In the moremover-section of the composing tourney for my 60th birthday,
there were no less than 177 entries, by 87 composers from 26 countries.
Themes were free, and the problems' content varied widely, from technical
four-movers to longer adventurous problems, including one 34-mover. Co-judge
Ruud Beugelsdijk wanted it to be my tourney, with him as a sounding board,
and perhaps that is why the award seems to favour the bolder problems: the
average length of the top four is twice that of the bottom four;
11 and 5½ moves respectively. Andrzej Jasik won the tourney with a
very witty 14-mover.
But this is bound to happen when an old
over-the-board player, no matter how much he has come to love chess
composition, co-judges a problem-tourney. From games you go to studies,
then to moremovers, to shorter problems, and perhaps from there, to self- and
helpmates, retrograde and Fairy Chess. No coincidence that for my birthday,
I asked for studies and moremovers.
We marvelled at many of the problems, but it is difficult
to compare symphonies to jingles, jokes to novels, especially when your judgment
changes from day to day - during our e-mail-deliberations, some problems went
from top to bottom of the award and/or vice versa. In art, what matters is taste,
but of course there were technical considerations (cooks robbed the award of some
beautiful problems) and anticipations: it is sad, but information can turn
something brilliant into something neat. And there was this one problem we both
put aside in the first round, but which, as we discovered later, was a slightly
better version of a problem that had won that same author a First Prize 25 years
ago. Skill improves, fashions change. (But the very first strategic problem
idea, Loveday's Indian theme from 1845, occurs in two problems in this award.)
Ruud was much more than a sounding board - I am grateful
for the tireless way in which he showed me good and bad points of problems that
I would have missed myself. Those e-mails of ours amount to a very interesting
problem book - he taught me a lot.
Many thanks to tourney director Henk le Grand, too.
It must have been a huge, at times discouraging job, to decipher all those
manuscripts, with Poles using English notation; Bulgarians using Dutch; Dutchmen
using German; with rooks that changed from T to R in the middle of a solution;
green white pieces on grey squares; green black ones on yellow squares; stamped
from dried-up inkpads. If one thing amazed me, it was how careless some of these
artists are with their creations.
Except for one problem which turned out to have duals and had to be stricken,
this final award does not differ from the provisional one as published in
Probleemblad no. 3, May/June 2003. Problems not in the final award are at
the disposal of the authors.
Amsterdam, 13 April / 1 September 2003
Tim Krabbé
Ruud Beugelsdijk
A newly promoted knight, whinnying with delight at being alive, jumps
back and forth, blocking, vacating and unpinning, so a Phoenix queen can
carry out a subtle mating manoeuvre. Perhaps not the best key ever,
but what dressage!
Mate in 14
1.Qg2 Even if this key is a strong threat, it is less obvious than 1.b8N+,
which is refuted by Kb6 2.Qg2 Qe6, or 1.e8Q when c5 2.Qxa4+ bxa4
3.Qxa4+ Kb6 4.Qxa7+ Kc6 5.b8Q Kd7+ saves. Pawn b7 must reserve its
queening potential.
1...Qxg2 Now Qe6 could be met by 2.b8Q and mate soon.
2.b8N+ Kb6 3.Nd7+ Not 3.e8Q c5+ That square must first be blocked.
3...Ka6 4.Nc5+ Kb6 5.e8Q Qg8 And now White must unpin his queen.
6.Nd7+ Ka6 7.Nb8+ Kb6 8.Qe7 Threatening Qc5 mate.
8...Qd5 To threaten mate again, the knight must go back to c5.
9.Nd7+ Ka6 10.Nc5+ Kb6 Or 10...Qxc5 11.Qxc5 Nc8 12.Qxc6+ Nb6+ 13.Kb8 and 14.Qb7 mate
11.Qf8 Qg8 Once more, the knight must unpin the queen:
12.Nd7+ Ka6 13.Nb8+ Kb6 And finally,
14.Qc5 mate.
Second Prize: Ruzvelt Martsvalashvili (Georgia)
It is easy to point out the faults in this problem. The key threatens
two mates in one; pieces disappear without having played or are just
being wood; Black is a bystander - but these objections melt away
before the hilarious prank that is being played here, and that deserves
to be seen as a theme in the spirit of Sam Loyd: the Least Likely Move
to Mate.
But the play is attractive, too: the Zwickmühle
of which the front piece sacrifices itself; the three diagonal steps of
the black pawns; the cameo appearance of the star, pawn a2, in a side variation.
Mate in 12
1.Ne6 Threatening Nd4 and Re5 mate.
1...cxd3 1...Ra7 2.Re5+ Ka6 3.Bxc4+ b5 4.Nc5+ Kb6 5.Nd7+ Ka6 6.Bxb5 mate
and 1...a3 2.Nd4+ Ka4 3.b3+ Bxb3 4.axb3+ cxb3 5.Bb5 mate are quicker.
Now White creates a battery
2.Re5+ Kc4 3.Re4+ Kb5 which first eliminates a defender:
4.Nd4+ Kc4 5.Nxc2+ Kb5 and then brings the knight into position:
6.Nd4+ Kc4 7.Ne2+ Kb5 when everything is ready for the final act:
8.Re5+ Kc4 9.b3+ axb3 10.Re4+ Kb5 11.Nc3+ bxc3 And now the move Loyd would have been proud of:
12.a4 mate.
Third Prize: Gerard Bouma (Netherlands)
The difference with the first two prizes could hardly have been
greater. There, circus artists were at work while here, solemn
scholars created a modest but captivating miniature.
The black rook is bound to the fifth rank
to stop one mate, but also needs guards on the third and fourth
ranks against another mate. White's key move provides for a future
waiting move which robs this rook of a crucial guard, either because
it must leave the protection of the guarding pieces, or these
pieces must stop their guarding.
Mate in 9
1.Rb7! Why 1.Rb8 doesn't work will be clear soon.
1...Rc5 2.Rbg7 Now White has, beside the threat behind the black king,
two threats in front of it: 3.R7g3 and Rh3 mate which Black must be
able to meet on the third rank, and 3.R2g4+ Kh5 4.Rg3 Rc2+ 5.Kh3 Rb6
6.R7g4 which Black must be able to meet with Kh6, or a defence over
the fourth rank.
2...Rb5! The only other file with a defence square
on the third rank. Knight moves or other rook moves are met by
3. R7g3 and mate soon. After 2...a3 (unguarding b3) 3.Rg8! Black must give up his
third rank defence, e.g. 3...Rb5 4.R8g3 etc. The text move enables
Black to meet 3.R7g3 by Rb3!
3.Rg8! Had White played 1.Rb8, he would now have lacked space for a
waiting move; 3.R8g7 Rc5 4.R2g4+ Kh5 5.Rg3 Kh6! and no mate.
Now Black must give up the b-file with its two defence squares.
3...Rc5 Or again 3...a3 (unguarding b3) 4.R8g3 Rb3 5.Rxb3 Nc3 6.Rxc3
and 7.mate, or 3...Nc1 (unguarding b4) 4.R2g4+ Kh5 5.Rg3 Rb2+
6.Kh3 Rb6 7.R8g4 Rb4 8.Rxb4 and 9.mate. But now, b4 is also
unguarded, so:
4.R2g4+ Kh5 5.Rg3 Rc2+ 6.Kh3 Rc6 7.R8g4 Rc4
8.Rxc4! and 9.Rh4 mate.
This problem can also be seen as an illustration of the Roman theme.
2...Rb5 is an anti-Roman; Black doesn't want his rook to defend
from an unguarded square. White's 3.Rg8 is a Roman, leaving Black
with a good defence, but from a bad place.
First Honourable Mention: Baldur Kozdon (Germany)
In two variations, pawn moves decoy two black bishops, a file is
surprisingly opened, and a rook sacrifices itself decisively on the
back rank. These sacrifices, the two defences by the black knight
and the two interferences by pawn f2 make for a harmonious whole.
If soundness hadn't called for such a crowd in the south-west
corner, this problem would have been ranked higher.
Mate in 9
Immediately 1.Rh3, with short threats on h5 and g7, is defended both
by 1...Nf4 2.Bxf4 Be2 3.f3 Bxf3 4.?? and 1...Ng3 2.fxg3 Be2 3.g4 Bxg4
4.?? White must first decoy the Bd4.
1.Ke7! Threatening Rf8 mate.
1...Bxc5+ 2.d6 and now two variations in which the other bishop is also decoyed:
a) 2...Nf4 3.Rxf4 Bxd6+ 4.Kf7 Be5 5.Rh4! Be2 6.f3! Bxf3
and suddenly the b-file cannot be defended: 7.Rb4 Qa3 8.Rb8+ Bxb8
9.Bg7 mate
b) 2...Bxd6+ 3.Kf7 Be5 4.Rh3! Ng3 5.fxg3 Be2 6.g4! Bxg4
and now the d-file is undefendable: 7.Rd3 Bf6 8.Rd8+ Bxd8 9.Bg7 mate
Second Honourable Mention: Wenelin Alaikow (Bulgaria)
After a preliminary shut-off by a rook, a knight replaces it as
the front piece of a battery, and catapults itself to the mating
square in four Rössel variations. That had been shown before, but
the rook doing its cutting-off on a4, b4 and c4 in turn, is
a brilliant feature. The key, which opens the first battery but
also provokes two checks, is nice too.
Third Honourable Mention: Viktor Melnichenko & Nikolai Rezvov (Ukraine)
An original and puzzle-like problem with a hidden Indian manoeuvre as its
main theme. White must do three things at once: stop the pinning by his Re2,
prevent the unpinned piece from checking, and tame a pawn. Three black pawn
moves each call for a different unpinning device: the rook hides on the
pinning rank, leaves it, or is captured.
Mate in 4
Without Re2, 1.Kg2 would be mate in 3; 1...g3 2.fxg3! and Rc1 (Qb1) mate,
or 1...gxh3+ 2.Kxh3 etc. But 1.Re4? is refuted by g3! (threatening
gxf2+ followed by a check at e4) and after 1.h4 g3! White cannot get
rid of his rook quickly enough.
1.f3! Opens the line for the Indian. Each of Black's three pawn moves is now
met by a different unpin:
a) 1...g3 With a critical move, White now hides his rook: 2.Rh2! g2
(2...gxh2+ 3.Kh1! etc.) 3.Kxg2 N- 4.Rc1 mate (3...Nxb3 4.Qb1 mate)
b) 1...gxf3 2.Kf2! Not 2.Rh2? because of f2+ 3.Kxf2 Ne4+
2...fxe2 3.Kg2 and 4.mate
c) 1...gxh3 2.Kh1! h2 and the knight has no check, so:
3.Re4 and 4.mate
First Commended: Fedor Davidenko (Russia)
Behind a well-known pawn phalanx, two mating squares loom, both
still defended. After the beautiful key, which interferes with two
lines of attack, the phalanx is torn down and in two variations,
separated by dual-avoidance, the mating squares can be used after all.
Old elements, elegantly combined. Compare the 4th Commended.
Mate in 5
1.Rxd5+? Qxd5 2.Bxe5+ Qxe5 3.Qc4+ Bxc4!
1.Bxe5+? Qxe5 2.Rxd5+ Qxd5 3.Qe3+ Bxe3!
1.Nd6! threatening Nxe4 and mate, and now:
a) 1...Bh3 weakens c4 2.Nf5+! Not Nb5+ because after axb5,
c4 is guarded again. 2...Nxf5 3.Rxd5+ Qxd5 4.Bxe5+ Qxe5 5.Qc4 mate
b) 1...Be3 weakens e3 2.Nb5+! Not Nf5+ because after Nxf5,
e3 is guarded again. 2...Bxb5 3.Bxe5+ Qxe5 4.Rxd5+ Qxd5 5.Qxe3 mate
Side variations:
1...Qh7+ 2.Kb6 Qc7+ (Qa7+ 3.Bxa7 Bg2 4.Qf5 Nxf5 5.Nxf5 mate)
3.Bxc7 Bg2 4.Nf5+ Nxf5 5.Qxe5 mate
1...Rg1 2.Ndxe4 Rg7+ 3.Ka8 Ra7+ 4.Kxa7 and 5.mate
1...Kxc5 2.Nxe4+ Kb5+ 3.Nxf2 and 4.mate
Second Commended: Sven Trommler & Dieter Müller (Germany)
Mate in 5
A little gem. In two variations, White annihilates a pawn, and
after a switchback, mates with an unblocked pawn. A little blemish
is that one mate is delivered by the pawn itself, and the other
by its discovered check.
1.Bg2 (threatening e4 folowed by Bh3 mate) and now two variations:
a) 1...Na6 2.Nf4+ Ke5 3.Nxd3+ Ke6 4.Nf4+ Ke5 5.d4 mate
b) 1...Bb7 2.Nf8+ Ke5 3.Nxd7+ Ke6 4.Nf8+ Ke5 5.d7 mate
Third Commended: A.N. Pankratiev (Russia)
Multiple Plachuttas are old hat, but this attractive combination
with a junction-point was new to the jury. In two variations,
one piece is decoyed to this junction-point; another is lured
away from it by its Plachutta duties, and mate on the junction-point follows.
Mate in 4
1.Bf6 threatening e4+ and mate. As Black would lose control
over d6 or c4 otherwise, he must capture this pawn. The thematical variations are:
a) 1...Rxe3 2.Nf4+ Bxf4 (Qxf4 3.Nxe3+ Qxe3 4.Rxd6 mate)
3.Rxd6+ Bxd6 4.Nxe3 mate
b) 1...Bxe3 2.Nec3+ Raxc3 (Rcxc3 3.Nxe3+ Rxe3 4.Bc4 mate)
3.Bc4+ Rxc4 4.Nxe3 mate
Striking similarity to Davidenko's First Commended. Here too, White aims
two line pieces at a pawn-phalanx, which is still defended. The key move,
which interferes both attacking pieces, forces a black Grimshaw between
the defenders and enables White, with dual-avoidance, to carry out his
original plan. It is a pity that one of the initial attacks is guarded
doubly (after 1.Bxd4+, both Kxd4 and Rxd4 refute) and that the relevant
dual avoidance is also doubly motivated.
Mate in 4
1.Qxc4+ Kxc4 2.Rxc6 mate is refuted by 1...Bxc4, and 1.Bxd4+ Kxd4
2.Qf2 mate by 1...Rxd4 and the impossibility of 1...Kxd4 2.Qf2 mate.
1.Nd2 threatening 2.Nxc4 and 2.Bxd4+ is defended by c3! but
1.Nc3! works. The threat is Qxf5+ followed by Nd7 mate, and the main variations are:
a) 1...Rd3 Weakening c4 2.Nce4+! and not Na4+, because
after Rxa4, c4 is guarded again. 2...fxe4 3.Qxc4+ Kxc4 4.Rxc6 mate
b) 1...Bd3 Weakening d4 2.Na4+! and not Nce4+ because
after Bxe4, c4 is guarded again - and after fxe4 there would be no mate 2...Rxa4
3.Bxd4+ Kxd4 4.Qf2 mate
Side variations:
1...cxb3 2.Qxb3 and mate in time
1...d3 2.Nce4+ fxe4 3.Qxc4+ etc.
1...dxc3 2.Qxc3 Rb7(a4) 3.Qe3+ and 4.Qxd4 mate
Fifth Commended: S. Zakharov (Russia)
A somewhat bizarre problem with witty elements and serious faults.
After the spectacular key, Black is essentially defenseless, but
if he robs White of the most obvious mate, this calls for a nice
square-vacating queen-sacrifice.
Mate in 7
1.Rf2! After 1.Qf8 Kg6 Black escapes, and other attempts are also too slow.
Now 2.Qf8 is a threat, but also 2.Qg8+ Kxg8 3.b8Q+ Kh7 4.Qf8 etc.,
and other queen moves, followed by b8Q and the doubling of the queens.
1...gxf2 1...Nc4 2.Rxf7+ Kh6 3.Qf8+ Kh5 4.Rh7+ Kg5 5.Rg7+ Kh6 6.Qf4+ Kh5 7.Qg5 mate
2.g4 Again threatening Qf8, Qg8+, but also Qc/e8
2...Nc4 or 2...f1Q 3.Qf8 Qf6 (3...Qa1 4.b8Q) 4.Bxf6 exf6 5.b8Q Kg6 6.Qg8+ Kh6 7.Qbf8 mate.
After the text move White must hurry, but not too much:
3.Qf8? Nb6+ 4.Kb8 Nd7+
3.Qg8+! Vacating b7
3...Kxg8 4.b8Q+ Kh7 5.Qf8 Nb6+ 6.Kb7 Kg6 7.Qg7 mate
Special Commended: Chris Handloser (Switzerland)
Mate in 5
If it is true that we had to wait until 2003 for these two ancient
ideas (Loveday's Indian from 1845 and Loyd's double square vacation
by castling from 1877) to be combined, then this problem, however
bulky, is worth a mention.
something brilliant into something neat. And there was this one problem we both
put aside in the first round, but which, as we discovered later, was a slightly
better version of a problem that had won that same author a First Prize 25 years
ago. Skill improves, fashions change. (But the very first strategic problem
idea, Loveday's Indian theme from 1845, occurs in two problems in this award.)
