VARIANTIM Bulletin of The Israel Chess Composition Society P.O. Box 637 Petach-Tikva 49106 Israel www.variantim.org No. 74 - April 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: Hoch 70JT Studies Award – Hoch 2-5 Israeli Successes Abroad - Navon 11-12 Black to move - Costeff 5-6 Originals 13-15 Quick Comp. Ty #2 - Einat 6 Nostalgia corner – Einat 16-20 IRT twomover 2017 - Mosiashvili 7 Annual Problemists meeting 2018 21 Pre-Ann Meeting Comp. Ty – Comay 8-9 14th ISC – Einat 22 Quick Comp. Ty H#2 – Bourd 9 Editorial 23 Corrections “Endgame Study Virtuosity” 10 Israel Solving Championship Finals Announcement 23 אטיוד הפרס הראשון של גדי קוסטף בתחרות היובל של יהודה הוך בסביבה אביבית Gady Costeff’s 1st Prize Etude, Hoch 70 Jubilee Tourney, in an Israeli spring environment Hoch 70JT – Israel Ring Tourney Studies 2016 Judge: Yehuda Hoch 29 studies, which appeared in the Israeli publication "Variantim" during 2016, were submitted to me by TD Ofer Comay in anonymous form. I chose my candidates to the award and these were duly scrutinized for soundness and originality by Gady Costeff. Being an inactive study composer for the last 20 years, I have to say that in the meantime there occurred significant changes in the field (in my humble opinion – not necessarily for the better), changes of which I was not fully aware. Admittedly, one cannot disregard the accelerating technological developments; in the modern era studies are, at least to a certain extent, computer-dependent. Even if the main line is pretty and bears artistic value, the supporting variations heavily lean on computer analysis, when a human brain frequently finds it hard to follow. This, I think, reduces the joy one may derive from studies. It is difficult to enjoy the proceedings of an artistic work in which, even if the main line or the thematic try are interesting in itself, you cannot fathom every nuance and must rely on a software to conclude that a certain move would lead to mate, 90 moves ahead. This being said, I do appreciate all composers who participated in the tourney, honoring my 70th birthday. They have demonstrated a lot of imagination and creativity and invested great effort to deliver their best. For this I am grateful. This judgment expresses my private taste; naturally there may be composers, solvers or aficionados of chess studies at large, who might express a different opinion. There are 12 works in this award, which are ranked as follows: 1st Prize Var. 2833: Gady Costeff White executes the Plachutta theme Gady Costeff by Zugzwang, and not in the usual manner by a piece sacrifice in the focal 1st Prize Hoch 70JT square. This theme appears sometimes in direct problems under the name IRT 2016 Wurzburg-Plachutta, but it is extremely rare in studies. This was done 'd'i'4'd before with two rooks (in an entirely different position) but not with two d'd'd'dR queens, as is shown here. The thematic try 3.Kxg5 enhances the study's 'd'dPdp0 value and demonstrates the full extent of the mutual Zugzwang position. dpdpdP)' 1.e7+ 1.Ke5 Re8 2.f6 f1=Q 3.Kd6 Kc8 4.e7+ Kb8 5.f7 Rxe7 6.Kxe7 'd'dpIBd g1=Q 1..Ke8 2.f6 2.Ke5 g1=Q 3.exf8=Q+ Kxf8 4.Kf6 Ke8 5.Rh8+ )'d'd')' Kd7 6.fxg6+ Kc7 7.Rh7+ Kb8 8.Rh8+ Kc7 2..hxg5+ 2..f1=Q+ 3.Ke5 Pd')P0pd Qa1+ 4.Ke6 +- 3.Ke5! Thematic try: 3.Kxg5 Rxf6 4.Kxf6 f1=Q+ d'd'd'd' 5.Ke6 Qa1 6.e3 g1=Q 7.Be2 Qgb1 8.g4 g5! and white is in zugzwang! Win 11+9 3..Rxf6 4.Kxf6 f1=Q+ 5.Ke6 Qa1 6.e3!! g1=Q 7.Be2 Qgb1 8.g4! black is in zugzwang and must allow the Wurzburg-Plachutta: a) 8..Qab2 9.Bxb5+! Qxb5 10.Rh8# b) 8..Qbb2 9.Rh8+! Qxh8 10.Bxb5# 2nd Prize Var. 2888: Vladislav Tarasiuk. The high placement of this Vladislav Tarasiuk piece is due, partly, to the fact that it is congruent with my personal taste. 2nd Prize Hoch 70JT This is a study in the style of yesteryear: it demonstrates an interesting IRT 2016 play and a final, in which black is forced, due to Zugzwang, to migrate 'd'd'd'd with his king to the h3 square, thus bringing his demise. The multi-purpose d'd'd'd' 3.c3, simultaneously opens the diagonal a4-d1, closes another diagonal '0'd'd'd a5-e1 and prepares the eventual 6.b4. gRd'd'd' 1.Rxb3 d3 1..f2 2.Bb5 2.Rxd3 f2 3.c3 f1=Q 4.Rd1 Qxd1 5.Bxd1 gxh3 Bd'0'dpd 6.b4 h2 7.Bf3 h1=Q 8.Bxh1 Kxh1 9.Kf2 9.Kf3 Kh2 10.Kf2 Kh3 dpd'dpIP 9.bxa5 bxa5 10.c4 a4 11.c5 a3 12.c6 a2 13.c7 a1=Q 9..Kh2 10.Kf3 Kh3 ')Pd'd'd 11.bxa5 bxa5 12.c4 a4 13.c5 a3 14.c6 a2 15.c7 a1=Q 16.c8=Q+ Kh4 d'd'd'i' 17.Qg4# 1-0 Win 6+7 2 3rd Prize Var. 2990: Daniel Keith. After we get rid of background noises of the analytical lines which prove soundness, we are left with the solution's main line – starting with 1.Rg4! and only later 2.Nf3+ (instead of the immediate 1.Nf3+). This creates a thematic try 2…f6 contrasting with the solution's 3…f5+. It should be pointed that the bishop's capture at the end of the solution is not original. 1.Rg4! 1.Rd5? Qe3 2.Nf3+ Kg3! (2..Kh3? 3.Rd4! +-) 3.Rg5+ Kh3 = 1.Rg8? Qe3! 2.Nf3+ (2.Rg2+ Kh3) 2..Kh3= Logical try 1.Rg2+? Qxg2 2.Nxg2 Kxg2 3.Kxh4 Bd7/Bb5/Ba4= Logical try 1.Nf3+!? Qxf3+ 2.Rxf3 f6+ 3.Rg6! Bxg6+ 4.Kxh4! Bb1!! (4..Kg2? 5.Rg3+ +-) (4..Be4? 5.Rf2+ Kg1 6.Kg3 f5 7.Rf4! +- zz) 5.Rf2+ Kg1 6.Kg3 f5 7.Rf3! (7.Rd2 f4+ 8.Kxf4 Bg6! 9.Kf3 Bh5+ 10.Kg3 Kf1=) (7.Rf4 Be4!= zz) 7..Bc2 8.Rc3 f4+ 9.Kxf4 Ba4!=) 1..Qe3! 2.Nf3+! 2.Rxh4+? Kg3! 3.Rg4+ Kh3 4.Rf3+ Qxf3 5.Nxf3 f5+/f6+ = 2.Rg2+? Kh3= 2..Qxf3 2..Kh3 3.Ng5+ +- 3.Rxf3 f5+ 4.Kxh4! Logical try: 4.Rg6? Bxg6+ 5.Kxh4! Be8! 6.Rf2+ Kg1 7.Kg3 Bd7! 8.Rf3! (8.Rd2 f4+ =) (8.Rf4 Be6=) 8..Bc8! 9.Rc3 f4+= 4..fxg4 5.Rf2+ Kg1 6.Kg3 Bg6 7.Rf8! Bh7 8.Rh8 Bg6 9.Rh6 1-0 1st HM Var. 2787: Siegfried Hornecker. Interest in this study lies in the series of moves between the 4th and 6th, which give us the same position with the important detail that it is now black's turn to move. 1.Kb2 Ne2 2.Re3 Re1 3.a4 Kf6! 4.Re8!! 4.g4? Kg5 5.a5 Kf4 6.Re8 (6.Re7?! Kf3 7.a6 Rd1 8.a7 Rd8 9.g5 Nf4 10.Rb7 Ra8 = ) 6..Kf3 7.a6 Rd1! 8.a7 Rd2+ 9.Ka3 Rd3+ 10.Kb4 Rd4+ 11.Ka5 Rd5+ 12.Kb6 Rd6+ 13.Kc7 Ra6 14.Kb7 Rxa7+ 15.Kxa7 Nf4 16.Rg8 ( 16.g5 Kg4 = )16..Ne6 17.Rg6 ( 17.g5!? Kf4 18.g6 Kf5 19.g7 Kf6 20.Re8 Nxg7 = )17..Nf4 18.Rg8 Ne6 19.Kb6 Kf4 20.Kc6 Ng5 21.Kd5 Kxg4 = 4..Kf7 5.Re5 Kf6 6.Re3! Kf7 7.g4! 7.a5? Rd1 8.Rxe2 Rd5 = 7..Kf6 8.a5 8.Re8? Kf7 9.Re5 Kf6 10.Re3 Kg5 11.a5 Kf4 = 8..Rc1 9.Rxe2 Rc5 10.Rf2+ Kg6 11.Rf5 +- 1-0 2nd HM Var. 2785: Richard Becker. A long and accurate maneuver including Zugzwang. There are many studies with similar piece-construction, executing different maneuvers, but no direct anticipation. 1.Be8! 1.Bc3? Qd8! = 1.Bf6? a2! (This defense is possible now because Bf6 blocks 2.Rf6+! ) 2.Re6+ Kb4 3.Re4+ Kb3 4.Be6+ (4.Re3+ Kc2 5.Bf5+? Qxf5 -+ ) 4..Kc2 5.Rc4+ Kb1 6.Kd1 Qh5+ = 1.Rf6+? Kb4 2.Rf4+ Kb3 3.Be6+ Kc2 4.Bf5+ Kb3 5.Rf3+ Ka2 6.Be6+ Kb1 7. Rf1+ Kc2 8.Bf5+ Kb3 9.Rf3+ Ka2 = 1..Qb4 2.Kf3! zz 2..Qa5 2..a2 3.Rc2+ +- 3.Re6+! 3.Rg6+? Kb4 4.Rg4+ Kb3 5.Bf7+ Kc2 6.Rg2+ Kd3 7.Bg6+ Kc4 8.Rg4+ Kb3 9.Bf7+ Kc2= 3..Kc4 4.Re4+ Kb3 4...Kd3 5.Rd4+ Kc2 6.Ba4+ +- 5.Bf7+ 5.Re3+? Kc2= 5..Kc2 6.Re2+ Kd3 6..Kd1 7.Bb3+ Kc1 8.Bh6+ +- 7.Bg6+ Kc4 8.Re4+ Kb3 9.Re3+! Ka2 10.Re2+ Kb3 11.Bf7+ 11.Bc2+? Ka2 12.Bg6+ ( Bf5+ ) 12...Kb3 13.Bf7+ etc., loss of time 11..Kb4 12.Re4+ Kc5 13.Re5+ 1-0 3rd HM Var. 2784: Pavel Arestov. A long maneuver culminating in a model stalemate. Otherwise, K+R+B+N will eventually prove its supremacy against K+R+N. 1.Bf4+ Kb1 2.Rc1+ Ka2 3.Bh2 g1=Q+ 4.Bxg1 Rxg1+ 5.Ke2 (5.Kd2 e3+ 6.Ke2 Ba6+ 7.Kf3 Rf1+ 8.Kg3 e2 9.Nc2 Kb3) 5..Ba6+ 6.Kd2 e3+ 7.Kc2 e2 7...Rg4 8.Nb3 Rg2+ 9.Kxd1 Bd3 10.Ra1+ Kxb3 11.Nc5+ Kb2 12.Nxd3+ Kxa1 13.Ne1= ( minor dual 13.Ne5) 13..Rd2+ 14.Kc1 Ka2 15.Nc2 8.Nc3+ Ka3 9.Nxe2 Bxe2 10.Kd2 10.Nb3 Bh5-+ 10..Rg2 11.Nc2+ Kb2 12.Ne3 12.Ne1 Rh2 -+ 12..Nxe3 13.Rc2+ Kb1 14.Rc1+ Kb2 15.Rc2+ Nxc2 1/2-1/2 Daniel Keith Siegfried Hornecker Richard Becker Pavel Arestov 3rd Prize Hoch 70JT 1st HM Hoch 70JT 2 HM Hoch 70JT 3 HM Hoch 70JT IRT 2016 IRT 2016 IRT 2016 IRT 2016 'd'dbd'd 'd'd'd'd 'd'd'd'd 'dRd'd'd d'd'dpd' d'd'd'd' d'dBd'G' dbG'd'd' 'd'd'$'d 'd'd'dkd 'dRd'd'd 'd'd'drd d'd'd'$K d'd'd'd' 1kd'd'd' d'd'd'd' 'd'd'd'0 'd'd'd'd 'd'd'd'd Nd'dpd'd d'd'd'dq )'h'dRd' 0'd'd'd' d'd'd'd' 'd'd'd'i Kd'd'dPd 'd'dKd'd 'd'd'dpd d'd'H'd' d'4'd'd' d'd'd'd' H'inI'd' Win 4+5 Win 4+3 Win 4+3 Draw 5+6 3 1st Com Var.