Back from Rhodes WCCC…

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I’m back from Rhodes Congress!

With the Title of FIDE Master in Chess Composition! The first title I ever had, making the final banquet even more special!

With all excitement and success of the 5th YCCC (50 young composers from 12 countries)! See the post 63.WCCC – 5.YCCC results, but some more materials and photo gallery is still coming.

With the 15th ECSC in Riga, 13-15.05.2022 – welcome to be my guests!
Although this is mostly an event for solvers, I’m looking for the reason to composers to come as well 🙂 And here the reason is: 10 years jubilee of JF next spring! So, the thematic composing tournament with the prize giving in Riga will be coming too!

It was nice to have an alive meeting, to catch some warmer sun, the atmosphere of vacation and a competition at the same time, and the celebration after all! I tried to put the main events, results and photos, on the WFCC website: 63.WCCC: the first events | 44. WCSC, Rhodes, 19-20.10.21 | 63.WCCC: Machine gun & Fairy solving | 63.WCCC – 5.YCCC results | WCCC 2021 final: agenda and bulletin

…my photo gallery I gladly share with you – Google Album 63.WCCC Rhodes. – Julia

Originals October 2021

Julia's Fairies original problems Leave a comment

JF Original Problems | October, 2021

The judge of JF-2021/II: not appointed yet.
The judge of Retro & PG problems 2021-2022: Thomas Brand.

Coming AFTER WCCC 16-23.oct: Andrew Buchanan (Hong Kong), Daniel Novomesky (Slovakia), Ali Okan Pandar (Turkey), Anirudh Daga (India)

  • (09.10) No.1659 (PG 11 ; PWC) Michel Caillaud (France) & S. K. Balasubramanian (India) & Velmurugan Nallusamy (India).  “It was unfortunate that Pr. No. 1648 was cooked. However, Mr. Michel Caillaud was kind enough to suggest a new version with less moves which is most unlikely to be cooked. He was also gracious to have it as a joint publication of we three.” (SKB)
  • (09.10) No.1658 (=2 vvv) Gerhard Maleika (Germany). Warm welcome to Gerhard! Author says “This is perhaps the first orthodox (no fairy pieces)  stalemate twomover on this website.” – yes, it is!
  • (09.10) No.1657 (hs#3) Mykola Vasyuchko (Ukraine). Warm welcome to Mykola! For me the most fairy moment in this problem is a far away Ukrainian village, Mala Snihurivka, from where it has arrived.
  • (09.10) No.1656 (h#5.5 ; Functionary Chess) Niels Danstrup (Denmark). “… In the second solution it is opposite…“

Animated diagrams use Py2Web by Dmitri Turevski and WinChloe‘s graphics, Christian Poisson

Composing tournaments in the frames of 63.WCCC

Tournaments, other 1 comment

Internet Tourney Announcement

Helpmates in 2 to 3 moves are required with neutral units (pawns included, kings not allowed). In each phase a neutral unit plays when it is Black’s turn to move and later when it is White’s turn to move or vice versa. The thematic moves could be played immediately (one right after the other) or with a delay. Fairy pieces are allowed, but fairy conditions are not. Set play, twins and multiple solutions are allowed, but not duplex or zero-positions. Composers may participate with two entries as a maximum.

Closing date: 25 September 2021 | Controller: Themis Argirakopoulos | Judge: Kostas Prentos

WCCC 2021 Internet tourney announcement

Champagne Tourney Rhodes 2021
The Tourney is divided in 2 sections (with separate awards) : A . ProofGames ; B. Any other kind of Retro problems
Theme (in honour of Nikita Plaksin for his 90th birthday) : The same piece captures at least 2 promoted pieces.
(capturing piece is a Pawn in the examples but any other kind of capturing piece is accepted)
Fairy conditions (but not fairy pieces) allowed in both sections. Maximum 2 entries per composer per section (collaboration counts for 1 full entry). Maximum 1 non computer tested entry per composer in section A

WCCC-2021-Champagne-tourney-announcement

Entries to the director Eric Pichouron, by Wednesday 20 October 20:00 PM, e-mail : chess.champagne2021@gmail.com
Judge: Michel Caillaud

19th Romanian Tzuica Tourney
Theme: Helpself compositions (hs#n/hs=n) with at least 2 solutions showing each at least one Pelle move.
Problems with twins or zeroposition are allowed. All fairy pieces and conditions are accepted, provided that the problem is checked by a known solving program

WCCC-2021-Tzuica-tourney-announcement

Judges: Vlaicu Crişan & Eric Huber (Romania) | Deadline: Wednesday, 20 October 8 p.m
Send to: Eric Huber by e-mail at hubereric@yahoo.fr
Prizes – bottles of Tzuica, hopefully deliverable during 2021 WCCC. The tourney is open worldwide, however the prizes will be for 2021 congress participants only.

Originals September 2021

Julia's Fairies original problems Leave a comment

JF Original Problems | September, 2021

The judge of JF-2021/II: not appointed yet.
The judge of Retro & PG problems 2021-2022: Thomas Brand.

Coming in October: Niels Danstrup (Denmark), Mykola Vasyuchko (Ukraine), Gerhard Maleika (Germany), Michel Caillaud (France) & S. K. Balasubramanian (India) & Velmurugan Nallusamy (India)

  • (25.09) No.1655 (s#2 ; Royal Grasshopper ; SAT) Neal Turner (Finland). The previous problem by Neal on JF was also in September, same conditions and similarly looking number – 1544! 🙂
  • (21.09) No.1654 (h#2.5 ; Andernach Chess) Hiroaki Maeshima (Japan). Warm welcome to Hiroaki!
  • (18.09) No.1653 (h#2.5 v ; Circe) Aleksey Oganesjan (Russia). “Make castling legal again!” (Author)
  • (18.09) No.1652 (#2 v ; Anti-Mars Circe) Armin Geister & Daniel Papack (Germany). “Reversal II and reciprocal changes in elegant form.” (Authors)
  • (18.09) No.1651 (h#2 ; Grasshopper, Nightriderhopper, Rookhopper, LEO, PAO, VAO) Michal Dragoun (Czech Republic). “All solutions are interconnected by cycle of six white moves.” (Auhor)
  • (13.09) No.1650 (h#2 ; Anti-Circe, Madrasi RI) Giuseppe Lucchesini (Italy). Warm welcome to Giuseppe!
  • (13.09) No.1649 (-8 & s#1 Proca ; Anti-Circe Cheylan) Andreas Thoma (Germany). “Klaus Wenda zum 80 Geburtstag” – published with the best wishes to Klaus on his 80th jubilee!
  • (12.09) No.1648 (PG 13.5 ; PWC) S. K. Balasubramanian & Velmurugan Nallusamy (India). “Paradox: All black pieces are on their home base and …”

Animated diagrams use Py2Web by Dmitri Turevski and WinChloe‘s graphics, Christian Poisson

Fairies in Latvian Chess Solving Championship

Thematic Compositions 1 comment

On the 28th of August  I was the host/organizer/director of the 47th Latvian Chess Solving Championship. It was a long break of 1.5 years since our previous solving competition. And I wasn’t sure about possible number of participants, especially juniors. But to my surprise we had 16 participants in Riga, among them a team of 4 Lithuanian solvers, and also 9 solvers at the 2nd location, Belgrade.

In Riga, my living room was rearranged into solving hall, and even some places were offered in the garden! 🙂

I had a lot of work, still feeling tired, but also one more nice experience. I’m very much grateful to my assistant in Riga, Antons Gajevskis, who took part in problems selection presenting many problems by Latvian composers. My special thanks to Borislav Gadjanski for being a local controller in Belgrade! And finally, I’m very much touched with the wonderful support by the composers! – the championship had 7 original problems (out of 14): Igor Agapov (#3), Christopher Jones (h#3), Petko Petkov (s#3), Marjan Kovačević (#2 & hs#2.5), Steffen Nielsen (+), Vlaicu Crişan & Eric Huber (hs#3).

Yes, yes, I couldn’t miss a chance to promote Fairies 🙂 – Latvian Championship had a HS# problem in each round! Those two problems were composed to be enjoyable and “solvable”, to promote my favorite genre to the solvers. The authors don’t intend to publish them anywhere else, so I’d like to present them to our community – enjoy some quick solving as a candy to your coffee!

 

Some more photos in my Google Album 47. Latv. champ.
The competition is published on the official calendar Other rated/remarkable solving tournaments 2021

JT PIV-90

Tournaments, other 10 Comments

JT “PIV-90”

Direct two-movers with black promotions to fairy pieces leading to mates with white promotions to fairy pieces. The key and threat (if any) must not be promotions. The position has to be legal, i.e. possible in a game with P promotions allowed to the fairy piece(s) used in the problem. Any fairy pieces allowed, but no fairy conditions

Prizes in chess literature | Judges: Kjell Widlert and Valeriu I. Petrovici | Sendings until 30.11.2021 to d.i.nicula@gmail.com

Originals August 2021

Julia's Fairies original problems Leave a comment

JF Original Problems | August, 2021

The judge of JF-2021-II: not appointed .
The judge of Retro & PG problems 2021-2022: Thomas Brand, who will judge JF’s PG&Retros tournament for the 2nd time!  I’ve written some words about Thomas before, but would like to add that his devotion to Retro field, his helpfulness, and positivity are so unique! I’m  happy to have Thomas as a judge on JF, and deeply grateful to him for accepting my invitation!

  • (31.08) No.1647 (PG 7.5 ; #Colour) Gregor Werner (Germany).
  • (31.08) No.1646 (hs#3.5 ; Gnu, Lion ; Circe) Theodoros Giakatis (Greece). “This problem is inspired by a short video….” (Author)
  • (30.08) No.1645 (hs#2 ; Circe Assassin) Gábor Tar (Hungary).
  • (30.08) No.1644 (#4 ; Double Grasshopper ; Breton Chromatique Adverse) Bruno Kampmann (France). “6 different model mates.” (Author)
  • (30.08) No.1643 (PG 13.5) Velmurugan Nallusamy (India). Warm welcome to Velmurugan with an exchange of sacrifices!
  • (30.08) No.1642 (#3 ; LEO, PAO, VAO, Equihopper) Ladislav Salai jr., Emil Klemanič, Ladislav Packa (Slovakia), Michal Dragoun (Czechia). “Three pairs of variations…” (Authors)

Animated diagrams use Py2Web by Dmitri Turevski and WinChloe‘s graphics, Christian Poisson

5.YCCC for young composers!

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Dear composers, please share this information with the younger generation!

All young chess composers, and those who would like to try their hands in this kind of chess art, are invited to take part in the 5th Youth Chess Composing Challenge which is open to the U23 generation (born no earlier than 01.01.1998), and to all different genres of chess composition.

Two sections of the tournament have thematic conditions (#2 & endgame), but the 3rd one is with a FREE theme and genre! So, it might be a fairy problem as well! 🙂

The deadline for submission of the entries is 30th September, to the email address 5yccc@wfcc.ch
The results are planned to be announced on 22th October 2021, during the Closing ceremony of the Rhodes WCCC 2021.

Some more information about the project is shared by Marjan Kovačević on MatPlus. 

– Julia Vysotska, 5.YCCC director

Julia: an interview to OTIA magazine

Theoretical Articles 3 Comments

I don’t know how they found me… but in the spring 2021 I was invited to give an interview to OTIA magazine – uncovering arts and culture in the tech community. 

“Behind every technologist is a passion – a person who likes to create, share, try, listen, make, build, solve, volunteer or share.”

Somehow I got caught right away by OTIA’s project, which opens not only “technological” but also human part of us. Of course, my first thought was that it’s a wonderful chance to promote chess composition, to tell about it to the world out of our society. But when started answering questions, I was brought back to the very beginning.. to my first steps in chess composition. Those emotional moments remain in our memories and mean more than any achievements later.

It is usually hard to start writing… but later it is the same not easy to finalize it! I had a reason to complete the interview faster: 10 years ago, in July 2011, I started to compose my first chess problem! The article “Julia Vysotska, Financial Manager on Chess Composition” came on July 23rd to celebrate my anniversary in chess composition!

It is their problems what we know about Chess Composers, and their magazines – what we know about the Editors. But we are not only that. What is behind each of us? Here, on JF’s home page, I’m on the stage in front of you.  My original questionnaire (the full version of the interview) is the story from the backstage I’d like to share with you.

Let’s add some human touch to the diagrams – you’re welcome to share your stories too!

Award JF 2017/I

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Let’s go back in time,  into JF’s tournament 2017/I. Thanks to the problems dedicated to it, I was glad to recall JF’s 5 years jubilee. Time runs fast, and the next year it will be already 10! 

With a gratitude to Tadashi Wakashima, I’m very glad to present you the best JF’s problems from 5 years ago:

Click to see the Award JF-2017/I (PDF, 10 pages)

Congratulations to the winners! Thanks a lot to all participants, visitors and commentators!

You can see all tournaments/awards in the section JF Tournaments from the top menu. I’m sorry there’re still no news about the results of JF-2013-II from Diyan Kostadinov. Otherwise, from 2012 up to the middle of 2019, all results are presented! I’ll be looking for the judges of current competitions, JF-R2021-22 & JF-2021-II – sorry for being late with this! Next weekend, 14th August, I’ll continue to publish original problems. Please, take your time for final corrections before sending them. 13th of August would be the best day to start sending your best problems ! 🙂