that of the attacking ES, is unable to escape the attack, and the backstop ESd2, separated from the Ks by an odd number of rows, cannot relieve it either. In J2 a Fersk”onig is chosen to be stalemated; e2 cannot be wK on account of many cooks, and surprisingly, a3 is the only square for the ES – all the units are placed with precision. J3 shows a neatly-stalemated Royal ES on an Anchor Ring, on which we note that if the ES can go to one square, it can also go to the squares 4 rows distant either way, corresponding to the choice of hurdles for an Equihopper going to the same square."
The preliminary question is : why is d8=N doesn't mate ? (to help you a little : it's a double-check !)

  Un petit détour par le Triton

7 - h#3 with Pao and Triton

  due to the absence of a strike, here is a problem in Functionary Chess

8 - #2 - Functionary Chess

Something more complicated  

9 - series s#15 - AntiCirce - Madrasi

 

h#2 Mars Circe 5 (!) solutions

 

The Master managed to discreetly put a position

11 - s#11 - AntiCirce with Leo et Moa

 
Hoping that you will not have abused strong drinks to try to understand the statements and solve the problems, it remains for me to wish you a good holiday.
The holiday homework is in the electronic version of the Mestre to which I wish a well-deserved rest.

Happy reading to all.
Yours sincerely

Le greffier 

Master's clarifications

---

I can confirm that the first two diagrams are correct. For the remaining part, I haven't seen any anomaly, but I have to trust the master greffier, not keeping any duplicate of the fairy ones. Let's also mention the nice key in problem 5.

Furthermore, his remark on the "sodomizers of diptera" proves how much he tries to make the atmosphere of the course palpable for those who could not attend. An in vivo report, so to speak. Lined with a real and undoubtedly temporary optimism about the "absence of strike".

I must however add a position that I had chosen to end this walk among the madmen with dignity.

Kh8, Qf6, Pg7 & h7 / Kh1, Ra8, Be5. It seems that White only have to give up. Yet they can save themselves. They play in a traditional circle with a very old wooden chessboard and such old pieces...

Have a good rest.

AV