VARIANTIM Bulletin of The Israel Chess Composition Society P.O. Box 637 Petach-Tikva 49106 Israel www.variantim.org No. 75 - August 2018 Editor Paz Einat, 45a Moshe Levi St., Nes Ziona 74207 [email protected] Original problems Regular: Evgeny Bourd, Haazmaut 55/15, Ashdod 77452 [email protected] Fairy: Michael Grushko, P.O.Box 363, Kiryat Beyalik 27019 [email protected] Studies: Ofer Comay, 213 Bney Efrayim St., Tel Aviv 69984 [email protected] In this issue: All of the above - Costeff 2 Originals 14-16 Aloni MT Studies Award – Comay 3-7 Selected Problems - Bourd 17-18 Half-pin reciprocal changes - Einat 8-11 5th Israel Open Solving Champ. - Einat 19-22 Israeli Successes Abroad - Navon 12-13 Editorial 23 אליפות ישראל הפתוחה בפתרון בעיות שחמט 2018 בריגה, לטביה. משמאל: המארגנת המקומית יוליה ויסוצקה, שגרירת ישראל בלטביה לירון בר-שדה שתמכה באירוע, דניאלה ודומיניקה ויסוצקה, הבנות והעוזרות של יוליה. 5th Israel Open Chess Problem Solving Championship 2018 in Riga, Latvia. Left: Julia Vysotska, the local controller, The Israeli Ambassador to Latvia, Liron Bar-Sadeh, who sponsored the event, and Daniela & Dominika Vysotska, Julia’s daughters and helpers. All of the above – Gady Costeff . Gady Costeff (original) qd'd'i'H qd'd'i'H qd'd'i'H 'd'd'd'H Hpdndp$R Hpdndp$R Hpdndp$R dkd'd'd' 'dp0pdpd 'dp0pdpd 'dp0pdpd 'dp0pdpd dPd')'4B dPd')'d' dPd')'d' dPd')'d' pd'd')'4 pd'd')'d pd'd')'d pd'd')'d !'d'd'd' !'d'd'd' d'd'd'd' d'd'd'd' 'GP)'dP) 'GP)rd'4 'I'd'd'd 'I'd'd'd d'hbd'gK d'hKd'd' d'd'd'd' d'd'd'd' Win'd'd'd' btm 15+15 6..'d'd'd'Rxd2+ 7.Kxc1 10..'d'd'd'Qxa7 11.Rxf7+ 17.bxc6+'d'd'd'd Kxc6 1..Rxh2+ 2.Kg1 d Rxc2+ 8.Kb1 Rxb2+ d Ke8 12.Re7+ Kd8 d 18.d'd'd'dSxg6 dxe5 19.fxe5 Rd'd'd'dgxg2+ 3.Kf1 Be2+ 9.'d'd'd'Qxb2 Rxb2+ 13.d'd'd'dRxd7+ Kc8 Kd5 ' 4.Bxe2 Rf2+ 5.K e1' 10.Kxb2 d 14.Rc7+ Kb8 ' 'd'd'd' R'd'd'd'xe2+ 6.Kd1 d'd'd'd 15.'d'd'd'Rxb7+ Qxb7 d d ' 16.Rxb7+ Kxb7 d d'd'd'd d'd'd'd 'd'd'd' d'd'd'd ' 'd'd'd'd ' 'd'd'd'd d 'd'd'd'd ' 'd'd'd'd'd'd'd' d'd'd'd''d'd'd' d'd'd'd'd'd'd'd d'd'd'd''d'd'd' d'd'd'd' d 'd'dpdNd d 'd'dpdkd ' 'd'Ipd'd d 'd'dKd'dd'd'd'd d'dk)'d'd'd'd'd dKd')'d''d'd'd' d'd')kd'd'dcd'd d'd')'d' ' pd'd'd'd ' 'd'd'd'd d 'd'd'd'd ' 'd'dkd'd'd'd'd' d'd'd'd' d'd'd'd' d'd'd'd' d'd'd'd' d 'I'd'd'd'd'd'd' 'd'd'd'dd'd'd'd 'd'd'd'd 'd'd'd'd d'd'd'd' d d'd'd'd' ' d'd'd'd' d'd'd'd'd'dcd'd d'dcd'd 'd'd'd' ' 20.'d'd'd'dKa3 Ke4 21.Kxa4 23.'d'd'd'Kc6!! Kg5! Reciprocal'd'd'd' zugzwang. 'd'd'd'd Kd'd'd'df5 22.Kb5 Kxg6 ' 24.Kd7! Kf5 25.K d6!d 25..Ke4 26.Kxe6 d d'd'd'd d'dcd'd ' d'd'd'd d'd'd'd ' ' 26'd'd'd' captures, followed by a known reciprocal ' zugzwang. ' 'd'd'd' d 'd'd'd' 'd'd'd' d Thed'd'd'd first thing to notice is the contrast between d the “ugly” 26-capture d firstd'd'd'd phase and the ' d'd'd'd d'd'd'd ' “beautiful”'d'd'd' 4-piece classic finale. Having the reader experience this dissonance'd'd'd' between the profane and the sublime was the main 'idea of this study. ' d 'd'd'd' 'd'd'd' d d'd'd'd d d d'd'd'd Secondly, engineering ' 26 d'd'd'daccurate captures requiresd'd'd'd a mechanism as difficult as that of any ' complex'd'd'd' study or extreme task. Consequently, ' there is a second ' dissonance,'d'd'd' this time between the brutal d26 captures,'d'd'd' and the constructional'd'd'd' artistry required to produce them. d d'dcd'd d d d'dcd'd The third dissonance ' is thatd'dcd'd this is a “classic” study.d'dcd'd It uses only the necessary material to' show the idea. Since every piece is thematic, ' removing any of the ' 30 units would reduce the artistic impact, whether that impact is attraction or disgust. I used humor to examine the artistic effects of dissonance, pattern and its elements, and the meaning of classic, but who cares? More readers would just consider the study a farce. Even more popular may be “crap”. At the risk of more dissonance, perhaps “all of the above” fits best. 2 Hillel Aloni Memorial Tourney Israel Ring Tourney Studies 2017 Judge: Ofer Comay When the tourney was announced, it was supposed to be Hillel’s 80 Jubilee tourney, but sadly it became Hillel’s memorial tourney during 2017.Hillel was my mentor to the area of studies, almost 50 years ago (!!). About this tourney, my original plan was to make the difficult task of judging, and then consult with him and receive his final touch about the award. This did not happen. I received 25 studies, and the level of the tournament was high. This award reflects my taste and it is not supposed to define which study is better by any objective criteria. By the way, the last three studies in the award are masterpieces, so I suggest reading to the end… 1st Prize: Var. 2928 Steffen Nielsen & Martin Minski Steffen Nielsen A brilliant combination, in the spirit of the famous Adams-Torre game, of Martin Minski mate threats on the 8th row. The sequence starts with 2…Qxc5!! 3.Ra5!!! 1st Prize and continues with several sacrifices by both sides. The combination is more H. Aloni MT 2017 “balanced” then the original Adams-Torre game – here both sides make rd'd'd'i sacrifices on almost every move. 1'0'd'0' 1.Qf5 1.h6? Nc4 2.hxg7+ Kxg7 3.Rh7+ Kg8 4.Qf5 Qa1+ 5.Rb1 Qxb1+ 'd'd'dPd hR)'d'dP 6.Qxb1 d3 1...Nc4 1...Nc6 2.h6 ( 2.Rf4 Ne7) 2...Qa1+ 3.Rb1 Qxb1+ 'd'0'd'$ 4.Qxb1 Ra1 5.hxg7+ Kxg7 6.Rh7+ Kg8 7.Qxa1 Bxa1 8.Rxc7 wins; d'g'dP0' 1...Nb3 2.Rxb3 Qxc5 3.Qe4 Qd5 4.Rb1 wins 2.Rf4 2.h6? 2...Qa1+ 3.Rb1 'd'd'dPd Qxb1+ 4.Qxb1 Ra1 5.hxg7+ Kxg7 6.Rh7+ Kg8 7.Qxa1 Bxa1 8.Rxc7 d3 dQd'd'dK =; 2.Rb1? 2...Qa2 ( 2...Ne3) 3.h6 Qxg2+; 2...Qxc5!! 3.Ra5!! 3.Rxc5? Win 9+9 Ra1+; 3.Qxc5? Ra1+; 3...Re8 3...Bxa5 4.Qxc5; 3...Nxa5 4.Qxc5; 3...Qxa5 4.Qf8+; 3...Rxa5 4.Qf8+ ( 4.Qc8+); 4.Qe4! 4.Re4? Rb8 ( 4...Qf8); 4.Rxc5? Re1#; 4.Qxc5? Re1#; 4...Qc6! 4...Rxe4 5.Ra8+ 5.Qe7! 5.Raf5? Gady Costeff Bb4 6.Rf8+ Bxf8 7.Rxf8+ Rxf8 8.Qxc6 Rb8 9.Qe4 Nd2; 5.Qxc6? Re1#; 2nd Prize 5.Rf8+? Rxf8 6.Qxc6 Nxa5 ( 6...Bxa5); 5...Bb4 5...Rxe7 6.Rf8#; 5...Rg8 H. Aloni MT 2017 6.h6 ( 6.Rf8); 5...Kg8 6.Qf7+ ( 6.Raf5) 6.Qxb4 Qd6 6...Nd6 7.Ra1 7.Re4 'dbd'd'1 Qxb4 8.Rxe8+ wins d'dPd'd' nd 'dP)'d'd 2 Prize: Var. 71p.5 Gady Costeff d'd'd'd' The black queen has two choices, and in each choice white succeeds to build 'i'd'd'd the well-known fortress on a different corner. A fantastic accomplishment! d'd'd'd' A. 1...Qxa1+ 2.Kf2 Qa7+ 3.Kg2 Bxd7 4.cxd7 Qb7+ 5.Kg1! a subtle 'd'dNd'd retreat 5...Qxd7 6.Sg3! Qxd6 7.Se4! The Karstedt fortress on the G'd'I'dB kingside. Draw. Draw 7+3 B. 1...Qxh1+ 2.Kd2 Qh6+ 3.Kc2 Bxd7 4.cxd7 Qg6+ 5.Kc1! a subtle retreat 5...Qxd6 6.Sd4! Qxd7 7.Kb1! The Karstedt fortress on the Pavel Arestov queenside. Draw. 3-5th Prize th H. Aloni MT 2017 3-5 Prize: Var. 3022 Pavel Arestov 'd'dkd'd The study starts with an interesting knight sacrifice, continues with a tricky d')'d'd' move (f4!) and ended with a queen sacrifice and stalemate. 'd'd'd'd 1...Qd3+ 2.Ke1 Ng2+! 3.Qxg2 Qd2+ 4.Kf1 e2+ 5.Kg1 e1=Q+ d'd'd'd' 6.Rxe1+ Qxe1+ 7.Kh2 Qe5+ 8.f4! 8.Kh3 Qh5+ 9.Kg3 Qg5+ 10.Kh3 'dqd'd'h Qxg2+ 11.Kxg2 Kd7 8...Qxf4+ 9.Kh3 Qf5+ 10.Kh4 a1=Q 11.c8=Q+! d'd'0'!' Qxc8 12.Qg8+ Kd7 13.Qd5+ Kc7 14.Qe5+! Qxe5 stalemate. pd'd')'d $'dKd'd' Draw B 5+5 3 3-5th Prize: Var.