OPEN, 12 ECSC 2016, Athens

Open Tourney during 12 ECSC (European Chess Solving Championship) 2016, in Glyfada Athens.

The problems :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2-Lv0IlDIs6TnFMOEVlWjVVeEk/view?usp=sharing

The solutions :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2-Lv0IlDIs6b0dzVDUwcUFpR3c/view?usp=sharing

The results (updated 17-04-2016) :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2-Lv0IlDIs6Ri10eVUwRUhTM3M/view?usp=sharing

12th ECSC, Athens 2016 - Participants

(Last update : 08/04/2016)

Azerbaijan Elmar Abdullayev Ilham Aliev Araz Almammadov Misratdin Iskandarov Lutfiyar Rustamov Jamala Rustamova Rana Rustamova Bahruz Rzayev Rashad Zeynalli Belarus Aleksandr Bulavka Liubou Sihnevich Mikalai Sihnevich Belgium Eddy Van Beers Czech Republic Michal Dragoun Miloslav Vanka Finland Harri Hurme Terho Marlo Jorma Paavilainen Henry Tanner France Alain Villeneuve Germany Kathleen Loßin Sven-Hendrik Loßin Andreas Rein Great Britain David Hodge Michael McDowell Colin McNab Jonathan Mestel John Nunn Greece Themis Argirakopoulos Harry Fougiaxis Ioannis Garoufalidis Panagiotis Konidaris Alexis Kostouros Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis Emmanuel Manolas Panagiotis Masouros Nikos Mendrinos Iasonas Moutzouris Anastasis Papargyriou Andreas Papastavropoulos Evaggelos Petridis Chrysanthos Pountzas Nikos Sidiropoulos Panagis Sklavounos Dimitris Skyrianoglou Athanasios Spiliadis Israel Mordechay Chovnik Tatiana Chovnik

Lithuania Dmitrijus Chocenka Martynas Limontas Viktoras Paliulionis Vidmantas Satkus Vilimantas Satkus Netherlands Hans Uitenbroek Peter van den Heuvel Dolf Wissmann Poland Piotr Górski Ryszard Królikowski Jakub Marciniszyn Piotr Murdzia Kacper Piorun Romania Dariana-Gabriela Didiliuc Russia Natalia Degtyareva Nikolay Esaulkov Aleksandr Feoktistov Evgeny Kopylov Anatoly Mukoseev Oleg Pervakov Andrey Petrov Dmitry Pletnev Andrey Selivanov Marina Skorobogatova Yulia Skorobogatova Evgeny Viktorov Serbia Marjan Kovačević Miodrag Mladenović Živojin Perović Vladimir Podinić Bojan Vučković Slovakia Emil Klemanič Marek Kolčák Richard Králik Oto Mihalčo Tomáš Peitl Slovenia Marko Klasinc Klemen Šivic Ukraine Volodimir Aridov Khristina Artseva Valery Kopyl Yanina Kopyl Valery Krivenko Volodimir Kurilenko Valeriya Smolianaya Oleksy Solovchuk Stanislav Vasiliv

12th ECSC, Athens 2016 - Announcement

Announcement (08-01-2016)

12th European Chess Solving Championship 15-17 April 2016 in Glyfada (Athens), Greece

Invitation

The Greek Chess Composition Committee, in co-operation with the Greek Chess Federation, has the honor of inviting the European national teams and individual solvers to participate in the 12th European Chess Solving Championship. The event will be held from Friday, April 15th (arrival) to Sunday, April 17th, 2016 (departure) at the “Oasis Hotel Apartments” in Glyfada, a cosmopolitan suburb of Athens.

The hotel features 70 rooms and fully equipped apartments with private balcony. There are a gourmet restaurant, a bar, a coffee shop, a comfortable lounge and a swimming pool. The hall(s) of the events will be inside the hotel. The hotel is only 20 min. drive from the center of Athens and Piraeus and 25 km away from the Athens international airport “Eleftherios Venizelos”, which is very well accessed by public transportation or taxi. Parking space is available in front of the hotel.

Further info can be found on the hotel site, http://oasishotelapartments.com/

Prices per person per day (bed and breakfast included):
 Single room: 55 €
 Double room: 40 €

Prices include tourist tax and VAT, breakfast, free access to the hotel health and recreation facilities, as well as all regular solving tournaments. Lunch or dinner is optional and costs 12 €. All payments should be made to the organizers, upon arrival, in cash (€). The participation fee for those not staying in the hotel or not making their reservation through the organizers is 50 €.

Transport

Public bus (X96)
The Express Bus X96 departs right outside the arrival level of the Main Terminal Building at the Exit 4 of the airport. There are only one-way tickets and cost 5 €. Tickets are available from the bus drivers or from the ticket kiosk at the bus departure area. Express Bus X96 runs 24 hours every 20-30 minutes. The bus needs 35-45 minutes to reach the hotel. The bus stop that you will get off is called "4th station of Glyfada". The hotel is located just next to the bus stop.

By road
Drive along the main motorway Attika Road that connects the airport with Athens. Turn at the junction signaled for "Koropi - Markopoulo". From there, follow the signs for Glyfada. As you drive along the Koropi Avenue in Vari (Bari), turn right at the end, where you will see a signpost for Glyfada.

By taxi
You will find easily a taxi outside the terminal building. For taxi fares, check the site http://www.athensairporttaxi.com/

For information the tram station is 150 meters away from the hotel on the way to the beach. Metro, tram and bus tickets in Athens cost 1,40 € one-way.

(Google map)

Schedule

Friday, April 15, 18:00 – 18:15: Captains’ meeting
Friday, April 15, 18:30 – 21:30: Open solving tournament
Saturday, April 16, 09:30 – 13:00: Championship day 1
Saturday, April 16, 19:00 – 20:30: Solving show
Sunday, April 17, 09:30 – 13:00: Championship day 2
Sunday, April 17, 16:00 – 17:00: Closing ceremony

Director of the open solving tournament will be Ioannis Garoufalidis (GRE) assisted by Harry Fougiaxis. Director of the ECSC will be Ivan Denkovski (MKD) assisted by Ioannis Garoufalidis and Harry Fougiaxis.

Registrations should be sent to the chief organizer Harry Fougiaxis loyaldragon@gmail.com no later than April 1st 2016.

All the information about the event will be published on the site http://chess-problems-gr.blogspot.gr/

(The invitation as PDF document)

Theme Elmgren

(Initial date of this post was 21/12/2015)

In this post we will see the Theme Elmgren under a different light. This theme is named after the Swedish composer Bertil Elmgren, born 25/05/1912.

In this theme, all the black pieces (3 or more), with a possible exception of the bK, are actively refuting white tries!
A try is an attempt by the White to win, but the Black has a unique defense.
The White has at least three such tries, and all the black pieces take their turn to refute.
With more black pieces on board, the probability all of them refuting a try diminishes, making it more difficult for the composer to achieve an Elmgren.
Likewise, the more the black pieces, the more are the tries, making the problem relatively more difficult for a solver.

Having all the black pieces struggling in defense, symbolizes a common battle where no one stays behind the trenches, waiting to see what will happen!
There are no idle pieces, simply blocking a flight or stopping an unwanted second solution.
Everything is useful and active!

I have published in this blog some problems containing the Elmgren theme.

15/10/2011, Manolas Emmanuel, problem_497
http://chess-problems-gr.blogspot.gr/2011/10/manolas-emmanuel-4-compositions-from.html

16/11/2012, Pergialis Nikolaos, problem_625
http://chess-problems-gr.blogspot.gr/2012/11/nikos-pergialis-5-compositions.html

27/01/2013, Retter Yosi, problem_687
http://chess-problems-gr.blogspot.gr/2013/01/isc-9-compositions-solved-and-some.html

07/06/2014, Manolas Emmanuel, problem_771
http://chess-problems-gr.blogspot.gr/2014/06/some-two-movers-for-you-to-solve.html

27/12/2014, Manolas Emmanuel, problem_792,
http://chess-problems-gr.blogspot.gr/2014/12/farewell-to-2014.html


We shall see now some rare compositions with theme Elmgren, with at least five black pieces refuting white tries.

5 black pieces

Problem-808 Termaat Nicolaas I. J. 2nd Prize, Probleemblad 1951

1s6/SQ2pb2/1P6/P1S4R/2kp2B1/K1P2R2/1P1P4/2s5 (12 + 6) #2

Tries: {1.Sd3? [2.Rc5#] Sb3!}, {1.Se6? [2.Rc5/Qd5#] Bxh5!}, {1.Sa6? [2.Rc5#] Sd7!}, {1.Se4? [2.Rc5#] dxc3!}, 1.Sb3? [2.Rc5#] Sd3!}, {1.Sd7? [2.Rc5#] e5!}. Key: 1.Sa4! [2.Rc5#] 1...Bxh5 2.Be6#, 1...Bd5 2.Qxd5#, 1...e5 2.Qxf7#, 1...dxc3 2.Qe4#, 1...Sb3 2.d3#, 1...Sd3 2.b3#, 1...Sd7/Sa6 2.Q(x)a6# Themes Option and Elmgren.

Problem-809 Burbach Johannes J. Shakend Nederland, 1981

4Q3/8/3p4/1pp1Ppp1/4P3/RPP1kPPR/4SSP1/3KB3 (14 + 6) #2

Tries: {1.c4? [2.b4#] b4!}, {1.b4? [2.c4#] c4!}, {1.exf5? [2.exd6#] d5!}, {1.g4? [2.f4#] f4!}, {1.f4? [2.g4#] g4!}. Key: 1.Qxb5! [2.Qd3#] 1...c4 2.Qb6#, 1...fxe4 2.Sg4# Theme Elmgren.

6 black pieces

Problem-810 Manolas Emmanuel (GRE) original dedicated to Kostas Prentos

rB6/1sK1S2P/2P2p2/1R1Pk1P1/6R1/1B4P1/6bQ/6r1 (12 + 6) #2

Tries: {1.Sg6+? Kf5!}, {1.Bc2? [2.Sg6#] Sc5! (The square d5 is guarded by three white pieces Rb5 Bb3 Se7. One leaves making the try-move, one will leave to make mate, so the Black shuts off the third guardian : Theme Zappas simple)}, {1.d6+? Sc5!}, {1.Re4+? Kxe4!}, {1.Kxb7+?/Kd7+? Rxb8+!}, {1.Qxg1? [2.Qd4#] Be4!}, {1.Qxg2? [2.Re4#/Qb2#/Qe2#/Qe4#] Rxg2!}, {1.Qh6?/h8=Q?/h8=B? Rf1!}, {1.h8=S? [2.Shg6#/Sf7#] fxg5!}. Key: 1.Rf4! [2.Sg6#] 1...Be4 2.Qb2#, 1...Bxd5 2.Qe2# (horizontal-diagonal transformation) Theme Elmgren (here the bK is also refuting tries). In the phases {1.h8=S?} and {1.Rf4!} there is Anti-Dual with moves Be4 and Bxd5. (There are some more technical merits to examine: changed mates in two phases, a pin-mate, Urania, Bartolovic, Dombrovskis paradox, Anti-reversal, Anti reversal-menace).

Problem-811 Witt Andreas Commendation, Die Shwalbe 2005

4s1R1/4p2R/4pQ2/4Bsb1/B1P4r/K2SP3/2S5/1k6 (10 + 7) #2

Tries: {1.Bh2? [2.Qa1#/Qb2#] Rd4!}, {1.Bg3? Bxf6!}, {1.Bf4? Sd4!}, {1.Bd6? e5!}, {1.Bc7? exf6!}, {1.Bb8? Sxf6!}, {1.Rxe8? [2.Rb8#] Bxe3!}, {1.Kb3? [2.Sa3#] Sd4+!}. Κλειδί : 1.Ba1! [2.Qb2#] (line opening Bristol) 1...Rd4 2.Rh1#, 1...Bxf6 2.Rg1#, 1...Sd4 2.Qf1#, 1...e5 2.Qb6#, 1...exf6 2.Rb7#, 1...Sxf6 2.Rb8# Theme Elmgren. Multiple captures of the bQf6.

---

Upgrade on 12-01-2016

Motivated by this post, the Italian composer Alberto Armeni decided to compose a problem with more than 6 black pieces, all refuting tries. He has initially set the record to 8 pieces, which we were glad to present here, but then he created a task with 11 pieces (see Problem-814 below).

8 black pieces

Problem-812 Armeni Alberto International Composing Tourney "e4-e5" 2015-2016, section 2# Source: http://www.chessplayer.ro/tourneys_2015.html (with click on the blue 24)

1s5b/3B1PP1/p4Rr1/2Bk4/3P4/1pK1R1rb/pP2PS2/2Q2S2 (13 + 9) #2

Set play : {1...Sc6 2.Bxc6#, 1...Rxg7/g5 2.Rd6#, 1...R6g4 2.Rd6/f5#, 1...Rxe3+ 2.Sxe3#, 1...R3g4 2.Rf5# / Re5#, 1...Rg2/g1 2.Re5#, 1...Bg2/xf1/f5 2.R(x)f5#} Tries : {1.Sxg3? [2.Re5#] Sb8xd7!}, {1.g8=S? [2.Se7#] Bh8xf6!}, {1.Kb4? [2.Re5# / Qc4#] a6-a5+!}, {1.f8=Q? [2.Qd6#] Rg6xf6!}, {1.Qc2? [2.Qxb3# / Qe4#] b3xc2!}, {1.Rd3? [2.e4#] Rg3xd3+!}, {1.Rxg6? [2.Rd6#] Bh3-e6!}, {1.Kxb3? [2.Qc4#] a1=S+!}, {1.Ref3? [2.e4# / Se3#] Rxf3+!}, {1.Rxg3? [2.e4# / Se3#] Rxg3+!}, {1.Sd3? [2.Sb4# / Sf4# / Re5#] Rxe3!}, {1.Qd1? [2.Qxb3#] a1=S!} Key : 1.Kd3! [2.Qc4#] 1...Rxe3+ 2.Sxe3#  1...Bf5+ 2. Rxf5#. Theme Elmgren.

---

Update on 11-04-2016

The composer Alberto Armeni has created a tak for theme Elmgren, with 11 black pieces!

Task with 11 black pieces

Problem-814 Armeni Alberto “Problemas”, April 2016, problem n. 174, page 350 Source: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5lHTACLJK1fZnZjUjZzWjZ1RUk/view

2b5/p2p3R/1p1Qp3/5p2/5Pp1/3p2Kp/r2S3R/b2S2kB (8 + 12) #2

Tries: {1.Bb7? / Ba8? Bc8(x)b7!}, {1.Qxb6+? a7xb6!}, {1.Bc6? d7xc6!}, {1.Qc5+? b6xc5!}, {1.Bd5? e6xd5!}, {1.Be4? f5xe4!}, {1.Sf3+? / Bf3? g4xf3!}, {1.Re2? d3xe2!}, {1.Rg2+? h3xg2!}, {1.Rf2? Ra2xd2!}, {1.Qd4+? / Qe5? Ba1xd4! / Ba1xe5!}. Key: 1.Bg2! [2.Rh1#] hxg2 2.Rxg2# Theme Elmgren. Task with 11 black pieces defending tries.

A selfmate, with strip-tease.

Selfmate are the compositions where White plays first and forces Black to mate, while Black tries to avoid it.

Theme Strip-tease : One by one some pieces are removed from the chessboard, leaving a new problem to be solved.

This theme, Stip-tease, is contained in Problem-777 (see here) which has got a distinction in the World Congress of Bern.

Today we will see an easy selfmate. Black has a light-squared Bishop who can mate the cornered in h1 white king, and the matter is how can we empty the diagonal from the pieces that block (direct obstacles wQb7, bPc6, bKe4) or can inhibit the mate (possible obstacles wPe2, wRh5, wRg4, wBa4) the mate.

Problem-813 Manolas Emmanuel (GRE) Original

b3S3/1Qp5/2p5/2B4R/B1P1kPR1/8/3PPp1p/5SbK (12 + 7) s#5, Twins a) diagram, b) = a) -wPc4, c) = b) -wRg4

a) 1.Be3! (the obstacle wPe2 is gone) Bxb7 (the obstacle wQb7 is gone) 2.Bxc6+ (the obstacle bPc6 is gone) Bxc6 (the obstacle wBa4 is gone) 3.f5+ (the obstacle wRh5 is gone) Ke5+ 4.Re4+ Kxe4 (the obstacle wRg4 is gone) 5.d3+ Ke5# (the last obstacle bKd4 is gone) b) -wPc4 1.Qxc7! Bb7 2.Bxc6+ Bxc6 3.f5+ Kd5 4.f6+ Ke6+ 5.Re4+ Bxe4# c) -wPc4, -wRg4 1.Qb1+! Kxf4 2.Qe4+ Kxe4 3.Be3 c5 / Bb7 4.B(x)c6+ Bxc6 5.Re5+ Kxe5#

In these three twin compositions, White loses a pawn and a rook, one after the other. In each occasion, sacrificing pieces and threatening the bK, White forces Black to mate in 5 moves.