FIDE Album 2010-2012

The composers planning to send their problems for publication to FIDE Album 2010-2012, have a little more time before the deadline 31-V-2013. The announcement is here : http://www.saunalahti.fi/~stniekat/pccc/fa1012.htm The sections are the following : A : Twomovers B : Threemovers C : Moremovers D : Endgame Studies E1 : Helpmates in 2 E2 : Helpmates in 2.5 and longer F : Selfmates G : Fairies H : Retros

The Problemist (and some Greek composers)

The chess magazine The Problemist is issued by the British Chess Problem Society (BCPS, www.theproblemist.org/) since many decades and it has earned world wide recognition.
I have recently received the issue [The Problemist, Volume 24, No 1, January 2013] which has 48 pages and a supplement [The Problemist Supplement, Issue 122, January 2013] with 12 pages. The variety of the subjects is huge and it covers every genre of the chess composition.

Here we present Greek composers' problems, which are mentioned or published in this issue.

Problem-694 Ioannis Kalkavouras C11037 The Problemist July 2012

7S/1KB1p2p/1PB2p1r/1p3P2/2k1S1p1/b1P3pq/bPP2P1R/5s2 (12 + 12) #10, moremover in ten

1.b3+? Bxb3! 1.Bd7! [2.Be6#] Kd5 2.f3 gxf3 3.Bc6+ Kc4 4.Rd2 [5.Rd4#] Sxd2 5.Sxd2+ Kc5 6.Bd8 [9.Bxe7#] Kd6 7.Sf7+ Bxf7 8.Bc7+ Kc5 9.Se4+ Kc4 10.b3# Logical problem, (what is impossible in the try-play, becomes possible after the key).

Problem-695 Petros Lambrinakos Commendation, The Problemist 2011

s7/3S4/5p2/3k4/8/4R3/1Q6/7K (4 + 3) #3, τριάρι

1.Qb8! 1…Sb6 2.Qxb6 [3.Qc5#] 1…Sc7 2.Qxc7 [3.Qc5#] 1…Kc4 2.Qb3+ Kd4 3.Qd3# 1…Kd4 2.Qb3 [3.Qd3#] 1…Kc6 2.Rd3 [3.Rd6#] Sb6/Sc7 3.Qxb6#/Qb6# 1…f5 2.Rd3+ Kc4/Ke4/Kc6/Ke6 3.Qb3#/Sc5#/Rd6#/Qe8# Logical problem. Give-and-take key with X-flights for the bK.

Problem-696 Petros Lambrinakos Commendation, The Problemist 2011

3K4/8/2S1p3/3kSP2/2p2p1P/8/8/1Q6 (6 + 4) #3, three-mover

1.Qf1! [2.Qxc4+ Kd6 3.Sf7#/Qd4#] 1…Ke4 2.Ke7 Ke3/Ke5/Kxf5/c3/f3/exf5 3.Qe1#/Qxc4#/Qb1#/Qd3#/Qxf3#/Qf3# 1…Kc5 2.Kc7 [3.Qxc4#] ODT, Flight-giving key.

Problem-697 Petros Lambrinakos PS2671 The Problemist Supplement January 2013

2B5/3K4/5p2/8/7p/7k/3Q2S1/8 (4 + 3) #3, three-mover

1.Qf2? [2.Se3 [3.Qg2#]] Kg4! 1.Se3? [2.Qg2#] Kg3! 1.Bb7! [2.Qf4 [3.Qxh4#]] 1…Kh2 2.Qf2 [3.Sf4#] Kh3 3.Qxh4# 1…Kg4 2.Qh6 Kg3/Kh3/Kf5/h3/f5 3.Qxh4#/Qxh4#/Qh5#/Qg6#/Qxh4# 1…f5 2.Qf2 [3.Qxh4#] Kh2 3.Sf4# ODT, Model mates.

Problem-698 Petros Lambrinakos PS2595 The Problemist Supplement July 2012

8/8/1Q6/1p1pKB2/1P6/5k2/5pr1/5R2 (5 + 5) #3, three-mover

1.Qxf2+?/Qe3+?/Qd4?/Qc5? Rxf2!/Kxe3!/Rh2!/d4!  1.Qa7! [2.Qa3+ Ke2 3.Qd3#] 1…Rh2 2.Qd4 Rg2/Rh~/Ke2/Kg2/Kg3 3.Qd3#/Qxf2#/Qd3#/Qxf2#/Qg4# 1…Ke2 2.Qd4 [3.Qd3‡] Rg3/Kxf1 3.Qxf2#/Qd1# 1…Kg3 2.Qd4 [3.Qf4‡] Rg1/Rh2/Kh2/Kf3 3.Qxf2#/Qg4#/Qh4#/Qd3# Logical problem.

Problem-699 Vyron Zappas 3rd Prize, Problemistas 1970

3r4/1p1r1p2/3s1p2/1qpKPPp1/2R3p1/1S1kbs1R/b2P2Q1/3B1S2 (10 + 14) s#2, self-mate two-mover

1.Sxc5+? Bxc5! 1.Rd4+? Bxd4! 1.Qxg4! [2.Qe4+ Sxe4#] 1…Sxd2 2.Sxc5+ Qxc5# 1…Bf4 2.Rd4+ cxd4# 1…Qxc4+ 2.Qxc4+ Sxc4# Theme Rudenko, (two try-moves are reappearing in the after-key variations).

Problem-700 Emmanuel Manolas The Problemist January 2013

6Rb/4s3/6P1/PS6/1pBp4/8/8/k1K4b (6 + 6) #6, KoBul kings, more-mover in six

1.Sxd4? [2.Sc2#] Bxd4(wK=wSK)! 1.g7! [2.gxh8=(Q/B)(bK=bBK) [3.(Q/B)xd4(bBK=bK)#/Kb1#] 1…Bxg7 2.Rxg7(bK=bBK) [3.Kb1#] Bd5 3.Sxd4 [4.Sc2#] b3 4.Bxb3 [5.Sc2#] 4…Be4 5.Rxe7(bK=bSK) [6.Kb2#] 4…Bxb3(wK=wBK) 5.Rxe7(bK=bSK) [6.bKb2#] Logical problem. Bicolour Bristol.

Problem-701 Ioannis Garoufalidis PS2686F The Problemist Supplement January 2013

8/8/3k4/8/8/K7/1s6/R1S5 (3 + 2) h#3, KoBul kings, Help-mate three-mover

1.Sa4 Kxa4(bK=bSK) 2.SKc4 Kb4+ 3.SKb2 Sd3# 1.Sd3 Sxd3(bK=bSK) 2.SKf7 Se5+ 3.SKh8 Rh1# 1.Ke5 Kxb2(bK=bSK) 2.SKf3 Ra3+ 3.SKg1 Rg3#

Problem-702 Ioannis Garoufalidis PS2608F The Problemist Supplement January 2013

6b1/P5P1/8/3p1K2/8/2sP4/1p2r1p1/k7 (4 + 7) ser-s#11, KoBul kings, Series-self-mate in 11

1.a8=B 2.Bxd5 3.Bxg8(bK=bBK) 4.Bc4 5.g8=R 6.Rxg2(bBK=bK) 7.Rxe2(bK=bRK) 8.Ke5 9.Kd4 10.Kxc3(bRK=bSK) 11.Rxb2(bSK=bK) Kxb2(wK=wRK)# In Series-self-mate only the White plays. In the last move Black plays and mates. Nice mate, difficult for the solvers.

Problem-703 Kostas Prentos First Prize ex aequo, Bulgarian Wine Ty Kobe 2012

6Br/1pp4s/1R1B4/3S4/pp2k3/5p2/8/1r2bKs1 (5 + 11) hs#3, Anti-Take and Make, Help-self-mate three-mover b) -bSg1 (Twin without the black Knight of g1)

a) 1.Be5 cxb6(Rg6) 2.Bxh7(Sf6) Sg8 3.Rg2+ fxg2(Rg6)# b) 1.Se3 Rxg8(Bc4) 2.Rxb4(b3) b5 3.Be2+ fxe2(Bc4)# In (Take and Make) the capturing piece continues playing a move. In Anti-(Take and Make) the captured piece makes a move. In the Help-self-mate the White plays first and cooperates with the Black to bring him to a mate position, but then the Black reacts by giving mate. Reciprocal batteries.

Marine pieces

As you know, in chess composition the composers invent various pieces, which move or capture in various ways.
The IGM Petko Petkov from Bulgaria has written three articles for a group of pieces which have Marine names, and they are published in the site Julia's Fairies by Julia Vysotska from Latvia.

1) Part I – Siren, Triton, Nereid

2) Part II – Poseidon, Marine Knight, Marine Pawn

3) Part III – Scylla, Charybdis