KoBulChess H#n 2018

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KoBulChess H#n 2018 - Award

(15.11.2019) Here is the Award of KoBulChess H#n 2018. Many thanks to the judge Dmitri Turevski! The award is open for claims for 1 month period.

KoBulChess H#n 2018 AWARD

There were 18 orthodox helpmates in more than two moves participating in the KobulChess Informal Tourney 2018. The level of the tourney was very modest, I have selected 5 compositions for the award. Four of the published problems featured the Klasinc theme, I have included three of them in the award.

951. E. Fomichev & M. Rimkus

1…Bh4! (1…Bg3?) 2.Ke4 Kf2 3.Ke5! (3.Kd5?) Ke3 4.Sg6 Kxd3 5.Rd5+ Kc2 6.Kd4 d3 7.Se5 Bf2#

Very good miniature with rich interplay. White Bishop needs to vacate f2 in order to let the white King pass and annihilate the pawn d3 (a variation of the Klasinc theme) and also to let the black king to the d4. The arrival square should be chosen carefully, anticipating the possible pin of the black Knight, which is quite paradoxical because the black King seemingly has no need to go to e5. An ideal mate in the end, naturally.

921. Z. Labai

1.Qd1 Bb1 2.Qxb3 Bc2 3.Qxb4 cxb4#

1.Qe1 Bxc1 2.Qxc3 Bd2 3.Qxc4+ bxc4#

1.fxg2 b5 2.Sf3 b4 3.Sxd4 cxd4#

1.f4 c5 2.Bd7 c4 3.Ba4 bxa4#

Two pairs of solutions unified by the fourfold play of the white half-battery. First pair shows two classic Klasinc maneuvers by the black Queen and white Bishops, the second pair is less interesting with serial play with square vacations by both sides.

941. V. Kryzhanivskyi

1...Sxf3 2.Kxf3 Rxe4 3.Kxe4 Qa8#

1...Bxh3+ 2.Kxh3 gxh4 3.Kxh4 Kxg7#

Kniest theme doubled in each of the two solutions with reciprocal change of functions of two pairs of white pieces, but at a high price: position is heavy and 3...Kxg7# is very rude and doesn't match the nice move 3...Qa8#.

963. V. Paliulionis

1...Se7+ 2.Kd6 Sc6 3.Re5 Be7+ 4.Kd5 Sb4#

1...Be5 2.Kc6 Ke4 3.Qc4+ Kf5 4.Kd5 Se7#

Each solution shows ortho-diagonally matched combination of the black Klasinc theme with Feather theme. White play is not that interesting. Both solutions end with an ideal mate.

949. K. Seetharaman & S. Manikumar

1.Kd4 d3 2.Kc3 Rd2 3.Bd4 Rac2#

1.Kf5 d4 2.Kg5 Rh2 3.Rf5 Rag2#

Simple yet pleasing composition with Bristol motives in play of both sides. One-two of the white Pawn d2 is a nice touch too.

Few words about the unawarded entries:

893 - Nice idea with anticipatory unpins and reciprocal anti-duals, but in a very symmetric setting. Also I'm not convinced that 1.Sd4 failing once because of the arrival effect and once because of the departure effect is actually a bonus (obviously this is easier to achieve than two different harmful arrival effects, for example).

922, 925 - This idea was shown many times, and by the authors themselves.

923 - Unbalanced twins without a unifying idea.

924 - Contrary to the editor's comment, I do not see a Zilahi theme here - wBg8 and wBh6 are two completely unrelated pieces in twins. Perhaps this mechanism could work in a twinless setting with white queen instead of the bishop, but that would be more technically challenging.

928 - Too many repeated moves.

942 - Anticipated (http://www.yacpdb.org/#420758, http://www.yacpdb.org/#421088)

943 - Nice idea, but the realization is terminally flawed. Twin a) works without bBc1 and twin b) works if bQb7 is replaced with a black pawn. So, the thematic interferences are artificial and two main black pieces are basically weasels in corresponding twin. More the pity because this mechanism could work if white had a choice on the first move which would fail purely because of the lack of interference; now e.g. a) 1...Se7? - fails also because c4 is left unguarded.

945 - Two most interesting phases are completely anticipated (http://www.yacpdb.org/#404335, P1357418)

952 - Very little interplay (in the second solution white can't move the knight before bK passes and that's all). Also, contrary to the author's comment, there's no BK/WK chase, their paths don't share a single common square!

953 - Simple strategy and somewhat symmetrical.

964 - The tempo maneuver looks uncomplicated, despite formally showing the Klasinc theme, probably because of the arrival effect of 3...Bh3 which makes this move obvious. Compare to 951 (Prize) where 1...Bh4 has no arrival effects.

967 - Two not very interesting half-moves added to the well-known matrix (P1005294).