Mr Spock and chess

On 27-02-2015 the actor Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015) left from this world. He was the Science Officer in the TV series Star Trek.

In the series Mr Spock played 3d chess. (At the photo, standing is the actor De Forest Kelley, 1920-1999).

A farewell by the chess cartoonist Wadalupe is this :

Chess composition, a point of view by Miro Brada

To some chess players the art of the chess composition is unknown or just an oddity. But, based on chess, there are two worlds
(a) the world of the over-the-board chess, where the novelty in moves is desirable but seldom happens because the players usually copy and repeat the known good moves. If a played chess game is similar to or exactly the same as an older one, there is no blame and the game is accepted.
(b) the world of the artistic chess composition, where the novelty is the rule, because the art creations must be original and unique. If a composed problem is similar to an older one, it is considered anticipated and then discarded.

The composer Miro Brada in an extended presentation (in English) reveals to us details of his life, from the time he could not appreciate the specialities of the chess composition until recently when he has become a multi-awarded composer. :
http://mirobrada.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/chess-composition-as-art.html

Apart from his compositions, presented and explained, he describes similarities with other human activities, mental or athletic.
A point, which I found interesting, is this : In socialistic countries, where profit is not the goal and the opportunities are limited, the people develop their talents in other fields, one of which is chess composing.

February 14th

Today, like every other day I would say, it is a holiday for people in love.
The stores offer for sale heart-shaped presents.

Those of you who love the chess problems, accept a composition with such a shape.

It is an easy twomover, and it is also the number 800 problem of the numbered problems of this blog, (many un-numbered problems have also appeared in Awards, Solving Contests etc).

Problem-800 Manolas Emmanuel (GRE) original

8/3s1R2/2s1k1K1/2Q3p1/3p1b2/4p3/8/8 (3 + 7) #2

Tries : {1.Rf6+? Sxf6!}, {1.Re7+? Sxe7+!}, {1.Qd5+? Kxd5!}, {1.Qxc6+? Bd6!} Key : 1.Qf5+! Kd6 2.Rxd7# Happy Valentine's Day!

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Here follows a series of hearts that I found in the Internet.

8/3s1P2/2S1k1K1/2P3p1/3p1R2/4S3/8/8  (6 + 4), #2

Problem-801 Schenkerik Csaba (from facebook, Judit Polgar Official) Tries : {1.Re4+? Se5+!}, {1.f8=S+? Sxf8+!} Key : 1.Rf6+! Sxf6 2.f8=S#

1S1R4/k1S1p3/P3K3/1P1P4/2P5/8/8/8  (8 + 2), #2

Problem-802 Schenkerik Csaba (from facebook, Judit Polgar Official) Key : 1.Sa8! Kxa8 2.Sc6#

8/3P1P2/2P1k1P1/2K3P1/3P1P2/4P3/8/8  (9 + 1), #2

Problem-803 Unknown composer (from facebook, Judit Polgar Official) Key : 1.f8=R! Ke7 2.Re8#

8/3s1P2/2S1k1K1/2P3p1/3p1R2/4S3/8/8  (6 + 4), #2

Problem-804 Polgar Laszlo (from facebook, Judit Polgar Official) Key : 1.Qxe5+! Sxe5 2.f5#

8/2bp1Sp1/2b1k1K1/2q3B1/3Q1P2/4S3/8/8 (6 + 6), #2

Problem-805 Benko Pal Key : 1.Qd6+!, 1...Bxd6 2.Sd8#, 1...Qxd6 2.f5#

8/2P3P1/1p1P1K1b/1r1pQp1p/ 1s5s/2R3R1/3SqS2/4k3 (9 + 10), #3

Problem-806 Loyd Sam Κλειδί : 1.Rce3! [2.Rxe2#] 1...Bxe3 2.Rxe3 [3.Rxe2#] Qxe3 3.Qxe3#, 2...Kxd2 3.Qc3#, 2...Kxf2 3.Qg3# 1...Bg5+ 2.Rxg5 [3.Rxe2#] Qxe3 3.Qxe3#, 2...Kxd2 3.Qc3# 1...Bxg7+ 2.Kxg7 / Rxg7 [3.Rxe2#] Qxe3 3.Qxe3#, 2...Kxd2 3.Qc3# 1...Qxe3 2.Rxe3+ Kxd2 3.Qc3#, 2...Kxf2 3.Qg3#, 2...Bxe3 3.Qxe3#

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Some more compositions by Diyan Kostadinov here [http://kobulchess.com/en/news/7-2011-07-31-17-09-09/188-valetinesday.html] and here [http://kobulchess.com/en/news/7-2011-07-31-17-09-09/767-happy-valentines-day.html].

4th FIDE Cup

The results for the 4th FIDE Cup (from 01-II-2015 upto 01-IV-2015) [http://www.wfcc.ch/competitions/composing/fidewcc_2015/] have started to be published.

It is a contest for composers of all genres of chess problems. The compositions are very good and we congratulate all the participants, winners, judges, organisers.

A. Twomovers – Judge: Franz Pachl (Germany)
http://www.wfcc.ch/wp-content/uploads/FIDE-World-Cup-2015-section-a-twomovers.pdf

B. Threemovers – Judge: Jakov Vladimirov (Russia)
http://www.wfcc.ch/wp-content/uploads/FIDE-World-Cup-2015-section-B-threemovers.pdf

C. Moremovers – Judge: Juri Gordian (Ukraine)
http://www.wfcc.ch/wp-content/uploads/FIDE-World-Cup-2015-section-C-moremovers.pdf

D. Endgame Studies - Judge: Yochanan Afek (Israel)
http://www.wfcc.ch/wp-content/uploads/FIDE-World-Cup-2015-section-D-studies.pdf

E. Helpmates - Judge: Abdelaziz Onkoud (Morocco)
http://www.wfcc.ch/wp-content/uploads/FIDE-World-Cup-2015-section-E-helpmates.pdf
Here, among others, you may see the fourth prize awarded to (GRE) Kostas Prentos(GRE).

F. Selfmates - Judge: Sven Trommler (Germany)
http://www.wfcc.ch/wp-content/uploads/FIDE-World-Cup-2015-section-f-selfmates.pdf

G. Fairies - Judge: Tadashi Wakashima (Japan)
http://www.wfcc.ch/wp-content/uploads/FIDE-World-Cup-2015-section-G-fairies.pdf

H. Retros and Proofgames - Judge: Michel Caillaud (France)
http://www.wfcc.ch/wp-content/uploads/FIDE-World-Cup-2015-section-H-retros.pdf