FIDE ALBUM 2016-2018 – Results in Fairy section

The results of the FIDE Album 2016-18 section G are published at WFCC official website!

“An impressive number of 1520 entries (excluding duplicates) were received and they were split in two groups: G1 for fairies without conditions and G2 for problems with at least one fairy condition. This classification was a success as 747 entries were allocated to G1 and 773 to G2. In each group there were three judges with each team of judges working independently. 1331 entries scored at least 4,5 points (87,5% of the total entries, a very good ratio for such a popular genre). 357 problems out of them (63 more compared to the previous album) scored at least 8 points, which represents a ratio of 26,8% selected problems; 125 entries (one third of the selected problems) had already qualified from the WCCI process.” (Harry Fougiaxis)

Our TOP 10:

Name Album G1 Album G2 WCCI Total Points
Petkov, Petko 8 13 6 27 27.00
Loustau, Jean-Marc 19 5 24 22.00
Caillaud, Michel 6 14 20 17.00
Dragoun, Michal 24 6 30 16.83
Gockel, Hubert 4 9 6 19 14.83
Pachl, Franz 6 8 6 20 14.67
Parrinello, Mario 2 8 3 13 13.00
Rittirsch, Manfred 1 12 13 12.50
Lörinc, Juraj 3 5 5 13 12.00
Salai jr., Ladislav 23 23 9.83

“Regarding the selection percentages, I think the results without the “pre-selected” WCCI entries should also be mentioned. As seen below, they are only 14.76% for G1 and 18.47% for G2. In total, they are only 16.63%. If we take the WCCI entries into the total, then obviously the percentages increase.” (Shankar Ram, one of G1 judges)

Thanks a lot to the judges!
Sincere congratulations to all of us!


Sad news – Jaroslav Stun

Jaroslav Stun passed away… With a deep condolences to family and friends

Dear Jaroslav’s colleague and friend,

It is with deep sorrow and sense of loss in my heart when I write these lines.
However, as his colleague and friend, I wanted to let you know that my father has recently, shortly before his 70th birthday, passed away, after a valiant month-long struggle with a severe COVID-19 infection.

I know and I am sure Jaroslav valued every bit of exchange, collaboration and sense of community he took part in together with you on the field of Chess – all the Problems, Compositions, Fairies and Puzzles he worked on or shared with you; and I wanted to take this time to Thank you for all the joyful and happy moments you made for him.

My dad died in complete peace, we know the One who my father believed in and relied on the most throughout his whole life, took good care of him, and we will always keep Jaroslav in our hearts and memories.

Jaro Stun


In memory of Günther Weeth

In memory of Günther Weeth

(13 August 1935 – 28 December 2020)

By Klaus Wenda (Vienna, Austria)

On 28 December 2020, Thomas Brand’s Retro-blog featured truly sad news: Günther Weeth had died after a long and severe disease.

Günther Weeth became a member of Die Schwalbe, the German association for Problem chess, in 1973 and earned his first spurs as a strong solver. Due to the friendship with retro specialist Josef Haas, his interest in retro analysis awoke. The traditional Christmas solving tourneys of the newspaper “Stuttgarter Zeitung”, widely known by an international problem solving audience, offered him the perfect arena to thrill, or sometimes exasperate, the participants with his witty and tricky riddles.

-> see more / less…

Since the summer of 2020, Günther intensively worked on a new project, the defensive retractor with the conditions AntiCirce+Circe. He presented the results of his analysis, decorated with some quite original problems, in an article in Die Schwalbe, 306-2/2020, pp. 821-824. Günther still translated the piece into English before his passing. It is expected to be published in Julia’s Fairies soon.

My sincere sympathies go to Günther’s family, especially to his wife Gudrun, who always appreciated his time-consuming hobby, problem chess. An eminent problemist left Caissa’s World – and I have lost a good friend.

3 problems by Günther Weeth: G.W. – König & Turm 2011 | G.W. – StrateGems 2016 | K.W. & G.W. – Die Schwalbe 287/2017

Vienna, January 2021

Klaus Wenda


Problems by Günther Weeth published on JF 2015-2019: No. 885 | 1223 | 1261 | 1322 | 1357 | 1440


ChessProblems.ca Bulletin – issue 18, June 2020

Issue 18, June 2020, of the ChessProblems.ca Bulletin is available online at http://Bulletin.ChessProblems.caIncludes Original problems, ChessProblems.ca TT8 Award, and the Articles: Vaclav Kotesovec: Records in ser-#= PWC problems with one white piece p.876 | Jeff Coakley & Andrey Frolkin: The Continuity of Ambiguity p.885 | Arno Tungler: Series-mover Artists: Michel Caillaud p.894 | Arno Tungler: Record Breakers IX p.897

The bulletin is published by Cornel Pacurar since March 2014 and is mainly dedicated to Fairies, Series-Movers in particular.


cancelled/postponed

Due to the Corona pandemic, the Andernach 2020 meeting has to be cancelled, or better: postponed;
new date is planned for Friday, August 21 to Sunday August 23 of course in Andernach, of course in Hotel Stammbaum.


ChessProblems.ca Bulletin – issue 17, December 2019

Issue 17, December 2019, of the ChessProblems.ca Bulletin is available online at http://Bulletin.ChessProblems.caIncludes Originals, 4 articles (Andreas Thoma, Jeff Coakley & Andrey Frolkin, Arno Tüngler, Adrian Storisteanu), TT9 & TT10 Report, Blast from the Past IV.

The bulletin is published by Cornel Pacurar since March 2014 and is mainly dedicated to Fairies, Series-Movers in particular.


Andernach 2020

46th FairyChessFriendsMeeting at Andernach, May 21-24, 2020

The first Andernach FairyChessFriendsMeeting took place in 1975, now we invite you to paricipate in the 46th meeting. Again we’ll meet at Hotel Stammbaum (Marktgasse 1, 56626 Andernach, Germany). All rooms are reserved for our meeting, for booking please contact the hotel or any other accommodation directly.

Thursday, May 21
Arrival at Ristorante Bellini (Hochstr. 39) or, provided the weather is fine, at Andernach market next door… Bellini is closed till 5 pm. Hotel Stammbaum is closed at Thursday, but hotel room access is ensured.

Friday, May 22
Till Sunday noon Stammbaum is exclusively reserved for us!
3 pm till 4 pm: Traditional Andernach Solving Tourney (as always every solution counts!) followed by the presentation of the solutions with some surprises.

9 pm: Lectures

Saturday, May 2312.30 pm: Schwalbe board meeting

Sunday, May 2411 am: Awards ceremony (composing, solving) | End of the 46th FairyChessFriendsMeeting.