In the pages of the chess magazine “To Mat”, (15/04/1983, issue 11, p. 260), its editor Mr. Siaperas Triantafyllos published a proclamation for an “OPEN” Live Contest for Chess Problem Solving. This Live Contest was the first to be held in Greece, aiming to bring together solvers and composers and to broaden the circle of chess players who tackle problem solving. The conditions:
1. All friends of chess have the right to participate.
2. Date/Time : Sunday 29/05/1983, 10:00.
3. Place : Athens Hilton Hotel, Ambrosia room.
4. Problems to solve : Orthodox 1 two-mover, 2 three-movers, 1 four-mover.
5. Respective grades : 2, 3, 3, 4 for each correct solution.
6. Additional criterion is time : Faster solver wins.
7. Max duration : 3 hours.
In chess magazine “To Mat”, (06/1983, issue 14, p. 315), we read that this pioneering, for Greece, happening was successful because many composers offered their help, among others Siotis N., Zappas B., Martoudis A., Dampassis N. and Fougiaxis Harry.
Twenty solvers participated in the contest, some of them known strong players.
The problems of this solving contest were the following:
 | (Problem 129) White plays and mates in 2 moves #2 (12+10) |
| [8/3s4/1P1B4/1P1p4/1QBk1p1p/pP1P1RbR/P1K3p1/1s3bS1] | |
 | (Problem 130) White plays and mates in 3 moves #3 (3+3) |
| [8/8/6pb/7k/3P4/2Q4K/8/8] | |
 | (Problem 131) Walter Gleave 1st Prize, Cricket and Football Field, 1897 White plays and mates in 3 moves #3 (5+3) |
| [4Q3/8/5K2/3k4/3P4/3p3P/3p4/3S4] | |
 | (Problem 132) Erich Zepler 2nd Prize, Dresdener Anzeiger, 1926 White plays and mates in 4 moves #4 (4+7) |
| [8/K7/8/8/1p3B1k/2p2Brr/s3pQ2/8] | |
1. First winner was the chess master Dimitriadis Costas of club S. O. Patron, who had solved correctly all the problems in the outstanding time of 36 minutes!
2-3. Second and third place : The known chess masters Pountzas Chrysanthos of club S. O. Patron and Pantavos Manolis of club S. O. Peristeriou.
4. Fourth place : Hararis Dimitris of club Fysiolatrikos Patron.
5. Fifth place : Chess master Delithanassis D. of club S. O. Xanthis.
6. Sixth place : Manolas Emmanuel of club S. O. Patron.
Mr. Siaperas commented: The four persons who traveled from Patras to Athens specifically for the Live contest, took four of the first six places, (1 - 2 - 4 - 6).
(The referenced persons probably belong to other chess clubs today).
The solutions of the problems of this solving contest:
Problem 129 : Mate in 2
There are many ready mates, (that is for several moves of the black, the white answers with mate). Should we try a waiting move?
Try: {1.b7? Bh2!}
Or should we attack instantly, in order to achieve mate?
Tries: {1.Bxd5+ Kxd5!}, {1.Qc3+? Sxc3!}, {1.Qc5+? Sxc5!}, {1.Se2+? Bxe2!}.
The key may put the queen in a dangerous area, but the black is in zugzwang, that is, whichever the black defense is, the mate in the next move is inevitable.
Key: 1.Qe1!
1...Sc3 / Sd2 2.Qxc3# / Qa1#
1...Bxd3+ / Be2 2.Rxd3# / Sxe2#
1...Bxe1 / Bh2 2.Rxf4# / Qf2#
1...dxc4 2.Qe4#
1...Sd7~ 2.Q(x)e5#
(To symbol Q(x)e5 means that the queen goes to e5, possibly taking a piece there).
Problem 130 : Mate in 3
Here, the queen must come closer, but we must discover the way
Tries: {1.Qa5+? / Qc5+? / Qg3? g5!}, {1.Qf3+? Kg5!}.
Key: 1.Qe1! [2 Qh4#]
1...Bg5 2.Qe5 Kh6 3.Qh8#
(If 1...Kg5 / g5 2.Qe5# / Qe8# the mate occurs in only two moves. This is a weakness of the problem. Since it is a three-mover, we would prefer today all the variations to have three moves).
Problem 131 : Mate in 3
Tries: {1.Qa4? / Se3+? / Sb2? Kd6!}, {1.Qd7+? Kc4!}, {1.Qe6+? Kxd4!}.
Key: 1.Ke7!
If 1...Kc4 2.Qa4+ Kd5 3.Sc3#
If 1...Kxd4 2.Kd6 Kc4 3.Qa4#
If 1...Ke4 2.Qd7 Kf4 / Kf3 3.Qg4#
Problem 132 : Mate in 4
Tries: {1.Bc1? Sxc1!}, {1.Bd2? cxd2!}, {1.Bh6? Rh1!}, {1.Bg5+? Kxg5!}, {1.Bc7? / Be5? Kg5!}, {1.Qxg3+? Rxg3!}, {1.Qb6? / Qc5? / Qd4? / Qe3? Rg7+!}, {1.Ka6 b3! (and black will continue with 2...Sb4+)}
Key: 1.Kb6! [2.Qd4 [3.Qh8#]]
1...e1=Q 2.Qxe1 ~ 3.Qe7+ Rg5 4.Qxg5#
1...c2 2.Bd2
___2...Rh1 3.Qd4+ Kh3 4.Qh8#
___2...~ 3.Qd4+ Rg4 4.Qxg4#
1...Sc1 2.Bxc1 Rh2 3.Qxh2+ Rh3 4.Qf4#
1...b4 2.Qd4
___2...Rg6+ 3.Bd6+ Kg5 4.Qf4# (To achieve this mate, the white should bring the king on the row-6, in order to lure the black rook on square g6. The black rook goes there to give check but later it blocks a flight of its king).
___2...Rxf3 3.Qf6+ Kh5 / Kg4 4.Qg5#
This was a tough problem, with many tries and many variations.
[This post in Greek language].
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