JT PIV-90

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


5.YCCC for young composers!

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


Composing Tournaments of the RIFACE 2021, C11.07.2021

The 42nd RIFACE 2021 (Rencontre Internationale en France des Amateurs de Composition Echiquéenne) will take place at Charenton-le-Pont near Paris, July 9-12, 2021.

Themes of composing tournaments:

Thème aidés.pdf | Thème féerique.pdf | Thème rétro.pdf

Address to send the entries : RIFACE.2021@gmail.com for Helpmates and Fairies problems ; retro.riface2021@gmail.com for retro problems
Time limit to send the entries : Sunday 11th July
at 15:00 (French time)


Manfred Rittirsch 60 JT by the Schwalbe

schwalbe-logo230th theme tourney of the Schwalbe

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Manfred Rittirsch,
the Schwalbe announces a THEME TOURNEY.

For problems with any stipulation on the standard 8×8 board using a combination of 1) Eiffelchess plus 2a) chameleons/chameleonchess and/or 2b) neutral pieces (not halfneutral). No other fairy conditions/pieces are allowed. 
Tourney director: Arnold Beine, Grund 15, 65366 Geisenheim, Germany; arnold.beine@web.de
Judge: Manfred Rittirsch | Closing date: 30.11.2021 | Prize money: 200 €


Dawson Triathlon M.T. 2021

Dawson Triathlon M.T. 2021

In honour of the 70th anniversary of the death of the English composing genius Thomas Rayner Dawson (1889-1951) – the father of Fairy chess – the British Chess Problem Society announces a Dawson Fairy Triathlon Memorial Tourney 2021.

The conditions are as follows:

  1. 1. The Triathlon includes three tournaments, with a separate ranking for each (Prizes, HM, Comm).
    1. Direct mates in 2 moves. Judge: Ofer Comay.
    2. Helpmates in 2 moves with at least 2 phases (2 solutions, set and solution, twins, duplex, but no zeropositions). Judge: Sven Trommler.
    3. Helpselfmates in 2 to 5 moves (2 solutions, set and solution, etc). Judge: Eric Huber.
  2. All sections have a free theme, but with the presence of at least one Grasshopper and at least one Nightrider. The combined play of these most famous pieces invented by Dawson must have a thematic significance.
  3. The use of other fairy pieces, royal units, or units with neutral or half-neutral colour is not permitted.
  4. Fairy conditions are allowed, but not those that add other fairy pieces or neutral/semi-neutral pieces.
  5. Each author may send a maximum of two problems per section, but…. -> PDF announcement for more details

Champagne Tourney 2020

Theme : Capture in the air
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.

Prizes in each section : subscription to Phénix 2021 for the first place, Winchloé light for the second place

This year, Champagne Tourney is without Champagne… Thanks to Laurent Riguet and Christian Poisson for providing the Prizes.

Entries to the director Eric Pichouron, by Sunday 18th October 24:00 PM,
e-mail : chess.champagne2020@gmail.com
who will transmit problems to the judge Michel Caillaud in anonymous form.


18th Romanian Tzuica Tourney – C 7.10.2020

18th Romanian Tzuica Tourney
Judges: Vlaicu Crişan & Eric Huber (Romania)

Theme: Helpself compositions (hs#n/hs=n) with at least 2 solutions showing the Schnoebelen theme.  This year’s tourney is dedicated to Guy Sobrecases.

Please take in consideration the following definitions:
1. In a help-selfmate problem in ‘n’ moves (denoted hs#n), White starts and Black collaborates with White in order to reach a position of s#1 (selfmate in one move) at move ‘n’ (the last move). Helpselfstalemates are also accepted.
2. Schnoebelen theme: A promoted unit, which has not played after its promotion, is captured on its promotion square.

  • 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.
  • Annoucement in PDF

Prizes: bottles of Tzuica, hopefully deliverable during 2021 WCCC. The tourney is open worldwide, however the prizes will be for 2021 congress participants only.

Deadline: October 7th, 8 p.m | Send to: Eric Huber, hubereric@yahoo.fr


Composing Tournaments of the RIFACE 2020, C13.07.2020

The 41st RIFACE 2020 (Rencontre Internationale en France des Amateurs de Composition Echiquéenne) will take place at Dardilly (Lyon), July 11-14, 2020.

Themes of composing tournaments:

Thème aidés.pdf | Thème féerique.pdf | Thème rétro.pdf

Address to send the entries : RIFACE.2020@gmail.com for Helpmates and Fairies problems ; abrobecker@yahoo.com for retro problems
Time limit to send the entries : Monday 13th July
 at 15:00


DANKA PETKOVA – 100 MT 2020 (C15.11.2020)

DANKA PETKOVA – 100 MT 2020

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Danka Petkova (1920-1993), mother and first chess teacher of the Bulgarian composer Petko Petkov, the grandmaster organises an International thematic tournament “Danka Petkova 100 M.T. 2020”.

The tournament will be held in three sections:

a) Direct mates in 2-4 moves.
b) Helpmates (stalemates, double ==) in 2-4 moves with at least two phases

(2 or more solutions, set play and solution, twins but no zeropositions.).
c) HS# (=, ==) in 2-4 moves with at least two phases.

The theme in each section is free , but with the obligatory use of at least one of the new Bul (Bulgarian) fairy pieces invented by Petko Petkov: Bul Grasshopper, Bul Lion, Bul PAO, Bul VAO. The colour of these 4 pieces can be white, black, neutral or semi-neutral. Also allowed are Royal pieces of Bul type. The usual kinds of G,LI, PAO and VAO are not allowed. No other fairy pieces or fairy conditions are allowed.

Originals must be sent to the organiser GM Petko Petkov: ppetkov2702@gmail.com no later than November 15th, 2020
The results will be published by the end of 2020 | Prizes: books by Petko Petkov | Examples and details  in PDF announcement.