By J. Vandiest That a Composer Often Comes up with A
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No. 64 (Vol. IV) April, 1981 LET BYGONES NEVER BE BYGONES! by J. Vandiest more, then, I felt less ashamed of my That a composer often comes up with personal sins when casually 'revisi- a setting he later most firmly ting' a much admired study of the disapproves of (usually after the Dutch composer A. Wijnans: darned thing has been printed already VI. A. Wijnans and is circulating 'successfully'), is an Tijdschrift van de KNSB, 1938 experience so common to all the endgame slaves involved that it makes any comment superfluous. Even the finest masters (Troitzky, Kubbel, Red, Liburkin) have seen more than one of their babies 'replaced' by more satisfying crea- tures. When not 'cooked' in an often surprisingly simple way, the original ones were prone, so it appears, to all Win kinds of improvements the composer, VI it is felt, should have noticed from 1. Sd5+ Ke4 2. Qe2+ Kd4 3. Qe3 + the start. Kc4 4. Qc3+ Kb5 5. Qb3+ Kc5 6. The late Andre Cheron p.e. had Qb6+ Kc4 7. Qb4+ Kd3 8. Qc3 + developed a most merciless eye for Ke2 9. Qc2+ Kel 10. Sf4 Qh7+ 11. the thematical impurities and the Kg3, followed by 12. Qcl mate. architectural shortcomings of many a So it says, not only in the 'Tijd- work by the 'big guys', and even the schrift' itself, but also in Rueb's superbly skilled Rinck several times 'Bronnen van de schaakstudie' (vol. fell prey to unholy endeavour coming IV, p. 55). in from Switzerland. And so it is, by all means. But alas (Irritating as the fact remains, it (or should I rejoice wickedly?), should be noticed that Cheron was further analysis brings two facts into very seldom 'cooked' or improved the open: 1) that exactly the same upon himself. In contrast to this, I kind of winning manoeuvre can would hate summing up the times I materialize out of a position bereft of was). two black pawns - mere duds, and So it comes as a relief to the 2) that this 'expurgated' setting composer bent under acquired pro- makes for a richer kind of finale, fessional guilt to see that flaws of the obviously not thought of by the most varied nature keep cropping up composer. Hoping, then, not to from the most 'watertight' quarters, shock my sins in function by i.e. from studies having enjoyed an committing a new one, the purist in enviable reputation of solidity and me would settle for this Wijnans 'new craftsmanship over many years. Once look': 405 (after A. Wijnans) advocate a white win if some minor adjustments are made 'out of town': J. Vandiest (after Th.C.L. Kok) Win 3 + 3 V2 1. Sd5 + /i Ke5/ii 2. Qg7+ Ke4 3. Qg4+ Ke5 4. Qf4+ Ke6 5. Qf6 + Win Kd7 6. Qf7 + /iii Kd6 7. Qc7 + Ke6 8. Qe7 + Kf5 9. Qf6 + Kg4 10. V3 Qg6 + Kh4/iv 11. Se3 Qb5 + /v 12. 1. e6 d5 2. Be2/i b2 3. Bd3 blQ/ii 4. Kf2 Qg5/vi 13. Qh7+ Qh5 14. Qe4 + Bxbl d4 5. h3/iii b5 6. Kb7 b4 7. Kc6 Kg5 15. Qf5 + Kh4/vii 16. Sg2 mate. b3 8. Kd5 d3 9. Kc4/iv b2 10. Kxd3 i) 1. Qg4 + ? Ke5 2. Sd7 + Kd6 = Kg6 11. Ke3+ Kg7 12. d3 Kg6 13. ii) 1. ...,Kg2. Qg7 + , text. d4 + Kg7 14. Kd3 Kg6 15. Kc3 + Kg7 iii) 6. Qe7 + ? Kc6 7. Qc7 + Kb5 8. 16. Kc2 Kg6 17. Kxb2 + Kg7 18. Kc2 Qb6 + Ka4 9. Qa7 + Kb5 10. Qxb7 + Kg6 19. Kc3 + Kg7 20. Kd3 Kg6 21. Kc4 11. Qc6+ Kd4 = , or 11. Se3 + Ke3+ Kg7 22. Ke4 Kg6 23. Kd5 + Kc3 =. Kg7 24. g4 hxg4 25. hxg4 h5 26. g5 iv) 10. ..., Kh3 11. Sf4 + Kh4 12. h6 27. g6 Qh7 28. gxh7 Rh8 29. Kc6 Qh5+ Kg3 13. Qg5 + mates. Rxh7 30. Bxh7 Kxh7 31. Kd7 Kg7/v v)ll. ...,Qb2 + 12. Kf3. 32. d5/vi Kh7 33. Bxe7/vii Bxe7 34. vi)12. ...,Qb2 + 12. Kf3. Kxe7 h4 35. Kf7 h3 36. e7 h2 37. e8Q vii) 15. ...,Kh6 16. Sg4 + wins. hlQ 38. Qg8 mate. i) 2. Bxd5? b2 3. Ba2 blQ 4. Bxbl b5 5. Kb7 b4 6. Kc6 b3 7. Kd5 b2 8. d3 Wijnans' study was highly praised Kg6 9. d4 + Kg7 =, W not having when reprinted in other chess maga- been able to play h2-h3;. 2. Bdl? d4 zines ('Deutsche Schachzeitung', 3. Bxb3 d3 4. Bc4 b5 5. Bxb5 Kg6 6. 'L'ltalia Scacchistica'), but there is Bxd3+ Kg7 =. Bl now is steering an endgame by another Dutch com- towards stalemate by getting rid of poser, Th.C.L. Kok, which contri- his Ps. buted very much indeed to make its ii)Or3. ...,d4 4. h3. author a celebrity. Every composer, iii) Preparing for a most gratifying nowadays, is familiar with that dazz- Excelsior. Not 5. Kxb7? d3. ling position securing a white draw iv) 9. Bxd3? b2 10. Ke4 Kg6 11. against an overwhelming black majo- Ke3+ Kg7 = . rity, the pieces of which, though, are v) 31. ..., Bg7 32. d5 Bf8 33. Bxe7, so ludicrously jammed that the initial etc.;. 31. ..., Kg8 (g6, h8) loses a position can best be described as an tempo (e8Q with check). orgy of selfblocks. But what nobody vi) 32. Bxe7? Bxe7 33. Kxe7 h4 34. seems to have noticed, is that this Kd7 h3 35. e7 h2 36. e8Q hlQ =. kind of setting, exploiting precisely vii) Achieving at last 'material equa- the same black helplessness, can lity'. 406 After this romantic outburst a la i) 1. e8Q? clQ 2. Qe4 + Kgl =, or Kok, back to scrambled eggs. A 2. Qh5+ Kg2 3. Qg4+ Kf2 =, bQ miniature of mine, first issued in preventing Bc5 +. 'Volksgazet' (1950), managed to find ii) 2. ..., blQ 3. Qe4+ Kh2 4. Bf4 + its way to the 'Bulletin Ouvrier des Kgl (4. ..., Kh3 5. Qf3 + mates) 5. Echecs' and to 'Schweitzer Arbeiter Be3+ Kh2 6. Qh4 + Kg2 7. Qg4 + Schach', its position being: wKa4, Kfl 8. Qf3+ Kel 9. Qf2 + Kdl 10. Ba7, e7/bKh2, b3, c2. The solution Qd2 mate. ran: 1. Be3 b2 2. e8Q clQ 3. Qh5 + iii) 3. Qh5 + ? Kg2 4. Qg4 + Kf2 =, Kg2 4. Qg4+, without anybody (and or 4. Qe2 + Kg3 =. In diagram, wB least of all the composer!) ever was on f8, and not on h4 (other having criticized BPs third move. It possibility), to allow for the try 1. was not until last Easter that this e8Q?clQ2. Qh5 + . ancient egg of mine suddenly forced iv) 5. ..., Kfl 6. Bxcl bxclQ 7. itself upon my attention as being not Qhl + . merely 'cooked', but thoroughly v) 7. ..., Kh2 8. Bf4+ Khl 9. Qh3 + crushed. For after 3. ..., Kg3 4. Kgl 10. Be3 + . Qg5+ Kh3! 5. Qf5 + Kg3 6. Qf4 + vi) 8. Qf4 + ? Kg2 9. Bxcl blQ 10. Kh3! 7. Bxcl blQ, the win is gone, f5 Qg4+ Kf2 =;. 8. Qh3 + ? Ke2 9. not being available to wQ! Bxcl bxclQ =; . 8. Qf3 + ? Kel 9. Now it is easy, of course, to place bK Qf2+ (9. Bxcl bxclQ =, or 9. Bf2 + on hi from the start, but that would Kd2 10. Qe3 + Kdl = ) Kdl 10. introduce the dual 3. Qh5+ Kg2 4. Qfl+ Kc2 11. Qf5 + Kdl 12. Qd3 + Qg4 + , etc., or 3. Qe4+ Kh2 4. Kel =. Qh4+ Kg2 5. Qg4 + . Having shifted around the pieces for a while, now watch me dismissing my So while prophets and philosophers soundest instincts by stating that the alike may be of a gloomy nature, and following setting is the correct one: even artists may indulge every now V4 and then in a fit of pessimism, (after himself) endgame composers have in com- mon with scientists that their outlook on things (and then especially their things!) has to be fundamentally optimistic, if they want any achieve- ment at all. For it seldom happens indeed that a study, sternly 'cooked' by somebody, proves itself hopelessly unfit for another and more gratifying dish: in most cases, swapping chefs takes care of the matter. And even if Win the 'corrected' setting exhibits some new flaws, chances are that in this V4 instance, anyhow, it will be seen that 1. Bh6/i b2 2. e8Q clQ/ii 3. two wrongs most definitely can make Qe4 + /iii Kh2 4. Bf4+ Kgl 5. Be3 + a right! Kh2/iv 6. Qh4+ Kg2 7. Qg4 + Kfl/v 8. Qgl+/vi Ke2 9. Bxcl blQ 10. Qg2+ Kel 11. Bd2 + Kdl 12. Qf 1 + Kc2 13. Qf5 + Kb2 14. Bc3 + Kcl 15. Qf4+ Kc2(dl) 16. Qd2 mate. 407 Now in 1980 (!), the French master JIGISSAW PUZZLE Francois Chevaldonnet made exactly by J. Vandiest the same discovery in one of the excellent papers he uses to devote to To the Soviet composer S. Jigis (or the endgame in 'Europe Echecs'. 'Zhigis' - what's in a phonetical Examining (and duly admiring) the transcription?), study enthusiasts owe idea of 'the Jigis' in No. 257 of that more than one fine achievement in review ('Un theme des finales: la the field of pawn endings. defense par le pat'), he writes Especially in 1930, a miniature of his, (translation mine): 'In our opinion, making use of this kind of material, though, this study loses some of its proved quite an eyecatcher, so it beauty when considering that 5. d4 seems, in '64': equally seems to secure the draw. For after 5. d4 Ke8 6. d5 Kf8 7. Kd7 Kf7, S. Jigis White is not in zugzwang'. (8. Kc6! '64', 1930 Ke8 9. Kc7). A most amiable understatement, one must admit! But lo!, 'bis repetita placent' - be it also, sometimes, in an unforeseen way.