In this post we will see compositions that received distinctions in the composing tourneys of WCCC 2014, in Bern. In a previous post we saw that Argirakopoulos Themis, Manolas Emmanuel and Prentos Kostas had 1, 3 and 11 distinctions respectively. It so happens, that we had published a picture of these Greek composers together, in WCCC 2010.
| Problem-775 Argirakopoulos Themis (GRE) 2nd Prize, Juica Ty Fairy Section, WCCC 2014 Bern |
 hs#2.5, Circe Kamikaze a) diagram, b) f6 = fairy bishop |
| A: 1...Rh2+ 2.Qh5 Beh4 3.Qe8+ Bxf6(Bf8;nBc1)# B: 1...Bd2+ 2.Qe3 Rf4 3.Qe8+ Rxf6(Rh8;nfBf8)# |
| Neutral pieces take the color of the playing side. Circe Kamikaze : When a capture occurs, the capturing piece and the captured piece in this order (King excluded, unless otherwise stated) must be replaced on their rebirth square if it is empty, otherwise, the piece vanishes. The Judge said : "The solutions of this problem culminate in a fabulous quadruple check, which is already a highly noticeable record with only 9 units on the board. Besides, the diagonal-orthogonal correspondence is perfectly realized and we find, as in many problems, the traditional reciprocal battery creation with Rook and Bishop. The wQ arrives on the same square e8 at W3, but since the routes the wQ takes are different, it is not a defect. One defect however would be the passive nRa6". |
| Problem-776 Manolas Emmanuel (GRE) and Prentos Kostas (GRE) Commendation, Quick Composing Ty, WCCC 2014 Bern |
 h#2, two solutions b2 = hurdle-color changing Lion (hL) |
| 1.Rf2 hLg2(wRf2) 2.Ke8 hLa8# 1.Re5+ hLg7(wRe5) 2.Kxc8 Re8# |
| Lion : Moving in Queen lines, it jumps over a hurdle and lands / captures in any free square immediately after the hurdle. The hurdle-color changing Lion, changes the color of the hurdle (except King or neutral piece) when jumping over it. The Judge said : "Nice miniature. The white rook and Lion exchange functions in the mate". |
| Problem-777 Manolas Emmanuel (GRE) Commendation, Japanese Sake Ty, WCCC 2014 Bern |
 h#2, Back-To-Back a) diagram, b) = a) -Rh5 c) = b) -Fd2 d) = c) -Cf1 e) = d) -Tg1 |
| a) 1.Kc4 b4 2.Rc5 bxc5# b) 1.Bc3 b3 2.Bb2 d5# c) 1.Sd2 b4 2.Sb3+ d5# d) 1.Rb1 b5 2.Rb4 d5# e) 1.Ke4 Kd2 2.Qb1 e5# |
| Back-to-Back : When a white piece is just one rank above a black piece on the same file, they exchange their way of moving / capturing. White loses pieces one after another. We see Echo mates, Chameleon mates, Model mates. Some readers might remember a similar problem by Sam Loyd, accompanied by a tale, where bullets strike off the board the pieces one by one : http://en.chessbase.com/post/chebase-puzzles-a-dangerous-game-171013 |
| Problem-778 Manolas Emmanuel (GRE) Commendation, Bulgarian Wine Ty, WCCC 2014 Bern |
 h#2, two solutions SneK chess |
| 1.Rxg5(SKe7) Bd4 2.Rb5 SKc6# 1.Bxb2(wBg5) Kd6 2.Ba3 Bd2# |
| SneK chess : When a Queen is captured, a Rook of the same side becomes a Queen. When a
Rook is captured, a Bishop of the same side becomes a Rook. When a Bishop is
captured, a Knight of the same side becomes a Bishop. When a Knight is
captured, the King (but not another royal piece) of the same side becomes a
royal Knight. When a Pawn is captured, the royal piece of the same side
becomes a King. The Judge said : "Switchbacks of the bR and bB for re-blocking, Ideal mates. A little but lovely problem". |
| Problem-779 Prentos Kostas (GRE) 1st Prize, Champagne Ty Section A, WCCC 2014 Bern |
 SPG 18.5 |
| 1.a4 a5 2.Ra3 Ra6 3.Rc3 Rd6 4.b3 b6 5.Bb2 Bb7 6.Qc1 Bxg2 7.Sf3 Sc6 8.Rg1 Bh1 9.Rg5 Qa8 10.Rh5 g5 11.Bh3 Bh6 12.Bf5 Kf8 13.h3 Kg7 14.Sh2 Kf6 15.f3 Ke5 16.d4+ Kxd4 17.Kd2 g4+ 18.Re3+ Kc5+ 19.Bd3+ |
| SPG : Given a game position, find all the moves since the start of the game. There is an upper limit on the number of the moves. The Judge said : "« Only » 4 thematical checks but of the same nature : they are all battery checks without capture, the most sophisticated nature of thematical moves. Very « professional » realization.". |
| Problem-780 Prentos Kostas (GRE) 3rd Honourable Mention, Champagne Ty Section A, WCCC 2014 Bern |
 r2k1bsr/pp1s1ppp/5P2/P7/1K1q3p/p3Qp2/bPP1PPPP/RSB2BSR (16 + 16) SPG 9, Circe Perrain |
| 1.d4 c5 2.dxc5 Qb6(a3) 3.Kd2 d5 4.cxd6 e.p. Be6(f3) 5.Kc3 Sd7 6.dxe7 Qe3(h4)+ 7.Kb4 Bxa2 8.Qd4(a5) Kxe7 9.Qxe3(f6)+ Kd8(Qd4)+ |
| SPG : Given a game position, find all the moves since the start of the game. There is an upper limit on the number of the moves. Circe Parrain : In the next move following a capture, the captured unit (except a King) accomplish (from its capture square) an exact copy of that next move. If the arrival square is occupied or if the journey brings it out of the board, the captured unit vanishes. The Judge said : "Cross-double check is clearly impossible in orthodox chess. Possibly other fairy conditions than Circe Parrain allow to do it, but this problem will be a pioneer". |
| Problem-781 Prentos Kostas (GRE) Commendation, 17th Sabra Ty, WCCC 2014 Bern |
 8/3r4/1pp2p2/1s3K2/1p2Bp2/1Pk2b2/2Pqp1P1/bR3rBQ (8 + 13) h#2, two solutions |
| 1.Bxg2 Bxc6 2.Bxc6 Qxc6# 1.Rxg1 Rxa1 2.Rxa1 Qxa1# |
| Orthogonal-Diagonal transformation. Bicolored Bristol. Pseudo white-Sacrifices. Quasi black-sacrifices. |
| Problem-782 Prentos Kostas (GRE) 4th Prize, 14th Sake Ty, WCCC 2014 Bern |
 3K4/8/7R/3k3b/8/1S4B1/6r1/8 (4 + 3) h#2, two solutions, Back-to-Back |
| 1.Kc6 Bg6 2.Bb5 Be4# 1.Kd6 Rf4 2.Rd5 Rf6# |
| Back-to-Back : When a white piece is just one rank above a black piece on the same file, they exchange their way of moving / capturing. Orthogonal-Diagonal transformation. Reciprocal white batteries with Anderssen moves (A white piece wA intercepts another white piece, Black moves, then wA moves again giving an indirect check). Auto-blocking. Indirect Pinning and Unpinning. The Judge said : "A highly polished ODT with reversal of roles between wR/B and also bR/B. It’s a pity the final positions are orthodox doublechecks". |
| Problem-783 Prentos Kostas (GRE) 2nd Honourable Mention, 14th Sake Ty, WCCC 2014 Bern |
 7s/2R2P1P/P2k2BK/1p1P4/2p2pb1/5p1b/6p1/r2r4 (7 + 11) h#2, four solutions, Back-to-Back |
| 1.Bd7 f8=R 2.Ke7 Re8# 1.Re1 f8=S 2.Re6 Sd7# 1.Rxd5 f8=B+ 2.Ke6 Be7# 1.Kxd5 f8=Q 2.Ra5 Qd6# |
| Back-to-Back : When a white piece is just one rank above a black piece on the same file, they exchange their way of moving / capturing. Orthogonal-Diagonal transformation. Auto-Pinning. Pin mate. Allumwandlung (AUW). The Judge said : "A task: AUW with specific BTB mates in all solutions. The setting is rather heavy". |
| Problem-784 Prentos Kostas (GRE) 3rd Honourable Mention, 14th Sake Ty, WCCC 2014 Bern |
 6s1/5K2/4p1S1/5k2/2r3p1/Pbs5/7B/2b5 (4 + 8) h#2, two solutions, Back-to-Back |
| 1.Sa2 c2+ 2.Re4 Se5# 1.Ba2 c5+ 2.Sd5 Bd6# |
| Back-to-Back : When a white piece is just one rank above a black piece on the same file, they exchange their way of moving / capturing. Direct Self-Pinning. Pin mate. The Judge said : "Pinning of BTB black piece by another BTB white piece. Nicely done". |
| Problem-785 Prentos Kostas (GRE) 4rd Honourable Mention, 14th Sake Ty, WCCC 2014 Bern |
 6b1/1p6/1R4s1/P1k1qS2/2b2P2/5s2/8/3K4 (5 + 7) h#2, two solutions, Back-to-Back |
| 1.Qe4 Se7 2.Se5 e6# 1.Bd3 Sd6 2.Qd4 d5# |
| Back-to-Back : When a white piece is just one rank above a black piece on the same file, they exchange their way of moving / capturing. The Judge said : "Anticipatory selfblock of the BTB black piece. Please note that in both solutions, black cannot capture the mating wP by B because it turns wS into B.". |
| Problem-786 Prentos Kostas (GRE) Commendation, 14th Sake Ty, WCCC 2014 Bern |
 s3r3/5P2/P3P3/3k4/K1p2p2/5pS1/4p3/8 (5 + 7) h#2, Back-to-Back a) diagram, b) bKd5 to d6 |
| a) 1.e1=R f8=Q 2.Re5 Qd6# b) 1.e1=B f8=S 2.Ba5 Sd7# |
| Back-to-Back : When a white piece is just one rank above a black piece on the same file, they exchange their way of moving / capturing. Allumwandlung (AUW). |
| Problem-787 Prentos Kostas (GRE) 6th Prize, 5th Bulgarian Wine Ty, WCCC 2014 Bern |
 8/1R6/8/1pp4p/2PB1K2/8/p1b2s2/1S3k1s (5 + 8) h#2, two solutions, SneK chess |
| 1.cxd4(Bb1) Bxc2(Bh1) 2.Bxb7(Rc2) Rxf2(SKf1)# 1.bxc4 Bxf2(SKf1) 2.Bxb1(SKf4) Rxb1(BKf1)# |
| SneK chess : When a Queen is captured, a Rook of the same side becomes a Queen. When a Rook is captured, a Bishop of the same side becomes a Rook. When a Bishop is captured, a Knight of the same side becomes a Bishop. When a Knight is captured, the King (but not another royal piece) of the same side becomes a royal Knight. When a Pawn is captured, the royal piece of the same side becomes a King. The Judge said : "Complicated combination of transformations to reach the final mating positions, each time by a different white Rook forming a Zilahi. Mutual captures by the wSb1/bBc2.". |
| Problem-788 Prentos Kostas (GRE) 2nd Honourable Mention, 5th Bulgarian Wine Ty, WCCC 2014 Bern |
 2Kbk3/4S3/2sP4/1r2p3/8/8/8/8 (3 + 5) h#2, two solutions, SneK chess |
| 1.Bxe7(SKc8) dxe7(Bc6) 2.Bd7+ SKd6# 1.Rb7 Sxc6(SKe8) 2.Rf7 Kxd8(BKe8)# |
| SneK chess : When a Queen is captured, a Rook of the same side becomes a Queen. When a Rook is captured, a Bishop of the same side becomes a Rook. When a Bishop is captured, a Knight of the same side becomes a Bishop. When a Knight is captured, the King (but not another royal piece) of the same side becomes a royal Knight. When a Pawn is captured, the royal piece of the same side becomes a King. The Judge said : "Specific fairy mates and selfblocks". |
