Solving Contest ESSNA 2012

(See (lower left in picture) that I have not put in its place the wPf4 in the two-mover. Eventually, after several minutes, I thought "this could be solved if it had a wPf4". I looked in the sheet of problems, and there it was!)

The Solving Contest of Attica 2012 took place in Booze Cooperativa (57 Kolokotroni str., Athens) with cooperation of ESSNA (Union of Chess Clubs in Attica) and "Athletic Club Zinon of Glyfada" on Sunday, November 25 afternoon, last 1 hour and 45 minutes (not 2,5 hours as planned). After the contest, in memory of Lorenzo Mabillis poet, fighter and chessplayer, and his heroic death a hundred years ago, started a presentation of facts and pictures of Mabillis, his life and his era.
In the contest six problems should be solved, 12 solvers gave answers, and many other visitors passed and received information.

Winner was Nikos Mendrinos with 24 points (in 30 maximum), second was Leokratis Anemodouras with 20 points, third was John Garoufalidis with 18 points, fourth was Emmanuel Manolas with 16, fifth was Harry Fougiaxis with 15 and in sixth position two solvers, Kostas Kordis and Alexandros Seilemezis with 13.
The compositions were relevant with the work of the pioneer Greek composers of 19th century, Dr D. Melissinos, Joseph Liberalis, Nicolas Miniatis and Lorenzo Mabillis. A musical work was heard again after many years of latency, "Elegy for the death of the great American chessplayer Paul Murphy", composed by the Greek Joseph Liberalis in 1884.

From the Organizers

Problem-631 Dionyssios Melissinos American Chess Congress, 1880 4s3/3K2s1/4Sp2/P1pk4/1b1r1P2/2B5/8/1Q2RB2  (8 + 7) #2 1.Ba6! [5] zugzwang 1…Sf5 / Sh5 / Sxe6 2.Q(x)f5# 1…Sd6 / Sc7 2.S(x)c7# 1…Ba3 / Bxc3 / Bxa5 2.Qb7# 1…Rd1? 2.Rxd1# / Qxd1# / Qe4# 1…Rd2  / Re4 2.Q(e)4# 1…Rd3 2.Qxd3# 1…c4 / Rc4 2.Bb7# 1…Rxf4 2.Sxf4# 1…f5 2.Re5# With the first move, White foresees that mate can be achieved whatever the Black plays. Then there are selfblocks, while the black Rook corrects its arrival square trying to defend. Problem of the physician and mathematician Dionyssios Melissinos (1836-1905), 4th prize in the Fourth American Chess Congress 1880, (where the American Sam Loyd took the third prize).

Problem-632 Chocholous G. Breslau, 20-07-1889 5K2/s7/r2SB3/7p/1p3k2/3p2RQ/8/1rs5  (5 + 8) #3 1.Se8! [1] [2.Qh4+ Ke5 3.Re3# [1] ] 1…Ke4 2.Qh4+ Ke5 3.Re3# 1…Rxe6 2.Qh4+ Ke5 3.Rg5# [1] 1…Ke5 2.Rg4 [3.Qe3#] Rxe6 3.Qxh5# [1] 2…Kxe6 3.Rg5# [1] Improvement of a problem from the German solving championship Breslau, 20-07-1889, where winner was our Lorenzo Mabillis.

Problem-633 Joseph Liberalis The London Figaro, 1877 3s4/2p5/2P5/3P4/kPS1p3/P3P2K/4B3/S1B5  (10 + 4) #4 1.Kg2! [1] 1…Sxc6 2.Sb6+ cxb6 3.dxc6 b5 4.Bd1# or 1…Se6 2.Sb6+ cxb6 3.dxe6 b5 4.Bd1# or 1…Sb7 2.Sb6+ cxb6 3.cxb7 b5 4.Bd1# [1] (also 2.Sd2 [3.Sab3 [4.Sc5#]] or [3.Sb1 [4.Sc3#]] ή [3.Sdb3 [4.Sc5#]] or [3.Sxe4 [4.Sc3#]], and even 2.cxb7 [3.b8=Q / R [4.Bd1#]]). 1…Sf7 2.Sd2 [3.Sab3 / Sdb3 [4.Sc5#]] or [3.Sb1 [4.Sc3#]] or [3.Sxe4 [4.Sc3# / Sc5#]] [2] (1...Kb5? 2.Sd6+ [1] Ka4 / Kb6 3.Bd1# / Sc8#) Problem of the musician Joseph Liberalis (1820-1899), reprinted in newspaper "The London Figarο", 1877.

Problem-634 Kyriakos Frangoulis Schach, 1982 5S2/5P1b/4K3/8/8/8/2Sr4/7k  (4 + 3) + (White plays and wins) 1. Sd7! [1]  1…Re2+ 2.Se3! [1] Rxe3+ 3.Se5 Rf3! [1] 4.Sxf3 Bg8! [1] 5.fxg8=B [1]  +- Study by Kyriakos Frangoulis from Nydri (in island Lefkada), published in the German magazine Schach in 1982. Kyriakos Frangoulis was the only Greek composer for chess studies. His first study was published in 1978. At November 22, fifteen years had passed since his death. The program Fritz11 gives as best continuation this less spectacular one : 1.Sd7! Bf5+ 2.Ke5 Bxd7 3.f8=Q Rxc2 4.Qf1+ Kh2 5.Qf4+ Kg1 6.Qd4+ Kh2 7.Qxd7 Rg2 8.Qd6 Kg3 9.Ke4+ +-

Problem-635 Nicolas Miniatis The Mercury, 11-11-1893 2Q5/1p6/1P3p2/1PK1krR1/5r2/4sPB1/1S3P2/4R1bs  (10 + 8) s#2 (Reverse two-mover) 1.Bh2! [1] 1…Sxf2 2.Sd3+ Sxd3# [1] 1…Sg3 / Bxh2 2.Sc4+ Rxc4# [1] 1…Bxf2 2.Rxe3+ Bxe3# [1] 1…Rxg5 / fxg5 2.Qe6+ Kxe6# [1] Nicolas Miniatis (1860-1943), son of a Greek freight broker, lived in Manchester of England and was top player in the period 1885-1895. He is known for the 1890 match, which lost 4-1, versus the later world champion Lasker.

Problem-636 Sam Loyd (version by Eduard Schildberg) Chess Monthly, 11/1860 6R1/7q/8/5k2/3K1B2/8/8/8  (3 + 2) h#3 (Helpmate three-mover) 1.Kf6 Ra8 2.Kg7 Bb8 3.Kh8 Be5# It is a more economic version of the first helpmate composition of all times, published by the top (till today) composer of chess problems, the American Sam Loyd, in the magazine "Chess Monthly" in November 1860.  (The initial problem by Sam Loyd had a black Bishop on h2).