Vlaicu Crișan – the judge of PG/Retros 2019-20

Dear composers, I’m very glad to announce the judge of Retro & PG problems 2019-2020: Vlaicu Crișan!

5 years ago Vlaicu was the judge of fairy problems on JF, JF-2014(I) ( problems | award ). And now I’m grateful to Vlaicu for his enthusiasm in acceptance of judging PG/Retros on JF!

Vlaicu is an International master of the FIDE for chess composition (since 2016), and international solving master (since 2007). His interest to retro compositions started from solving originals published in the retro column of French magazine Phénix. After being a regular solver for many years, Vlaicu was invited to judge the retros informal tournament for 2004 and that was his first award in retro sections. A couple of years later, Vlaicu was invited to judge the section of retros from StrateGems 2016 informal tournament. The third experience will be this year, with PG section of the Quartz TT 13 (Leffie).

While I’m very glad about JF’s PG/Retros becoming the 4th experience, Vlaicu comments: “I am quite grateful to accept another experience with Julia’s Fairies informal tournament 2019-2020, as the fourth name in the already impressive list of the previously appointed judges: Hans Gruber, Thomas Brand and Dirk Borst. Well, I can only hope the composers will indulge me and your fairy retro column with many outstanding compositions!”


Originals 19-290419

 


Original Problems

 

19th, 23rd, 29th of April, 2019

  • (29.04) No.1403 – N.Shankar Ram (#3 ; Camel,(0,1)+(0,3) Leaper ; Kamikaze). With a gratitude to the author for his long solution fully prepared for animation! 
  • (29.04) No.1397.1 – Paul Rãican (PG 30.5 ; Duelist ; Berolina Pawns). “Here is my attempt to fix the demolished 1397: I introduced 24…Ra8-a5+ 25.BPa4xa5” (Author)
  • (29.04) No.1402 – Anatoly Stepochkin (h#2 ; Lion). Cyclic Zilahi / change of functions.
  • (23.04) No.1401 – Eric Huber (hs#3 ; Neutral pieces ; PartialParalysis, Leffie). “Leffie is the fairy condition of Quartz TT 13, launched in Quartz 46. The problem below is not thematical for the tourney (fairy pieces are not accepted).”  (Author)
  • (19.04) No.1400 – Mario Parrinello (h#2 ; Anda). “…dedicated to Bulgarian Grandmaster Petko Petkov… His new fairy conditions (ANDA and ANDA inverse) are very interesting and they promise great composing possibilities. …”  (Author)
  • (19.04) No.1399 – S.N. Ravi Shankar (h#2.5 ; Duellist Chess). “…two white mates possible in 3 moves from the initial position…”  (Author)

Animated diagrams use Py2Web by Dmitri Turevski and WinChloe’s graphics.


All previously published problems you can find in the subsections of Original Problems menu on the top. The judge of JF-2019/I: Michal Dragoun. The judge of Retro & PG problems 2019-2020: Not appointed yet. 


Originals 16-170419

 


Original Problems

 

16-17th of April, 2019

  • (17.04) No.1398 – Eric Huber (hs#3 ; Protean Chess, Anda). “A very simple problem that features two fairy conditions that make our (fairy) front pages. The new fairy condition Anda was presented by Petko Pekov on KoBulChess on April 10th  ; Francfort/Protean Chess is the theme of the hs#3 thematic tourney BIT 2019 with deadline on April 30th” (Author)
  • (16.04) No.1397 – Paul Rãican (PG 30 ; Duelist ; Berolina Pawns). Dedicated to quartzomaniacs: Vlaicu Crisan, Eric Huber, Cornel Pacurar, Arpad Rusz. (Author)

Animated diagrams use Py2Web by Dmitri Turevski and WinChloe’s graphics.


All previously published problems you can find in the subsections of Original Problems menu on the top. The judge of JF-2019/I: Michal Dragoun. The judge of Retro & PG problems 2019-2020: Not appointed yet. 


Originals 080419

 

 


Original Problems

 

08th of April, 2019

  • (08.04) No.1396 – Julia Vysotska (hs#3,5). This problem composed for the 17th Baltic Solving Cup I dedicate to Marjan Kovačević, who highly supported the competition with his original problems, even hs#(!) problem, pushed “fairy” me to compose my own too; who’s offered an idea of U16 Baltic Cup and helped with selection of the problems; and after all – who has a Birthday today! Happy Birthday, Marjan! My best wishes.. and thank you!
  • (08.04) No.1395 – Marjan Kovačević (hs#3). The problem was composed for the 17th Baltic Solving Cup, 06.04.2019. With gratitude to Marjan for supporting Latvian tournament and for giving his first ever composed hs# problem for publication on JF!

Animated diagrams use Py2Web by Dmitri Turevski and WinChloe’s graphics.


All previously published problems you can find in the subsections of Original Problems menu on the top. The judge of JF-2019/I: Michal Dragoun. The judge of Retro & PG problems 2019-2020: Not appointed yet. 


Originals 23-270319

 


Original Problems

 

23rd-27th of March, 2019

  • (27.03) No.1394 – Nicolas Dupont (PG 12.5 ; Annan Chess). Interchange vs color-change.
  • (26.03) No.1393 – Eugene Rosner (#2 ; Alsatian Antipodean Circe). C- as Alsatian Circe is not implemented neither in Popeye nor in WinChloe.
  • (24.03) No.1392 – Sébastien Luce (h#2 ; Neutral Bishop). “Four battery mates by neutral Bishop and white Pawn in four different directions.” (Author)
  • (24.03) No.1391 – Vito Rallo (h#3 ; Parrain Circe). Parrain Circe seems to be popular this week! The both problems, No.1391 and No.1388 received about the same time.
  • (23.03) No.1389 & No.1390 – Chris Feather (h#2 ; Messigny Chess / ser-h#15 ; Messigny Chess, Alphabetic Chess). In his postal mail with 2 problems Chris writes: “Fortunately, in response to my announcement (via Stephen Emmerson) that Fairings would cease publication, various friends wrote to me urging me to try to continue composition. Among them our old friend Petko’s message was the most encouraging, and I am extremely grateful to him, because as a result I have been able to resume composition.”
  • (23.03) No.1388 – Aleksandr Tyunin (h#3 ; Parrain Circe). Warm welcome to Aleksandr in Original problems section of JF!

Animated diagrams use Py2Web by Dmitri Turevski and WinChloe’s graphics.


All previously published problems you can find in the subsections of Original Problems menu on the top. The judge of JF-2019/I: Michal Dragoun. The judge of Retro & PG problems 2019-2020: Not appointed yet. 


Originals 16-170319

 


Original Problems

 

16-17th of March, 2019

  • (17.03) No.1387 – Karol Mlynka (hs=2 ; Royal Grasshopper ; White Supertransmuting King). Promotions in a three-men problem.
  • (17.03) No.1386 – Arnold Beine & Juraj Lörinc (ser-h#18* ; Grasshopper). One solution destroys the setmate, the other enables the setmate… (Authors)
  • (16.03) No.1385 – N.Shankar Ram (r=2 ; (4,4) Leaper ; Anti-Super Circe Calvet, White Must Capture). 122 variations, 366 rebirths,…

Animated diagrams use Py2Web by Dmitri Turevski and WinChloe’s graphics.


All previously published problems you can find in the subsections of Original Problems menu on the top. The judge of JF-2019/I: Michal Dragoun. The judge of Retro & PG problems 2019-2020: Not appointed yet. 


Originals 11-130319

 


Original Problems

 

11-13th of March, 2019

  • (13.03) No.1375.1 – Sébastien Luce (h=8 ; Neutral pawn). Correction to the problem No.1375.
  • (11.03) No.1384 – Michel Caillaud (s#6 ; Black play only to double check). Dedicated to Sébastien LUCE.
  • (11.03) No.1383 – Michel Caillaud & Sébastien Luce (s#26 ; Black play only to double check). “about a rare condition, implemented in Winchloé, and unearthed by Sébastien, that we discussed in our monthly meetings.” (M.C.)

Animated diagrams use Py2Web by Dmitri Turevski and WinChloe’s graphics.


All previously published problems you can find in the subsections of Original Problems menu on the top. The judge of JF-2019/I: Michal Dragoun. The judge of Retro & PG problems 2019-2020: Not appointed yet. 


Originals 03-040319

 


Original Problems

 

3rd-4th of March, 2019

  • (04.03) No.1382 – Armin Geister & Daniel Papack (hs#4 ; MarsCirce). “On a logical basis our work shows a Marscirce specific strategy with a surprising solution” (Authors).
  • (03.03) No.1381 – Petko A. Petkov (hs#3.5 ; Nightrider, LEO). “In the memory of my father Andon Petkov” (Author)
  • (03.03) No.1380 – Kenneth Solja (h#2 ; Take & Make, Anti Take & Make).

Animated diagrams use Py2Web by Dmitri Turevski and WinChloe’s graphics.


All previously published problems you can find in the subsections of Original Problems menu on the top. The judge of JF-2019/I: Michal Dragoun. The judge of Retro & PG problems 2019-2020: Not appointed yet. 


Originals 17-270219

 


Original Problems

 

17-27th of February, 2019

  • (27.02) No.1379 – Linden Lyons (=2 ; Grasshopper, Camel).
  • (24.02) This year I’m grateful again to Shankar Ram, who kindly offered his help in making index file for the current competition, JF-2019/I.
  • (24.02) No.1378 – Aleksandr Bulavka (=2 ; Royal Zebra ; Anchor Ring, Anti-Super Circe). Warm welcome to Aleksandr in Original problems section of JF!
  • (20.02) No.1377 – Sergey Shumeiko (Ser-h#57). Motto given by the author: “Everything had come from somewhere else, and it would all go somewhere else. I was nothing but a pathway for the person known as me” – Haruki Murakami.
    (With the gratitude to Stephen Emmerson who’s helped me to find English version of the quote given in Russian, see “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle”, Chapter 10 – let’s read not only chess related books!)
  • (20.02) No.1376 – Anatoly Stepochkin (h#2; Circe).
  • (20.02) No.1375 – Sébastien Luce (h=9; Neutral pawn). Only white King and neutral Pawn achieve black stalemate! (Author)
  • (20.02) No.1374 – Paul Rãican (PG 15 ; #Color).
  • (19.02) No.1373 – Bernd Gräfrath (PG 13.5 ; Losing Chess).
  • (19.02) Some more good news to many of you: the Award for Retro & PG problems 2017-2018 by Dirk Borst will be published soon! The version of problem No.1223 (1223.1), submitted on the 24th of January 2019, before the award is made, was accepted by the judge for his competition.
  • (18.02) Conflictio No.11 (19.01.2019) & Conflictio No.12 (08.02.2019) by Juraj Lörinc are added to the Articles page.
  • (18.02) No.1372 – Václav Kotěšovec (hs=5; Eagle).
  • (18.02) No.1371 – Sergej Smotrov (hs#5.5; KöKo, TransmutedKings ; Eagle, Nightrider). 
  • (17.02) I’m very sorry for the delay in publications for JF-2019/I! Problems by Sergej Smotrov, Václav Kotěšovec, Bernd Gräfrath, Paul Rãican, Sébastien Luce, Anatoly Stepochkin, Sergey Shumeiko will be published during the next week, but the first priority I’m glad to give to the recent judge, who had to work hard the last year to finish the Award JF-10/2017-03/2018 
    No.1370 – N.Shankar Ram (#3; Diagram Circe ; Camel, Non-Stop Equihoppers).

Animated diagrams use Py2Web by Dmitri Turevski and WinChloe’s graphics.


All previously published problems you can find in the subsections of Original Problems menu on the top. The judge of JF-2019/I: Michal Dragoun. The judge of Retro & PG problems 2019-2020: Not appointed yet. 


Original problems 2019 starting February!

Dear composers, I’d like to announce that publication of Original problems for JF-2019/I  I will start from February, 1st. Would be grateful to you if you won’t hurry to send me your works before that date, please! 

The same time glad to tell you, that Shankar Ram is finishing his Award for JF-10/2017-3/2018. So, hopefully, it might be published in February as well.   — Julia