Julia
I was born in Riga (Latvia) in 1972, programmer by education – in 1995 have finished Riga Technical University with MS degree in computer sciences. For period 1993-1999 have worked for Internet company in Latvia – programming for company needs and customer support. Starting 1999 till nowadays working as a financial manager in Proact IT Latvia, a part of Proact IT Group.
Have learned to play chess in the first year of school. However the existence of chess problems have discovered only in 2010, with a help of Iļja Ketris, Latvian composer, who has shown me the first chess problem and helped with the first steps in solving and composing. From the very beginning excited mostly about solving help-mates, in the summer of 2011 I’ve started my composing with help-mates too. My the very first 2 composed problems (one orthodox and one fairy helpmate, both rewarded) were for the tourneys during WCCC in Jesi, August 2011. And my first judge, Diyan Kostadinov, played a role in directing me on the next steps and also has introduced me to Petko Petkov, who became my first real teacher, the one who made me work hard, and to whom I’m grateful for the result! The list of my problems you can see at My Problems page (not so regularly updated 🙂 ), around 150 at the end of 2017. Preferable genres – helpmates and fairies (again, a help-play).
Julia’s Fairies project I’ve started in April, 2012. And publishing of original problems – since summer, 2012. In the spring of 2013 I’ve also accepted an invitation to become a webmaster of WFCC website. Since the end of 2016, starting from the organization of ECSC in Riga in May 2017, trying to dedicate some time to the development of chess composition in Latvia, for now it’s mostly about solving competitions, involving chess players, especially juniors. All these projects take so much of time, that my composing seem to become quite limited. But I don’t mind it, while having enthusiasm about all I do.
In October 2021 I’ve got a title of FIDE Master for Chess Compositions. Proud to be the first lady ever who got it. I’m thankful to everybody who supported me in my composing and all activities around chess composition!
The beginning of 2022: preparing for another European Chess Solving Championship in Riga in May 13-15th, 2022. Another big project, one more official website for the event, and everything around the competitions in the frames of 15th ECSC and our guests.
Languages: Russian (native), Latvian, English.
Kids: Two pretty girls, Daniela (2004) and Dominika (2008).
Hobbies: Horse riding, playing guitar/piano.
References:
“The Queens of Problem Chess” by Satanick Mukhuty
“Julia Vysotska, Financial Manager on Chess Composition” (OTIA magazine) and My original questionnaire (the full version of the interview)
Hello Julia,
my attention to your website was drawn by Petko Petkov. Welcome in the communitiy of chess problem enthusiasts.
I will have an interested look at your problems once I will encounter them.
Bye, Hubert
Hello Hubert,
Thank you for the nice words!
I have some of my published problems here, in Thematic Compositions:
https://juliasfairies.com/chameleon-apr2012/
https://juliasfairies.com/battery-play-apr2012/
I’d appreciate your comments!
Regards,
Julia
The movie on Latvia was very good. Enjoyed it. If you have any more and link it would love to watch.
Thanks to my the most active visitor! I’ve added a beautiful song about Riga with a clip of some sights of Riga. See it at https://juliasfairies.com/about-julia/nocturne
Здравствуйте, уважаемая, Юля.
Ознакомился с Вашим сайтом, и он мне (не поверите :)) очень понравился.
Весьма разумно, доступно и со вкусом расположены меню и рубрики на сайте.
Наверное, многим композиторам (ортодоксам, этюдистам) хотелось бы, чтобы на конкурсах составления, организованным Вашим прекрасным сайтом, участвовали ортодоксальные задачи и этюды.
Ибо в противном случае получается ущемление прав ортодоксов и этюдистов! 🙂
Тем не менее(!), невзирая на эту несправедливость, хочу пожелать Вам больших творческих успехов во всех сферах деятельности.
Заходите и к нам «на огонёк».
С почтением, ортодокс Ферхат Кармиль
Спасибо, Ферхат! На “огонек” к Вам на chessstar.com заходила, хотя и случайно, можно сказать.. 🙂
По поводу моего сайта – это мой первый опыт и довольно трудно изначально все продумать так, чтобы потом было “куда расти”. Но стараюсь! Хочется, чтобы сайт имел какую-то мою персональность. Я к нему отношусь, как к своему виртуальному дому, куда приглашаю всех в гости, и где хочу, чтобы гостям было на что посмотреть! Иначе – это как пригласить на чай, когда к чаю и нет ничего… 🙂
А серьезно – про ортодоксальные задачи думаю все время. Особенно – про коопматы, которые люблю сама. В данном случае меня пугает только то, что я не справлюсь, если задач будет много. Мне самой очень нравится быстрая публикация, и я пока всем могу ее обещать – обычно, в течение дня, когда получаю задачу, ее и ставлю. Но, если бы задач стало больше 4-х в день – для меня это стало бы физически невозможно. Хотя и очень хочется все успеть! Но я все страницы делаю вручную, хотя и использую средства WordPress, но иногда и прямо на html пишу, если он что-то не так делает или не умеет вообще, что часто случается.
У меня множество идей и желаний относительно сайта. И теперь я уже думаю, что интересного сделать в следующем году и как это успеть!
Какой-то конкурс для коопматов устрою почти наверняка. А вот этюды – совсем не обещаю, потому что, честно говоря, ничего в них не понимаю, и даже решать их не умею! 🙂 Поздравляю тех, кто может!!
Вам тоже успехов! И, если есть какие-то пожелания и предложения – всегда пишите!
С уважением, Юля
Юлия!
С Новым Годом!
Здоровья,счастья успехов!
Рауф А.
Факт, что Ваш сайт надо будет в будущем обязательно автоматизировать. А на это нужны средства. Поверьте подобные сайты, как наши с Вами, убыточны. Реклама от гугли – это всего лишь небольшая затычка в Черной дыре
Поэтому, следует или расширять сферу деятельности сайта: онлайн игры, обучающиеся видео-курсы и так далее, или же смириться с тем, что имеешь. Шахматная композиция единственная сфера деятельности, где финансовая составляющая находится на грани дефолта , если это понятие применимо к композиции…
Поэтому, я пожелаю удачи всем нам, ибо мы в ней будем очень нуждаться
Julija, I’m impressed but what you’re doing! Great!
I wish you more interesting Fairies and all the best with development of your ideas!
My regards to Family – they can be very proud of you,
Julija
This is a different Julia/Julija? 🙂
Oh, difficult question! I believe this is almost the same, and the both doesn’t sound as my original Russian name “Юлия”. 🙂
There’re many English spelling variants for the same Russian name “Юлия”: Yulia, Yuliya, Julia, Julja. English “Yu” sounds more like Russian “Ю”. And it is shown in a new linguistic recommendations for rendering Russian names into English.
So, to pronounce my name as it sounds in Russian it should be written “Yuliya” I guess. But I prefer it to be “translated” into English if I speak English, as “Yuliya” doesn’t sound and is not convenient to pronounce inside English speech (I believe).
Also, I have some personal preference about this “Julia” name: when I first came to my first working place, Internet company in 1991, I was given a nickname julia in Unix system and my first email address was julia@….. All my first experiences – in work in general, in Internet, in speaking English with Internet customers… etc – were related to this name Julia.
This “version of the name” is meaningful to me.
Latvian version (and as it is written in my passport) is “Jūlija Visocka”, where “ū” sounds as long “u” and “Visocka” pronounces almost as “Vysotska”. Original surname in Russian was “Высоцкая”, but the last “я” was taken away when translated into Latvian and the sound “ы” doesn’t exist neither in Latvian nor in English, so it was changed as well! 🙂
Funny?
Actually “Yulia” will be quite easy to pronounce for English-speakers also ! You are welcome to adopt the correct English spelling! It is just that we are used to the name “Julia” made famous by stars like “Julia Roberts” and “Julia Vysotska” 🙂
Of course. This ia different Julia Shankarram !!
Was wondering about the post being addressed to a “Julija” with the poster’s name also being “Julija”.. So thought there is one more, new Julia (with the @kristofic.com ID)! Looks like Julia addressed herself by mistake, instead of Ferkhat.. or am i still missing something..? 🙂
Thanks to Julia, though.. for explaining the intricacies of russian/latvian names..
indian names are equally.. if not more.. esoteric.. 🙂
maybe a detailed post on them sometime..
Oh, I misunderstood you as well. I thought you’re asking about writing names. Yes, that was another Julija (Julija Kristofic).
What’s about Ferkhat – I have nothing to answer for now… His idea is that this site will need the automatization soon, but it requires money, and such sites can’t earn it on Google ads (although, I didn’t plan for that), so I should think about some online games, training courses etc. – something commercial.
But I’m like an ostrich that hides its head into the sand 🙂 – I won’t think about it while I’m able to manage it manually.
automization? or do you mean monetization?
Here’s a little something for you to chew on: http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/make-money/101-ways-to-monetize-your-website-or-blog/
>>His idea is that this site will need the automatization soon, but it requires money, and such sites can’t earn it on Google ads (although, I didn’t plan for that), so I should think about some online games, training courses etc. – something commercial.
Nice link, contains lots of interesting ideas !
Здравствуйте
Посмотрел ваш сайт он хороший.
На сайт я думаю добавить надо по побольше информации например разместить электронные книги по композиции. Также убрать эту допотопную программу Попейе. Не понимаю к чему она вообще нужна какие-то алгоритмы написанный на бейзике. Самая лучшая программа это Проблемист.
Удачи Вам
Женщина в шахматной композиции большая редкость. А женщина с таким же энтузиазмом как у Вас, только одна. Так что, Юлия, приветствую Вас в нашей семьи от имени словацких шахматных комрозиторов и Вашему сайту желаю только самых удач.
Я думаю, что каждый сайт должен чем то выделяться и тем и характеризовать своего автора. Поэтому было бы хорошо Ваш сайт посвятить тоько тому, что Вас более всего радует – и это (как мне кажется) сказочная композициа (у нас говорят “экзошахматы”).
You are a dedicated composer. So much work in such a short time. You inspire me in composition. Thanks for so many problems. Thanks for your hard work.
Dear Julia,
over the e4e5 Tourney I have found your website!
I have already reached your email but I did have
time to compose helpmates, or selfmates.
Maybe I can do this in the future.
I think it is not easy to have enough routine to compose,
but I am still enjoy helpmates and selfmates.
In the present I compose only studies, or
sometimes moremovers.
The new Harmonie from Wilfried Seehofer is famous,
and here I have a new mate in 12 from me.
Maybe you can see it.
I have published in this year many, many studies and
I am so lucky to learn from Sergiy Didukh and
Yochanan Afek.
Sergiy Didukh has told things
from the studies, what for me was more or less
new. He is not only a brillant studycomposer but
also e very great expert of studies.
Meanwhile I have contact with many great composer
of studies and learned from them.
If you have some time maybe you can compose also
a study.
Best Peter (Krug) from Austria
How do you test your studies ? What is the software available?
Today normaly I have Houdini 1.05 which you
can download for free.
The evaluation from Houdini is very fine, but
not always correct. Therefore sometimes in
some special endgames I need also Stockfish.
The other important thing is the hardware.
Better hardware with more GB Ram and the
prozessor can reach a much deeper evaluation and
so it cost not so much time to controll with good
hardware.
But it is far away not so important than a good chess
engine.
In the studies there you can also decide about the
type of endgame and the difficulty of the analysis.
And so you can avoid unclear lines.
I believe today it is generell better to avoid unclear lines,
and a study with unclear lines also in the analysis
is clear a withdraw.
The new study of the year from GM Oleg Pervakov is a good
example. You can find this on the Akobia site.
In this study of the year from Pervakov the computer find the
solution innert seconds.
–
@ Julia the internetadress from the new Harmonie:
http://www.problemschach.de/harmonie/h112.pdf
Best Peter
Hello Julia,
great respect for your really fine work with
“Julia’s Fairies”. I enjoy it very much.
Dear Julia, can you post a hint to our actual fairy tournament?
please see
http://mpk-blaetter.de.to/
Märchen-Turnier 2016
Dear Julia,
First of all, I regret if this message does not interest you and I do apologize.
Anyway, congratulations for “Julia’s Fairies” – a wonderful blog!
If you do not know me, I am Marian Stere, chess editor from Romania, KWF&A member and creator of the website http://www.stere.ro, dedicated to Romanian chess history. Here you can find more than 100,000 pages from chess publications from Romania – nearly all published – and in other languages. Including thousands of pages of fairy chess!!
All is in PDF format, all or FREE download!
Will you please distribute the information about my site and about a chess composition contest I am organizing, with deadline August 31, 2016?
The link is http://www.stere.ro/despre-noi/memorial-sergiu-than-80-ani-de-la-aparitia-sah-mat/
Looking forward to receiving news from you and for a further collaboration,
Best regards,
Marian Stere – http://www.stere.ro
Hello Julia and alla chees problemist,
I would like to discuss aout disfunctions of Popeye 4.77 and 4.79 unable to solve Circe and Maximum. Version 4.75 does it welle. Did someone know why? Maybe a change of input mode ?
To read about all.
thanks
Bonjour Henri
My father and grandfather were Swiss cheesemakers (in every sense the the term), so I think that I qualify 🙂
Please post Popeye bug reports on the issues page of the Popeye project:
https://github.com/thomas-maeder/popeye/issues
Bon weekend
—
Thomas
Dear Julia , you recently published the Award for B.C.P.S. Fairies, can’t remember the Year .. pretty recent, 2017, maybe. You awarded me the 3rd Prize .. I don’t keep good Records.
I’m not your Analytical MuffinHead. I would wish to withdraw My Award. I don’t think there is enough room to explain in this Field. Can you forward me your Online Contact EMail. or what you use to communicate with Problemists. Yours Ever, Ken Cameron.
Dear Ken, my email address is on so many places here. Please, write me to julia@juliasfairies.com