A solving contest was held (Sunday, 2010-06-13) in the large hall of the chess club [Zenon Glyfada] for the selection of the Champion of Greece. Many solvers have participated and the [Municipality of Glyfada] authority offered the delicious catering.
The problems were selected by the competent Judge Ioannis Garoufalidis. In each of two rounds the contestants should solve six problems (1 two-mover, 1 three-mover, 1 more-mover, 1 study, 1 help-mate and 1 self-mate per round of two-hours time).
The results :
1.
Prentos Kostas, Champion of Greece, (points 55.5 from 60 possible).
2.
Mendrinos Nikos, (p. 40)
3.
Papastavropoulos Andreas, (p. 34.5)
4. Georgiadis J., (p. 29)
5. Konidaris P., (p. 27.5)
6. Kostouros A., (p. 25.5)
and following : Skyrianoglou D. (p. 22), Fougiaxis H. (p. 22), Sklavounos P. (p. 21), Anemodouras L. (p. 17.5), Mitsakis K. (p. 15), Manolas E. (p. 14), Koerant F. (p. 11.5), Tsolakos G. (p. 10), Anastasiou M. (p. 6), Vlahos E. (p. 5).
Here we present the problems of this contest and their solutions (after some delay, allowing you to be motivated and solve them). With bold number in parentheses we denote the points given to the solver for each correct variation.
First round
| (Problem 448)
Touw Hian Bwee,
First Prize, Schach Echo 1978,
#2 |
| [3B2R1/8/3KPsSP/3R1Sk1/2p5/8/2r1B1pr/1Q6] |
We see the two batteries Knight-Rook aiming directly to the black King. By lifting Sg6 we unguard f4, and by lifting Sf5 we unguard h6.
Try : [1.Rd4? (holds f4 and is threatening 2.Sg6-h4# ) 1...Rxh6!]
Key : 1.Rh8! (5) (holds h6 and is threatening 2.Sf5-h4 #)
1...Rxe2 2.Se3#
1...Rd2 2.Sd4#
1...Kxg6 2.Se7#
| (Problem 449)
Glinski N,
First Prize, Zadachi I etudyi 2002,
#3 |
| [6s1/2Q5/p3p3/3pS3/3k4/Bp1p1KS1/q1p2p2/s2r1rb1] |
Here Bg1 is a revealer. There is no reason for the Bishop to be there, except if it inhibits Rf1 to check.
Key : 1.Kg2! (0.5) threat 2.Sf3+ Ke3 3.Qe5#
(0.5)
1...Qb2 (bQ has left from the first file) 2.Bc5+
(1) Kc3 3.Qa5#
1...d2 (creates a flight, but now e2 is unguarded) 2.Qc3+
(1) Kxc3 3.Se2#
1...Ke3 2.Sg4+
(1) Kd4/ Kd2 3.Qc5/Qa7#
1...Sf6 (wants to interfere going to e4) 2.Qb6+
(1) Kxe5/Kc3 3.Bd6/Qb4#
| (Problem 450)
Kuzovkov A,
Diagrammes, 1994,
#4 |
| [7b/s1Q1S1q1/rpPsp1p1/1p2kpP1/2P1PR2/2P1P2S/1P1K4/8] |
The key creates a threat for checkmate coming from diagonal e5-h8.
Key : 1.Qd8! (1), threat 2.Sxg6+ Qxg6 3.Qxh8+ Qf6/Qg7 4.Qxf6/Qxg7#
(1)
(The black Knight Sb6 cannot protect Bh8 because Qd8-d4#, so it tries to check
1...Sxc4+ 2.Ke2 Sd6 3.Sf2
(1.5) fxe4 4.Sg4#
1...Sxe4+ 2.Kc2 Sd6 3.Sg1
(1.5) ~ 4.Sf3#
(Initially, the white Knight is not threatening, because it can easily be stopped with bxc4 or fxe4).
| (Problem 451)
Julien Vandist,
EG, 1981,
+ |
| [5B2/4P3/6p1/8/K7/1p6/2p5/7k] |
Key : 1.Bh6! (1) (If 1.e8=Q? then 1...c1=Q 2.Qe4+ Kg1 draw =)
1...b2 (If 2...b1=Q? then 3.Qe4+ Kh2 4.Bf4+ Kg1 5.Be3+ Kh2 6.Qh4+ Kg2 7.Qg4+ Kh2 8.Bf4+ Kh1 9.Qh3+ Kg1 10.Be3#)
2.e8=Q c1=Q
3.Qe4+ Kh2
4.Bf4+
(1) Kg1 (4...Kh3? 5.Qf3+)
5.Be3+ Kh2
6.Qh4+ Kg2
7.Qg4+ Kf1 (7...Kh2? 8.Bf4+ Kh1 9.Qh3+ Kg1 10.Be3+)
8.Qg1+
(1) (8.Qf4+? Kg2 9.Bxc1 b1=Q 10.Qg4+ Kf2 =, or 8.Qh3+? Ke2 9.Bxc1 bxc1=Q, or 8.Qf3+? Ke1)
8...Ke2
9.Bxc1 (9.Qf2+ Kd1 10.Qf1+ Kc2 11.Qc4+ Kb1 =, ή 9.Bf2+ Kd2 10.Qe3+ Kd1 =)
9...b1=Q
10.Qg2+ Ke1
11.Bd2+ Kd1
12.Qg1+ Kc2
13.Qxg6+ Kb2
14.Bc3+ Kc1 (14...Ka2 ? 15.Qe6+)
15.Qg5+ Kc2
16.Qd2#
(2)
| (Problem 452)
A. Hayt,
Sahmatya Komp, 2003,
h#3 2.1.1.1.1.1 |
| [b1K4s/q7/8/2b1S2B/4k3/2rs4/8/5rB1] |
Examine the instructive solutions. They seem simple, but how many can find them?
1.Be3+ Sc4 2.Kd4 Bf7 3.Be4 Bxe3#
(2.5)
1.Rf5 Bd4 2.Sf4 Bxc3 3.Be3 Bf3#
(2.5)
| (Problem 453)
Nikoletic V,
Schweiser Schachmagazine, 1992,
s#4 |
| [3b4/3R4/3S4/3R2b1/2B3Pr/1pB1kpKS/5s1P/6Qb] |
Key : 1.Bb4! (1), threatening 2.Rd3+ Κe2 3.Rxb3+ Sd3 4.Sf4+ gxf4#
(1)
(Bd8 cannot remain in diagonal d8-h4 watching over black rook Rh4).
1...Ba5 2.Bd2+ Bxd2 3.Qe1+ Bxe1 4.Re7+
(1) Se4#
1...Bb6 2.Sf5+ Ke4 3.Qb1+ Sd3 4.Sf2+
(1) Bxf2#
1...Bc7 2.Re5+ Kd4 3.Qa1+ b2 4.Re4+
(1) Sxe4#
Second Round
| (Problem 454)
Salazar F,
Problemist, 1969,
#2 |
| [1q6/3B1P1r/2Pp3S/Rb1pk3/3S1R2/K4P2/3BPPr1/6Q1] |
Tries : [1.Sc2? Bd3!], [1.Se6? Rxh6!], [1.Qa1? Rg5!], [1.Bc3? Rxf7!], [1.Be3? Bd3!], [1.e3? Bd3!]
Key : 1.Sb3! (5) with threat 2.Rf5#
| (Problem 455)
Schiffmann I,
Second Prize, BCPS, 1928,
#3 |
| [R7/3KB3/P3P1P1/kp3R2/S3p3/p3pb1p/P2PS1r1/3B2s1] |
Tries : [1.Sd4? Bxd1!], [1.Bc2? Bxe2! 2.Bf6 Kb4!]
Key : 1.Bb3! (1) with threat 2.Sd4 3.Sc6# /Rxb5#
(1)
1...Bxe2 2.Bf6
(1) ~ 3.Bc3#
1...Sxe2 2.Sb6
(1) ~/Kxb6 3.Sc4/Bd8#
1...Rxe2 2.Kc6
(1) ~ 3.Rxb5#
| (Problem 456)
Johandl A,
Problemist, 2004,
#7 |
| [1RK5/2p5/p2p4/k2p4/P1P2s1s/8/R2P3b/2B5] |
Key : 1.d4! (1) Sf3 2.Bb2 Se2 3.Ba3 c5! 4.Bb4 cxb 5.Rb5 axb 6.axb+
(4) Kb6 7.Ra6#
| (Problem 457)
Kralin N. & Pervakov O.,
First-Second special Prize, Corus 70 JT, 2008,
= |
| [1K6/1bP5/k6p/7p/8/4B1p1/8/8] |
1.Bf4!
(1) (1.c8=Q? Bxc8 2.Kxc8 Kb5 3.Kd7 Kc4 4.Ke6 Kd3 5.Bf4 g2 6.Bh2 Ke4 7.Kf6 Kf3 8.Kf5 h4! 9.Kg6 Kg4! 10.Kxh6 Kh3 11.Bg1 Kg3 -+, or 1.Bxh6? h4 2.Bf4 Kb6 3.c8=Q Bxc8 4.Kxc8 Kc6 5.Bb8 Kd5 6.Kd7 Ke4 7.Ke6 Kf3-+)
1...g2!
2.Be3!
(1) (2.Bh2? Kb6! 3.c8=Q Bxc8 4.Kxc8 Kc6 5.Kd8 Kd5 6.Ke7 Ke4 7.Kf6 Kf3 8.Kg6 Kg4 9.Kxh6 h4 10.Kg6 Kh3 12.Bg1 Kg3 -+)
2...h4
3.Bg1!
(1) (3.Bf2? h3 4.Bg1 h5 5.c8=Q Bxc8 6.Kc7 Kb5 7.Kd6 Kc4 8.Ke5 Kd3 9.Kf4 h2! 10.Bxh2 Ke2 11.Kg3 Kf1 12.Kh4 Bg4! -+)
3...h3
4.c8=Q! Bxc8
5.Kc7!!
(1) (5.Kxc8? Kb5 6.Kd7 Kc4 7.Ke6 Kd3 8.Kf5 Ke2 9.Kg4 Kf1 10.Bh2 g1=Q 11.Bxg1 Kg2! 12.Kh4 h5! -+)
5…Kb5
6.Kd6 Kc4
7.Ke5 Kd3
8.Kf4 h2!
9.Bxh2 Ke2
10.Kg3 Kf1
11.Kh4!
(1) =
| (Problem 458)
Abdurahmanovic F. & ellinghoven b.,
Probleemblad, 2000,
h#5 2.1.1.1... |
| [8/K1p5/3r4/s2k4/3p1p2/rp4q1/4pp1b/1B6] |
1.c6 Bh7 2.Rg6 Kb6 3.Ke4 Kc5 4.Kf3 Kxd4 5.Rg4 Be4#
(2.5)
1.Rh6 Bg6 2.f3 Ka6 3.Qd6+ Kb5 4.Be5 Bh5 5.Re6 Bxf3#
(2.5)
| (Problem 459)
Kubbel L,
[L Kubbel], 1984,
s#3 |
| [3R4/4S3/2p2B1q/P1K1pSp1/B3kb2/1Pp1s2r/P3Q2p/5R2] |
Key : 1.Kb4! (1) with threat 2.Rd4+ exd4 3.Sd6+ Bxd6#
(1)
1...c5+ 2.Ka3 ( > 3.Qc2+ Sxc2# ) c2 3.Qc4+
(1.5) Sxc4#
1...Qxf6 2.Bxc6+ Qxc6 3.Qc2+
(1.5) Sxc2#
