World Championship 2017

Home Championship

I refrained from a "world congress" this year, for several reasons, including the following three:

-- the 100 euro start-up racket, which, given the accommodation rates and prices in the congress city, would have led to an expense double that of Belgrade and Ostroda,

-- the certainty of no longer being able to support the selector you know, although this time he was assisted by an otherwise competent Belgian

-- a lot of personal work planned for this summer.

Anyway, you can imagine that I did the world championship at home. Here are my comments:

 

 

Click on the right side of the board to move forward, left to move backward ...
or directly on the move

#2 - 20mn

1

Some victims, who do not know this, unlike all petanque players :
when it blocks, you have to shoot in the pile and move the jack: an essential principle !

Gyula Neukomm
Budapesti Sakkhirado
1930–1931 - recommandé

white Bh5 Kf6 Qf2 Pe4a2 Sb2a1 Rc6 black Ph6h7e5e2b3b4 Kd2 Ra3 Bf1
#2(8+9)

Solution

2

Ditto: you can immediately feel that there will be a Schach-provokation !

Arthur F. MAckenzie
Sydney Morning Herald
1905 - 1st prize

white Ba6a1 Ka4 Qa7 Pc5d5f3g3 Sc4c3 Rb3e3 black Kd4 Pc7f7g7a5h5 Sd8 Rd7h4 Be8f8
#2(12+11)
Solution

3

A mistake is finally more excusable here, especially after the time spent on the other two (there are only 20 minutes in total) :
Which of the four figures sent on b6 ?

Efim Rukhlis
prize Shakhmatna Misl,
1963

white Bc2f2 Kh7 Qd8 Pe7h3 Sf7e5 Rg6b3 black Ph5c4e2h4 Kf4 Ba7 Sb1h2 Ra6a3
#2(10+10)
Solution

#3 - 60mn

4

Good work by the ex-president of the federation (of the problemists, don't confuse). The only danger is to stop too early, but there are 7 variants !

Uri Avner
2nd prize l’Echiquier belge
1992-1993

white Bb2d5 Kc3 Qc5 Pb3f6h7 Sa5e7 Ra4d1 black Bd3 Ke5 Qf1 Pe6d7f7d2 Sa8 Rb6f2
#3(11+10)
Solution

5

One of my favourite authors, a fantastic study composer by the way, for two Roman variants.

Aleksey Kopnin
2nd honourable mention Trud
1947

white Bd2 Kc1 Qg8 Pa2a4g2f7 Sb3f4 Rb5 black Pa7a5d5d3e7h5 Kc4 Bb1f2 Se8 Rd7c8
#3(10+12)
Solution

6

I had noted 20 or 30 years ago that this problem was quite easy because "the a2 pawn indicates the key".
I still insist. And the mates are always so pretty.

Jan Hlineny
Cesky spolek sachovni v Praze
1st prize - 1891

white Qg8 Pg3a2 Sd8e7 Ra4 Kf2 black Pd7h7h6g5g4c5 Ke5
#3(7+7)
Solution

études - 100mn

Joachim is surprised that a Piorun at 2700 (of player) scores poorly in studies. But an exceptional capacity of analysis, like his, falls flat when you forget a black defence (in this case the main line). This certainly cannot happen in helpmates, where he was imperial.

7

I would have scored 1/5 like him, torturing myself to show the win on the other defences. The only difference is that it took me longer than him to... not find. You guessed it, I would have argued with Martin again... just like a year ago. While pointing out that it's not his fault, but the fault of... You know all this.

Daniel Keith & Martin Minski
original for Die Schwalbe
2017

white Qh8 Pc5e3h4g6 Kh1 black Pe5 Sd2 Rd8d3 Kg3
+(6+5)
Solution

8

Our Guy had a great time doubling a known idea. Affordable study. Partial anticipation by Y. Zemliansky 2007.

Guy Sobrecases
Original for WCSC
2017

white Pa6c6 Bh7g3 Rb1 Kg8 black Pe7 Sc4 Re2a3 Kh5
+(6+5)
Solution

9

Human, amusing study. From 1950. You expect something like "in those days...". Not this time !

Augustus Harold Branton
British Chess Magazine
1950

white Pb2 Rf4 Be8 Kd5 black Pf3h4b4b5a6a7 Kb6 Bg2
=(4+8)
Solution

h# - 50mn

10

A joke by the great Abdu, not at all obvious. What a pity that Marko lost some of his feathers.

Fadil Abdurahmanovic
The Problemist
1996

white Pb3c3f6 Ba3c4 Ra5f5 Kh3 black Qg7 Pa7e4 Kc6 Rf1 Sd2h5
h#2(8+7)
4 sol.
Solution

11

Mister Jones is a philidorian composer: the pawns are for him the soul of the helpmate. I guessed the author and solved it but... out of time !

Christopher Jones
Original for WCSC
2017

white Pe3d2c2 Kg1 Rd1 black Bb4e6 Kd5 Qc5 Pa5b5f3b2 Sc4g2 Re4b3
h#3(5+12)
b) Dc5-->c6
Solution

12

Nothing to do for the 2nd solution (sorry to disappoint you, I would not have been world champion). You had to accept the idea that BK was not on the band.

Stefan Milewski
Original for The Problemist
2017

white Ph2 Kh5 Sc6 black Qf4 Ph3h6h7 Ke3
h#5(3+5)
2 sol.
Solution

>#3 - 80mn

13

Easy and clear. Strategy and model mats. I was thinking of Emil Palkoska, but this is more recent.

Jakov Vladimirov
1st prize VS SSSR 70
1988

white Sf8 Pf6 Ka8 Rh2 Bh7d6 black Pb4c4e3f3f7d7c6 Sf2 Be1a2 Kh8
#4(6+11)
Solution

14

For many, this type of problem is torture, for me it is a treat. In passing, he reminds us that Mandler was not only a formidable composer of studies.

Artur Mandler
?eskoslovenský šach
1962

white Rb2 Sc3 Bc8 Ke5 black Ph3g5c6b5 Ke3
#5(4+5)
Solution

15

Took me too long, though easy enough, but I got confused...

Ralf Krätschmer
Original for Phénix

white Pg2b2c3f4 Kh3 Bd1 Sa6d8 Rb4 black Pg3b3a4d6e4 Rc1d4 Bf2 Kd5
#8(9+9)
Solution

s# - 50mn

16

It is necessary to play the good Rook, and to take care to defend his colleague otherwise ...Qxa6.

Vyacheslav Kopaev
Suomen Shakki
1996

white Qh3 Pg7f5h2f2 Kg1 Rd3c4 Ba6 black Bh1 Ke2 Qe6 Pg2d2e4h5 Se1 Rd1
s#2(9+9)
Solution

17

A beautiful skein from a superb composer. One can take all the time in the world not to forget the variants, because one expects not to solve the next one !

Vukota Nikoletic
1st prize Kotelec
1993

white Bc8c5 Kf5 Qb7 Pg4g5e2 Sa6d3 Re4a4 black Bg3b1 Kd5 Qh8 Pf4g7h7a2d2 Sa8c6 Rd8f1
s#3(11+13)
Solution

18

Solved by no one, although... young Pavlov, whom I mentioned in the Belgrade article, managed to do half of it. The "incurable" coach would be able to improve on his performance. In any case, far less undrinkable than many of the "18" of previous years.

Manfred Ernst
Original for Problem-Forum

white Bh4a8 Kh1 Qd3 Ph2c6 Sc3 Ra6f8 black Pg6f5e5e6h3a2 Kf1 Rg8g7 Se2 Bb3
s#7(9+11)
2 sol.
Solution

In conclusion, I regret that Marko did not win. One more title for Piorun doesn't change anything, whereas it would have been a magnificent consecration for this super "crack-solver", as Jean Oudot used to say, infinitely sympathetic.

Podium

 

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