december 11 2012

The heroic report of the nocturnal Greffier.

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A lot of material for a reduced audience on this fairy day, since only our Grandmaster was present in addition to Daniel and me.
First of all, and if my memories are correct, a happy birthday to the Master on this 13th December.

To start the festivities, a rather old problem verified by a human being and not by a machine.

1 - #2 with Grasshoppers
 Pierre MONREAL & Jean-Pierre BOYER
Europe Echecs 1966 - 1°-3° Prize e.a.

 

Grasshopper : moving on the Queen's lines with help of a hurdle immediately after which it lands
The few beautiful Grasshoppers of Monréal will not be able to do anything against the assaults of White.

 

Master's words

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Two months ago, I was presented with the following problem: to invent a legal position in which the White King is double-checked, but responds by checkingmate, without taking. I was able to appreciate the difference between a solutionist and a composer: I spent about an hour and a half finding such a position, whereas A. Onkoud took barely more than a quarter of an hour to discover... the same as me! But it's not the only one. Rémy found one with another battery, Grégo too. I refrained from bothering our Grandmaster with such trivialities. Attached are some examples. 

  
Tribute to the great Fadil for Daniel, but also a few other entertaining helpmates for... the whole family, gathered together on New Year's Eve. Including a very easy 2-moves aristo. 
  
Among the directs: a surprising #2, a nice logical (easy) #3 from the famous Russian-Ukrainian duo. Then two examples of other giants, illustrating modern themes but, through their immense talent, in a form that is not boring. 
Finally, two #6 from another Ukrainian giant, which have something in common and should therefore be enjoyed together, or in concert, if one prefers. 
  
A fairy tale with the master clerk....   
Merry Christmas and see you for a "normal" course in a month's time on Tuesday, January 8th. God bless you. 
  

A new genre now, at the fairy course, of course : the double-step

2 - h#1 Double-step 2 solutions
Hans UITENBROEK - WCCT 2012

Double-step chess : a piece (or pawn) that is playing is required to make a second move. The first move cannot be a capture.
The restriction of the grip on the first move is quite clear from the diagram.
Small look :
The Rg6 is pinned because of pg7 - g6 - xh5
The Black King is pat if we do not consider the other pieces of his camp.
It's up to you to find the rest

It's an interesting genre.


A small return to the old compositions with the next one which dates back to 1974.

3 - #2 with Rose
Jean-Pierre BOYER
Tournoi Olympique, Nice 1974 - 3° Honor Mention
Rose : Extended knight in round ( Rob8 - c6 e5 g6 h8 or - d7 f8 or - d7 e5 d3)

There was a tough contest; it had to be solved in 1 minute. Needless to say, we didn't succeed.
an incursion by Grasshopper 2 which landed 2 squares after the sautoir

4 - hs#6 with Grasshopper-2 (G2)
Gaspar J. PERRONE
The Problemist 2007
Grasshopper-2 (or G2) : Grasshopper landing 2 squares after the hurdle


Very interesting.
The final picture is ideal.


 Small diversion by the parrain Circe

5 - #2 parrain Circé
Kevin BEGLEY
Mat Plus 2007
2° Prix
Parrain Circe : a captured piece remains suspended above the capture square and then makes an equipollent move to the one of the piece which plays immediately afterwards
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Two elegant moves, but only one is good.

Big headache with the vertical Möbius.

6 - h#2 vertical Möbius
Gaspar J. PERRONE
The Problemist 2010
vertical Mobius : to make it simple, glue a chessboard on each side with a1 glued to h8, a8 glued to h1, h1 glued to a8 and h8 glued to a1

Very disruptive this ribbon.

a Möbius PG, for road use

7 - PG 4,5 vertical Möbius with twin
Stephen EMMERSON
dédié à P. Fayers
The Problemist 2007
2° Comm.
vertical Mobius

Our Peter Harris is back with a composition of which he has the secret.

8 - serial h#13 with twin
Peter HARRIS
a) black Ultra-Maximum : black must MANDATORYLY play the geometrically longest move.
opponent's pawn Sentinel : each move of a piece defecates an opponent's pawn on the starting square of the move
b)+ Transmuted Kings : the King catches the march of the opponent's piece which puts it in check for the time of the move.

Take a deep breath with the Anti Circe

9 - serial h=10 coups AntiCirce
Tibor ERSEK

8/2pkPRp1/1Pp2pPp/N1K2P2/P4N1P/p6b/qPP5/r1b2n2
sh=10 (12+12)
Anticirce : the captured piece is reborn on its original square if it is free, otherwise capture is illegal.

A small PG Single Combat now

10 - PG 10 Single Combat
Bernd GRAEFRATH
tcf1r1ct/pppp2p1/8/6Pp/7P/8/PPPP1P1C/TCFDRF1T
Single Combat (Duel) : a piece which has just made a move is obliged, on the next move, to continue playing until it is legally impossible to do so
.
Very well built.

Annan chess is very particular, and here is a PG to show it.

11 - PG 9 Annan
Peter FAYERS
The Problemist 2007 (v)
4° Honor Mention

  Annan : a piece is pushed by the piece of its camp which is immediately behind it and catches the characteristics of it during the push.
example : ph2xh7 or a2Xa7

Une bonne prise de tête

Mirror Circe is also a particular rule

12 - hs#2,5 with twin
Cyprian STOCKFORD
Cedric C. LYTTON
Mirror Circe : a captured piece is reborn on the original square on the opponent's side
. example: gxf3=Black Knight b1

Now a neo-strausskanian rule, the super pine (to be linked with the Monréal's Grasshoppers).

13 - h#2 super pin
Colin SYDENHAM
Phénix 1990 (v)
2° Honor Mention
Super Pin : priority to pinning over all other considerations.
A check can therefore be avoided by nailing the piece that is checking.

14 - h=2 Rönnauer chess duplex
Andreas THOMA
Rönnauer chess : when a unit is observed by an opponent's unit, it catches the march of the opponent's unit during the time of the observation.
duplex : the statement is checked for both black and white lines

15 - h#2,5 with Vao and Locust
Chris FEATHER
Jubilé C. Lytton-70, The Problemist 2009-10
2° Mention d'Honneur
Vao : Bishop needing a sautoir to capture
Locust : Grasshopper eating its sautoir (which is therefore inevitably an opponent's unit)
  
16 - h=5 Circe Madrasi with Lion
Unto HEINONEN
The Problemist 2007
Circe : rebirth of the captured piece on its original square (a promotion square for fairy pieces)
Madrasi : two opposing pieces of the same nature which observe each other are mutually paralysed
Lion : moves on the Queen's lines with the help of a sautoir
  
Two incursions among Afghans (!?)

17 - hs#5 Kobul Kings
Kostas PRENTOS
Kobul Kings : takes the nature (and retains it) of the captured piece from his side

18 - serial s#11
Ioannis GAROUFALIDIS

Again Peter Harris

19 - h#3,5 with twin
Peter HARRIS
Anti-Andernach : a move without a capture changes the colour of the playing piece.
Ultra-Patrol : a piece can only move (and therefore also capture) if it is observed by a piece of its own side


20 - h#3 parrain Circe with neutral Nightrider 2 solutions
Lev GROLMAN
Alexandre ELIZAROV
  neutral Nightrider : Extended knight that can be used by both sides
  
And there you go, it's done.
Good reading to all, and see you on January 8 2013.

Happy Holidays to all

Yours sincerely

le greffier 

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Remarks, (in the absence of corrections)

Thank you Rémy for "thinking about it". When I said on Tuesday evening that our master greffier had a phenomenal memory... Just think about it in two years, when it will be erotic! Even more than the "super-pins"...
 
Our grandmaster was there, indeed, and showed us a work which seems to be in the 2001-2003 album, the last one published, given the dynamism of the problemists, who know how to take time, and the only one I don't have. To be continued.
 
All this to say that I don't have much to say, the report being almost immaculate. At least as far as I remember, because I don't keep the fairy tales. At most I would have said "extended grasshopper" for the Lion. But that's no reason to shut up, as you know...
 
Relax well, don't drink too much and come back on the 8th of January.