French Championship 2025

The Championship as seen from Cannes

The battle between the only two ‘grozélos’ in the French desert continues. Michel left some feathers in the 3#, as usual, but also dried up on the 7#, which didn't seem terrifying to me, and whose author is a regular on our course. : https://lecoursdumaitre.e-monsite.com/en/pages/lessons/fairy-lessons/page-1.html et https://lecoursdumaitre.e-monsite.com/en/pages/lessons/cat-2013/page-8.html .

He loses 7.5 points which he doesn't fully regain with the selfmate 5# which, as usual, he is also the only one to solve, even though it is more accessible than most of the other Petkovs.

The first 2# is quickly found by provocation. In the next, you could "pass", but the rules forbid it.

1

Give the kay.

Abdurahmanović, Fadil &
Ковачевић, Марјан
Probleemblad, 1st Prize, 2011

white Bb8a8 Qb6 Ra5a3 Sd5e5 Pf6c2 Kh4 black Bh5 Ke4 Rd3 Pf3f2 Sf1 Qd1

#2(10+7)

Solution

{

} 1.Se5*f3 ! {[5]} threat: 2.Sd5-c3 # {
} 1...Rd3*d5 2.Qb6-e6 # {
} 1...Rd3-d4 2.Qb6-e6 # {
} 1...Ke4*f3 2.Sd5-f4 # {
} 1...Ke4-f5 2.Sd5-e7 #

2

Give the key.

Шедей, Сергій Олександрович
Чернявський, Микола Васильович
Комсомольський прапор, 2nd Prize 1982

white Bc8 Kf8 Qe7 Pg7h6f2e3c2 Sh3a2 Rd2 black Sf7b2 Bg8a3 Ph7f4f3d3b4e5d5 Ke4

#2(11+12)

Solution

{

} 1.Qe7-c5 ! {[5]
} 1...Sb2-d1 2.c2*d3 # {
} 1...Sb2-c4 2.c2*d3 # {
} 1...Sb2-a4 2.c2*d3 # {
} 1...d3*c2 2.Qc5*d5 # {
} 1...b4-b3 2.Sa2-c3 # {
} 1...f4*e3 2.Qc5*e3 # {
} 1...d5-d4 2.Qc5-c6 # {
} 1...Sf7-d6 2.Sh3-g5 # {
} 1...Sf7-g5 2.Sh3*g5 # {
} 1...Sf7*h6 2.Sh3-g5 # {
} 1...Sf7-h8 2.Sh3-g5 # {
} 1...Sf7-d8 2.Sh3-g5 #

The first 3#, with its 3 unpins, is elegant; I've known its author (who has never let me down) since I was 14. The other 3# appears in the album, awarded the maximum 4 points by Bo Lindgren, which is no mean feat! It shows an AB-BC-CD-DE-EA cycle (consider the 2nd and 3rd move of each variation). Its co-author is also one of our regulars, with 11 diagrams, including 7 in 2010.

3

Give key and variations
until last white move before mate.

Копнин,
Алексей Григорьевич
Шахматы в СССР, 2nd Prize 1980

white Qe1 Sd3 Pc2g6d5e4g4h3 Ba5c8 Rf7 Kh2 black Bb1 Pb2c3g7h6e6h4 Sa4 Qf6 Kf3

#3(12+10)

Solution

{

} 1.Ba5-c7 ! {(threatens} 2.Bc7-f4 {[@]} 3.Qe1-e3 # {
} 2...Qf6-d4 3.Bf4-e5 # {
} 2...Qf6*f4 + 3.Rf7*f4 # {)

} 1...Sa4-b6 2.Bc7*b6 {[@]} {(threatens} 3.Qe1-e3 # {)
} 2...Qf6-f4 + 3.Rf7*f4 # {
} 1...e6-e5 2.Bc8-f5 {[@]} {(threatens} 3.Qe1-f2 # {)
} 2...Qf6*f5 3.Rf7*f5 # {
} 2...Qf6-b6 3.Bf5-e6 # {
} 1...e6*d5 2.Sd3-f4 {[@]} {(threatens} 3.Qe1-e2 # {)
} 2...Qf6*f4 + 3.Rf7*f4 # 2...Qf6-a6 3.Sf4-e6 # {
} 1...Qf6*f7 2.g6*f7 {[@]} {(threatens} 3.f7-f8=Q # 3.f7-f8=R # {

@ - 1
@@ - 2
@@@ - 3
@@@@ - 3.5
@@@@@ - 4
@@@@@@ - 5
}

4

Give key and variations
until last white move before mate.

Лобусов, Андрей Яковлевич Удалов, Борис
Neue Zürcher Zeitung,
1984-1985, 2nd Prize

white Kb7 Qd7 Pc4 Bd3 Rf3 Sh3g2 black Pe7b4c2 Bf7 Rh7 Sh6 Ke5 Qb2

#3(7+8)

Solution

{

} 1.Sg2-f4 ! threat: 2.Sf4-g6 + {[@]} 2...Bf7*g6 3.Qd7-d5 # {
} 1...Qb2-d4 2.Qd7*e7 + {[@]} 2...Bf7-e6 3.Sf4-g6 # {
} 1...Ke5-f6 2.Sf4-h5 + {[@]} 2...Kf6-e5 3.Rf3-e3 # {
} 1...Sh6-f5 2.Qd7*f5 + {[@]} 2...Ke5-d4 3.Sf4-e2 # 2...Ke5-d6 3.c4-c5 # {
} 1...e7-e6 2.Qd7-c7 + {[@]} 2...Ke5-d4 3.Sf4-e2 # 2...Ke5-f6 3.Sf4-h5 # {
} 1...Bf7-d5 + 2.Qd7*d5 + {[@]} 2...Ke5-f6 3.Sf4-h5 # {
} 1...Rh7-g7 2.Rf3-e3 + {[@]} 2...Ke5-f6 3.Qd7*e7 # {
@ - 1
@@ - 1.5
@@@ - 2
@@@@ - 3
@@@@@ - 3.5
@@@@@@ - 4
@@@@@@@ - 5
}

5

Give solution until last white move before mate.

Попов, Григорий Леонтьевич
Проблеміст України, 4th Prize
2010

white Bd6 Pe5a3b2d3e3 Kb7 Rb4 black Bf8 Re7 Pe6d7b6b5a4e4d2 Ka5 Sf3

#7(8+11)

Solution

{

} 1.Rb4-d4 ! threat: 2.Bd6-b4 # 1...b5-b4 2.Bd6*b4 + 2...Ka5-b5 3.Rd4-d6 threat: 4.Rd6*b6 # 3...e4*d3 4.Rd6*b6 + 4...Kb5-c4 5.Bb4-d6 threat: 6.Rb6-b4 + {[@]} 6...Kc4-d5 7.e3-e4 # {
@ - 5
}

The study was not solved by anyone. It was not really suited to this competition. The tries 1 Bd4+? and 1 Bc5+? alone must have given the competitors a headache; moreover, their refutation in van der Heyden's database is false! And the official solution of the championship is incomplete. If we wanted to pay tribute to this excellent Romanian composer, we could choose the one in this course (3rd diagram) https://lecoursdumaitre.e-monsite.com/en/pages/lessons/cat-2024/may-28-2024.html

6

Give the main variation until the penultimate white move

Joiţa, Paul
Revista Română de Şah, 1st Prize
1985

white Bf2 Kh2 Pe4 Qf6 black Kf1 Ph3f7 Bg4 Qa8

+(8+10)

Solution

{

Tries} 1.Bf2-d4 + ? Kf1-e2 2.Qf6-f2 + Ke2-d3 3.Qf2-e3 + Kd3-c2 4.Qe3-c3 + Kc2-d1 5.Qc3-d3 + {(5. Qb3+ Kd2 6. Qe3+ Kd1)} 5...Kd1-c1 6.Bd4-e3 + {(6. Qe3+ Kc2)} 6...Kc1-b2 7.Be3-d4 + Kb2-c1 8.Bd4-c3 Qa8-a2 + 9.Kh2-g3 Qa2-g2 + 10.Kg3-f4 h3-h2 {
} 1.Bf2-c5 + ? Kf1-e2 2.Qf6-f2 + Ke2-d3 3.Qf2-d4 + Kd3-c2 4.Qd4-c4 + Kc2-d2 5.Bc5-d6 Qa8-d8 {
} 1.Kh2-g3 ? Bg4-e6 {

} 1.Bf2-a7+ ! Kf1-e1 2.Qf6-a1 + {[@]} Ke1-e2 {
} 3.Qa1-a6 + Ke2-d1 4.Qa6-a4 + {[@]} Kd1-e2 {
} 5.Qa4-c2 + Ke2-f3 6.Qc2-d3 + {[@]} Kf3-f4 {
} 7. Ba7-b8 + Kf4-g5 8.Qd3-d8 + {[@]} Kg5-h5 {
} 9.Qd8-h8 + Kh5-g6 10.Qh8-g8 + {[@]} Kg6-h5 {
} 11.Qg8*f7 + {
@ - 1
@@ - 2
@@@ - 3
@@@@ - 3.5
@@@@@ - 4
@@@@@@ - 5
}

7

Give complete solutions.

Rehm, Hans Peter
Уральский проблемист,
Apr 2001

white Pd5g5 Kc5 Ba3 Sh4 black Pc6e7e5g6f3g3e2f2 Re6e3 Sf5f1 Kf4 Bd3h2

h#3 2sol.5+15)

Solution

{

} 1.Re3-e4 Sh4*f5 2.Sf1-e3 Sf5*e3 3.Kf4*e3 Ba3-c1 # {[@]

} 1.e5-e4 Ba3-b2 2.Re6-e5 Bb2*e5 + 3.Kf4*e5 Sh4*g6 # {[@]
@ - 2,5
@@ - 5
}

8

Give complete solutions.

Rimkus, Mečislovas
StrateGems,
Oct 2018

white Bf8 Pc3e4 Kf5 black Qe7 Kc5 Sa4 Pe5g7 Bg5

h#5 2sol.(4+6)

Solution

{

} 1.Sa4-b6 c3-c4 2.Sb6-d5 e4*d5 3.Bg5-d2 Kf5-e4 4.Bd2-a5 Ke4-d3 5.Ba5-b6 Bf8*e7 # {[@]

} 1.Qe7-d6 Bf8-e7 2.Kc5-b5 Be7-d8 3.Qd6-a6 Kf5*e5 4.Bg5-e7 Ke5-d5 5.Be7-b4 c3-c4 # {[@]
@ - 2,5
@@ - 5
}

9

Giving threat and solution until the last white move.

Јаневски, Живко
Orbit, 2nd Prize
Nov 2011

white Sa7c8 Bc6g1 Qf6 Pe5f7d2 Kc3 black Pd7c4d3 Bh8 Sh1d4 Kc5

s#3(9+7)

Solution

{

} 1.e5-e6 ! threat: 2.Qf6-e7 + 2...d7-d6 3.Bg1*d4 + {[@]} 3...Bh8*d4 # {
} 1...d7-d5 2.Qf6-d8 threat: 3.Bg1*d4 + {[@]} 3...Bh8*d4 # {
} 2...Sh1-f2 3.Qd8-a5 + 3...Sd4-b5 # {
} 1...d7-d6 2.Qf6-d8 threat: 3.Bg1*d4 + {[@]} 3...Bh8*d4 # {
} 2...Sh1-f2 3.Qd8-a5 + 3...Sd4-b5 # {
} 1...d7*e6 2.Qf6-e5 + 2...Bh8*e5 3.Bg1*d4 + {[@]} 3...Be5*d4 # {
} 1...d7*c6 2.Qf6-f3 threat: 3.Bg1*d4 + {[@]} 3...Bh8*d4 # {
} 2...Sh1-f2 3.Qf3*c6 + {[@]} 3...Sd4*c6 # {
@ - 1
@@ - 2
@@@ - 2.5
@@@@ - 3
@@@@@ - 4
@@@@@@ - 5
}

10

Giving threat and solution until the last white move.

Петков, Петко Андонов
Revista Română de Şah,
1st Prize, Dec 1985

white Sg4c2 Kf5 Pf6e7b5c7b4 Rd1b7 black Bg8h6 Ph7g5h4d6c3c4a5a3 Rh5a4 Kd5 Sd3

s#5(10+14)

Solution

{

} 1.c7-c8=R ! threat: 2.Sc2-e3 + 2...Kd5-d4 3.Rc8*c4 + 3...Bg8*c4 4.Se3-c2 + 4...Kd4-d5 5.Rd1*d3 + {[@]} 5...Bc4*d3 # {
} 1...Ra4*b4 2.e7-e8=B threat: 3.Be8-c6 + 3...Kd5-c5 4.Bc6-d7 + 4...Kc5-d5 5.Bd7-e6 + {[@]} 5...Bg8*e6 # {
} 1...a5*b4 2.e7-e8=S threat: 3.Se8-c7 + 3...Kd5-c5 4.Sc7-e6 + 4...Kc5-d5 5.Se6-f4 + {[@]} 5...g5*f4 # {
@ - 1.5
@@ - 3.5
@@@ - 5
}

The two fairies take us back to the early days of Thèmes/64, when we only recognised these two animals, the grasshopper and the nightrider. Both excellent but out of the championship. Even if we admit that ‘taste is king’. Let's be tolerant, not to be confused with ‘rancid outcry’.

At last, a new generation... Romanian, of course. Did you believe for a tenth of a second that there would be a new French generation? You are still very naive. There's no point in cavilling, there's nothing to be done.

11

Give the key.

Kotěšovec, Václav
Probleemblad,
4th Prize, 1987

white WGf7c6b5c2 Pb7f2d2 Sd4b2 Be2 Ka1 WNc1 black BGb6 Pd6c5c4e3 Be5 Ke4 Sf5f4 BNh2

#2(12+10)
🨟f7, c6, b5, c2, 🨥b6: Sauterelles
🨢c1, 🨨h2: Noctambules

Solution

{

} 1.b7-b8=WN ! {[@]} threat: 2.WGc6*c4 # {
} 1...BNh2*d4 2.d2-d3 # {
} 1...Ke4*d4 2.WGc6-e6 # {
} 1...c5*d4 2.WGb5-d3 # {
} 1...Be5*d4 2.WNc1-d3 # {
} 1...Sf5*d4 2.Be2-d3 # {
} 1...BGb6*d4 + 2.Sb2-d3 # {
@ - 5
}