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The Problemist, January 2003 |
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Written by Michael McDowell
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The January Problemist featured a report of a lecture by former
editor John Ling on problems from the column he conducted in The
Observer from 1955 to 1967.
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Norman A. Macleod
3rd HM., The Observer, 1962
Mate in 2
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The give-and-take key 1.Sd2, threatening 2.Rd5, sacrifices the knight to
three pieces and allows the pawn to promote with check. The mate after
1...Kd3 is changed from the set 2.Rf4, and the four defences all lead to
mates from the battery:
1...Bxd2 2.Rb5;
1...exd2 2.Rf3;
1...e1Q+ 2.Rf1 and
1...e1S 2.Rc5.
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A number of awards were published; Two-movers for 1999 (Judge: David
Shire), Studies for 1996-97 (Judge: David Friedgood) and Kjell
Widlert's judgment in the tourney for ‘Helpmates Of The Future’.
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Leonid Topko
2nd Prize, The Problemist, 1996-1997
White to play and win
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Quoting from the award: “A ‘surprise mate’
study with perfect economy, good black counter play and an
unusual denouement which increases the surprise element; a
classical jewel! 1.Ba5+ (To win, White must increase his
material advantage) 1...Kc2 2.Bh7+ Kc1 3.Sd2! (With the
double threat of Sb3 mate and capturing on b1, while
3...Sxd2 results in instant mate) 3...Bg4+ 4.Ke1 (4.Ke3?
Sxd2 5.Bxd2+ Kd1 draws) 4...Bd1 5.Bxb1 Bc2 (Black can spin
things out a little with 5...Ba4 (b3)!? 6.Ke2 Bc2 7.Bb4 and
if the bishop now retreats to a4 then 8.Kd3 wins) 6.Ke2!
Bxb1 7.Sb3+ Kc2 8.Sd4+ Kc1 9.Bd2 mate. An interesting
feature is that there has been a replacement of S by B on
both sides!”
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Franz Pachl
1st Prize, Helpmates of the Future Ty., 2001-2003
Helpmate in 2: 2 solutions
(b) black queen d4
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(a) 1.fxe5 Rc5 2.exd4 Bc4; 1.Rxd5 Bf4 2.Rxd4 Re3;
(b) 1.Ke3 Bg6 2.Qf4 Bd4; 1.Kc4 Rb8 2.Qc5 Rd4.
The judge praised the harmony of the perfectly parallel play, both parts
featuring a diagonal-orthogonal echo. The problem is built around two
indirect batteries. In (a) one is opened by White and the other by Black,
with blocks on the abandoned flight d4, while in (b) the king move changes
one indirect battery into a direct one, and the remaining battery pieces
perform guard duties.
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John Beasley's In the Library article reviewed Troitzky's
classic Collection of Chess Studies from 1937.
Colin Russ contributed an article to the Supplement entitled
"What's in a name?", clarifying some of the mysteries of problem
terminology, while Mark Ridley presented the award in his 40th birthday
tourney for problems involving Marine pieces.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 November 2011 11:59 |
2003 