Final Award in Quick Composing TT-274 | Окончательные итоги блицконкурса ТТ-274

Paradox, foresight, choice | Парадокс, предвидение, выбор


Theme | Тема

30 entries were received from 13 authors representing 9 countries | На конкурс поступило 30 композиций от 13 авторов из 9 стран


EN <-> RU

I received 30 problems, and almost half of them were not thematic. The thematic requirement was unusual, and maybe I failed to explain it properly. I asked for helpmates in which every solution demonstrates 3 effects: paradoxical effect, choice effect and foresight effect. I also gave a list of possible effects from each type. But still, it is possible that the requirement was unclear.

The following problems didn’t have paradoxical effect in at least one solution: 11, 12, 20
The following problems didn’t have choice effect in at least one solution: 5, 9, 19
The following problems didn’t have foresight effect in at least one solution: 6, 17, 21, 22, 23, 26, 28, 30

Some problems didn’t have enough interesting content to be included in the award: 3, 4, 7, 10

Finally, as I mentioned in the tournament invitation, this competition is dedicated to the tens of millions who suffered terrible losses during the Russia-Ukraine war. Still, I believe that the free world problemists should not boycott our chess problemists Russian friends. It is important to keep our good relations, even when we, using our free world communication and understanding, know that there is no justification for this war.

Finally, many thanks to all the participants and to Alexey, the tournament organizer.

Award is the following | Отличия распределились следующим образом

1st Prize - No 2
János Csák
TT-274, SuperProblem, 18-03-2023
8/4N3/4P2p/1kp5/6B1/PpR1P2K/3P4/8
h#2b) Kb5->g5(8+4)
2nd Prize - No 15
Menachem Witztum & Emanuel Navon
TT-274, SuperProblem, 18-03-2023
8/2p4q/b1pN2kn/pPK3p1/Bp1n1p1P/p1B2P2/7p/2r1r1b1
h#2.5b) wRa4(7+16)
3rd Prize - No 18
Anatoly Stepochkin
TT-274, SuperProblem, 18-03-2023
8/8/2pb4/N4K2/2p5/5p2/k3PP2/4B3
h#4(5+5)

1st Prize - No 2, János Csák (Hungary) 8/4N3/4P2p/1kp5/6B1/PpR1P2K/3P4/8

a) 1.h5 Rc4! (Rd3?) 2.Kxc4 Be2#
b) 1.b2 Bh5!
(Bf5?) 2.Kxh5 Rxc5#
Very elegant and surprisingly original combination. W1 combines all the 3 effects in one move: white sacrifice (Zilahi) and a try which closes a line which will be active later during the solution. The author added another paradoxical effect - a tempo move in B1.
EN <-> RU

2nd Prize - No 15, Menachem Witztum & Emanuel Navon (Israel) 8/2p4q/b1pN2kn/pPK3p1/Bp1n1p1P/p1B2P2/7p/2r1r1b1

a) 1...Bd1 2.Sxf3+ (S~+?) Kxc6 (Kc4?) 3.Sd2 h5#
b) 1...Rxa5 2.Sxb5+
(S~+?) Kxb4 (Kc6/c4?) 3.Sa7 Rxg5
This very rich problem contains an interesting blend of effects in each solution. It starts with an ambush, and continues with cross check and dual avoidance of the white king and black knight. The constructional price is high, and the position is almost illegal, but for me the content is more important than the number of pieces.
EN <-> RU

3rd Prize - No 18, Anatoly Stepochkin (Russia) 8/8/2pb4/N4K2/2p5/5p2/k3PP2/4B3

1.Ka3 Bb4+ 2.Kxb4 e3 3.Kc5 Sb3+ 4.Kd5 e4#
1.Kb2? Bc3+ 2.Kxc3 ?? 3.Kd4 Sb3+ 4.Kd5 e4#
This problem contains one solution and a try. Both the solution and the try demonstrate white sacrifice. The reason that the try doesn’t work is due to a zugzwang which appears after the 2nd black move. Beautiful!
EN <-> RU
4th Prize - No 25
Misha Shapiro
TT-274, SuperProblem, 18-03-2023
6B1/R6p/3k3r/7p/8/5pnp/5pqB/2K1brR1
h#2b) Kd6->g6(5+11)
1st-2nd Honorable mention - No 29
Misha Shapiro
TT-274, SuperProblem, 18-03-2023
5nn1/5Pq1/P3bk1p/1p2ppp1/4p1p1/3p2P1/2PPP3/3Q2K1
h#2.5b) Pe6->e7(8+13)
1st-2nd Honorable mention - No 16
Ricardo de Mattos Vieira
TT-274, SuperProblem, 18-03-2023
8/3N4/2bpNp2/1R2bkrP/1r1Pp3/1p3P2/8/3K4
h#2b) bSe5(7+9)

4th Prize - No 25, Misha Shapiro (Israel) 6B1/R6p/3k3r/7p/8/5pnp/5pqB/2K1brR1

a) 1.Qxg1! (tempo) (Qh1?) Rc7 2.Qg1-h1 Bxg3#
b) 1.Qxh2!
(tempo) (Qh1?) Rf7 2.Qh2-h1 Rxg3#
In B1 black has two choices: if he begins with Qh1? then in the next move he remains in zugzwang. Therefore, to avoid this future zugzwang, B1 captures the white piece and creates a Zilahi.
EN <-> RU

1st-2nd Honorable mention - No 29, Misha Shapiro (Israel) 5nn1/5Pq1/P3bk1p/1p2ppp1/4p1p1/3p2P1/2PPP3/3Q2K1

a) 1...fxg8R 2.e3 Rxg7 3.e4 Qa1#
b) 1...fxg8B 2.f4 Bf7 3.fxg3 Qf1#
White promotes a minor piece just in order to be able to control the necessary flight squares.
EN <-> RU

1st-2nd Honorable mention - No 16, Ricardo de Mattos Vieira (Brazil) 8/3N4/2bpNp2/1R2bkrP/1r1Pp3/1p3P2/8/3K4

a) 1.Rxb5 d5 2.Bf4 Sd4#
b) 1.Bxb5 Sdc5 2.Sg4 fxe4#
An interesting interpretation of the theme. The straightforward effects are the white rook capture and the dual avoidance. The foresight is not in the real motivation of the first move: is it necessary to capture the rook in order to unpin the black unit? The answer is “no” because the first white move closes the pin line. Therefore, it appears that the real reason for capturing the white rook is hideaway - there is no better place for the black unit.
EN <-> RU
3rd Honorable mention - No 8
Gábor Tar
TT-274, SuperProblem, 18-03-2023
4R3/2n1bn2/4p3/1p1pr1B1/2pk4/1r3P2/3K4/8
h#2b) Pc4->c5(4+10)
4th Honorable mention - No 14
Menachem Witztum & Emanuel Navon
TT-274, SuperProblem, 18-03-2023
R7/2pBp3/rpp1pp2/3n1P2/n3b3/P6K/p1p3P1/bkr5
h#3b) (6+15)
1st Commendation - No 24
Marko Ylijoki
TT-274, SuperProblem, 18-03-2023
8/2P5/3p1bb1/5kpp/3q1p2/ppp2P2/1p6/1K6
h#5.5(3+12)

3rd Honorable mention - No 8, Gábor Tar (Hungary) 4R3/2n1bn2/4p3/1p1pr1B1/2pk4/1r3P2/3K4/8

a) 1.Bd8 Bxd8 2.Sxe8 Bb6#
b) 1.Rxg5 Rf8 2.Se5 Rf4#
An interesting mix of ambush and black hideaway moves, two of them involve capturing of white pieces.
EN <-> RU

4th Honorable mention - No 14, Menachem Witztum & Emanuel Navon (Israel) R7/2pBp3/rpp1pp2/3n1P2/n3b3/P6K/p1p3P1/bkr5

a) 1.Sb2 Bxe6 2.Rxa3+ Rxa3 3.Se3 (Sb4/c3?) Bxa2# b) 1.e5 (Bxf5+?) Rd8 2.Bxf5+ Bxf5 3.Sb4 (Sc3/e3?) Rd1#
A combination of checks to the white king, ambush and dual avoidance. The checks are justified and not a coincidence. For example, if the white king is elsewhere, then in a) after 1.Sb2 Be6 2.Rxa3 white can continue 2…Bxd5 3.Rc3 Bxa2#. And in b) black could start with 1.Bxf5 if this is not a check.
EN <-> RU

1st Commendation - No 24, Marko Ylijoki (Finland) 8/2P5/3p1bb1/5kpp/3q1p2/ppp2P2/1p6/1K6

1...c8Q+?? 2.Ke5+ Qf5+ 3.Bxf5# / 3.Kxf5=
1...c8B+! 2.Ke5+ Bf5 3.Bf7 Bg6 4.Be6 Bf7 5.Kf5 Bg8 6.Qe5 Bh7#
Interesting trip of the promoted white bishop.
EN <-> RU
2nd Commendation - No 13
Menachem Witztum & Emanuel Navon
TT-274, SuperProblem, 18-03-2023
8/3pb3/6Pp/kPpKP1R1/p1p2p2/3p4/3Pp3/2r1B3
h#2.5b) Pa4->b6(7+11)
3rd Commendation - No 1
Rolf Wiehagen
TT-274, SuperProblem, 18-03-2023
8/3p3p/3K4/p7/2k5/P1p5/2pP3p/2n5
h#6(3+8)
4th Commendation - No 27
Misha Shapiro
TT-274, SuperProblem, 18-03-2023
8/1P2p3/1pPp4/pn1p1K2/p2k3r/2bp1P2/5P2/q7
h#2.5b) Pd6->g5(5+12)

2nd Commendation - No 13, Menachem Witztum & Emanuel Navon (Israel) 8/3pb3/6Pp/kPpKP1R1/p1p2p2/3p4/3Pp3/2r1B3

a) 1...Bh4 2.Bxg5 Kxc5 3.Bd8 Bxd8#
b) 1...Rg1 2.Rxe1 Kxc4 3.Ra1 Rxa1#
Nice ambush moves.
EN <-> RU

3rd Commendation - No 1, Rolf Wiehagen (Germany) 8/3p3p/3K4/p7/2k5/P1p5/2pP3p/2n5

1.Sb3? d4 2.Sc5 dxc5 3.h1Q/B c6 4.Q/Bb7(a8)?? cxd7 5.Q/Bc8 dxc8Q+ 5.Kb6 Qc6#
1.h1B (h1Q?) d4 2.Bc6 d5 3.Sb3 dxc6 4.c1B c7 5.Be3 c8B 6.Bd4 Ba6#
The play and the attempts that fail are interesting enough to secure the problem in the award.
EN <-> RU

4th Commendation - No 27, Misha Shapiro (Israel) 8/1P2p3/1pPp4/pn1p1K2/p2k3r/2bp1P2/5P2/q7

a) 1...b8R 2.Qa3 Rh8 3.Qc5 Rxh4#
b) 1...b8B 2.Qa2 Bf4 3.Qc4 Be3#
Minor promotions with delayed reason.
EN <-> RU

Judge: Ofer Comay
March 18, 2023
Судья: Ofer Comay
18.03.2023