The AWARD of Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013
1. H# (H=, H==) problems in 2-4 moves
Participants: Dmitri Turevski (Russia), Valerio Agostini (Italy), Gabriele Brunori (Italy), Geoffrey Foster (Australia), Lev Grolman (Russia), Georgy Evseev (Russia), James Quah (Singapore), Antonio Garofalo (Italy), Luis Miguel Martin (Spain), Dmitry Zhilko (Belarus), Andreas Thoma (Germany), Mario Parrinello (Italy), Sven Trommler (Germany), Francesco Simoni (Italy), Juraj Lörinc (Slovakia), Daniel Novomeský (Slovakia), Pierre Tritten (France), R. Ganapathy (India), Ralf Kratschmer (Germany), Manfred Rittirsch (Germany), Franz Pachl (Germany), Sébastien Luce (France).
In this section participated 42 problems by 22 authors from 10 countries. Of the 42 problems 40 were H# and only 2 were H=. Also allowed were H== compositions, but none were presented, which is quite logical, because it is not easy to compose H==, especially when there is a restriction of 2-4 moves.
In my opinion this competition turned out to be incredibly strong, and Prizes have gone to elite authors, well-known masters of chess composition in the world!
| Georgy Evseev & Lev Grolman Russia Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# 1st Prize  h=4 (1+2+6)b) Ka5→d8 Nereid h7; Triton d3 Scyllas: d4, d7, g1 Charybdis d6 |
Mario Parrinello Italy Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# 2nd Prize  h#2 (4+11)2 solutions Sirens: a4, a8 Marine Knights: f3, f4 Poseidons: e4, g3 |
Dmitry Turevski & Dmitry Zhilko Russia / Belarus Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# 3rd Prize  h#2 (7+5)b) Sc8→h1; c) Sc8→e4 Nereid f1; Triton h5 Poseidon e3 Marine Knight d2 |
1st Prize: Georgy Evseev & Lev Grolman (Russia) – A unique task problem! I congratulate the authors on their highest creative achievement! Two echo-finales are obtained with a pin of 6 (!!) pieces (the black Q + 5 neutrals), while the neutral pins are in reciprocal cycle: Nereid -> Charybdis -> Triton -> Scylla -> Nereid! Of course, the play here is not 100% identical in the strategic attitude: in the first solution the final is a beautiful tempo-move of the white King, but in the second the white King takes over from the black Q in capturing a SK.
On this occasion I want to say that a judge should not be fanatical about aesthetics: it is always necessary to apply a high aesthetic criteria, but without forgetting that there are still some limits in human and chess possibilities. Escaping this boundary is unrealistic fantasy.
a) 1.Qe3xd4 nTRd3-e3 2.nNDh7-d3 nCYd6-f5 3.nSKd7-e5 nSKg1-f3 + 4.Kf4-e4 Ka5-a6 =;
b) 1.nTRd3-d2 nNDh7-c2 2.Qe3-c3 nCYd6-e4 3.Kf4-e3 nSKg1-e2 + 4.Ke3-d3 Kd8xd7 =.
2nd Prize: Mario Parrinello (Italy) – A very interesting “duel” of the white and black Poseidons in combination with very rich and interesting non-standard motives: Umnov theme (realised by the white Poseidon and black MSs), unpin of the black MSs, blocks of the black MSs by the black Q, mates using reciprocal pins of the black MSs, change of functions of two pairs of thematic pieces – SIa4/SIa8 and MSf3/MSf4, Аnti-dual. A fine achievement by the famous Italian maestro!
I. 1.Qe2 SId7! (1…SId8?) 2.MSg6! POf4#! (3.MSd4?? illegal!);
II. 1.Qe1 SId8! (1…SId7?) 2.MSg5 POf3#! (3.MSd5?? illegal!)
3rd Prize: Dmitry Turevski & Dmitry Zhilko (Russia / Belarus) – Cyclical creation of white Marine batteries – ND/TR; TR/MS; MS/ND – is combined here with a very interesting motive. Let us see, for example, the solution in twin a): 1.Rc7 NDb5 2.PO×d4-c5 NDc6# Here the move 2… NDc6# is a typical line-closing move, but on the other hand it also allows the move 3.POxc6-c7! if the square “c7″ is not blocked by the black Rook! The block of the “с7″ square is a special form of distant block. Analogical motives are also seen in the other phases of the problem: b) 1.Bd5 TRh4 2.POf3 TRe4#, c) 1.Sf3 MSc4+ 2.POd3 MSe3#. It is wonderful that this very complex scheme is expressed in Meredith form, though here again there is certainly not 100% analogy and black economy is not fully perfect, but I accept this because of the content!
a) 1.Rg7-c7 NDf1-b5 2.POe3×d4-c5 NDb5-c6 # ;
b) 1.Ba8-d5 TRh5-h4 2.POe3-f3 TRh4-e4 # ;
c) 1.Sg1-f3 MSd2-c4 + 2.POe3-d3 MSc4-e3 #
| Sven Trommler Germany Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# 4th Prize  h#2 (10+11)3 solutions Nereids: c2,f3 Triton c4 |
Geoffrey Foster Australia Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# 5th Prize  h#2 (1+1+4n)b) nMPh3→a3 Poseidons: e2, g3 Marine pawns: b2, f2, g2, h3 |
Juraj Lörinc Slovakia Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# 6th Prize  h#3 (3+10)2 solutions Nereid a8 Triton a4 |
4th Prize: Sven Trommler (Germany) – Let us denote the thematic pawns thus: Pf5=a, Pf4=b, Pd5=c. Solutions: I. 1.Q×f5 ND×b3-a4 2.Q×f4 NDc2# (black captures: Q x a x b); II. 1.S×f4 TR×c5-c6 2.S×d5 TRc4# (black captures: S x b x c); III. 1.R×d5 ND×g4-h5 2.R×f5 NDf3# (black captures: R x c x a). It is seen here that cyclic captures of the white pawns ab, bc, ca have two motives: Annihilation of one white pawn to free the square and a pin of the thematic black piece (Q, S, R). White answers three times with a Switchback on the mating move! Undoubtedly fine, very complex content, but at the same time with heavy construction.
I) 1.Qh7×f5 NDc2×b3-a4 2.Qf5×f4 NDa4-c2 #;
II) 1.Sg2×f4 TRc4×c5-c6 2.Sf4×d5 TRc6-c4 #;
III) 1.Rc5×d5 NDf3×g4-h5 2.Rd5×f5 NDh5-f3 #
5th Prize: Geoff Foster (Australia) – An excellent Miniature created with only 6 Marine pieces. Here the theme Marine AUW is presented very nicely though without complete thematic analogy between the two phases. But each of these phases has it own nice, independent Marine motives.
a) 1.nMPb1= nSI nSId3+ 2. nMP×g2-f1=nNE+ PO×f2-e1#; b) 1.nMPf1=nTR nTRd1 2.nMP×b2-c1=nMS POf2#.
6th Prize: Juraj Lörinc (Slovakia) – A good, non-standard problem in logical style! The achievement of the aim here is possible only with Annihilation disposal of the black Rb7 and Bb4. This idea is realised in an interesting way, with surprising use of the theme White-Black Bristol! This problem might have been ranked higher, but unfortunately the black play doesn’t have sufficient Marine-effects and blocks of the square е5 are implemented in too orthodox a way.
I. 1.Bd6 ND×b7-c6 2.Be5 NDa8! 3.Bb7! ND×b7-c6#; II. 1.Re7 TR×b4-c4 2.Re5 TRa4! 3.Rb4 TR×b4-c4#.
| Mario Parrinello Italy Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# 7th Prize  h#2 3 solutions (9+8)Marine Knight a3 |
Manfred Rittirsch Germany Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# Special Prize  h#2 2 solutions (8+9)Sirens: a6, h8 Marine pawns: e5, g5 Poseidons: f5, g3 |
7th Prize: Mario Parrinello (Italy) – Three sacrifices of the black Bishop with the goal of achieving maximal activation of MSa3. The final of this content are three pin-mates which demonstrate Umnov! The scheme is impressive as well. However it seems to me that to some extent the sacrifices of the black Bishop are mechanical.
I. 1.Bb5 MS×b5-c7 2.Rd×g5 MSd5#; II. 1.Bc4 MS×c4-e5 2.Q×g5 MSg6#; III. 1.Bc2 MS×c2-e1 2.Rg×g5 MSg2#
Special Prize: Manfred Rittirsch (Germany) – A very non-standard and nice problem, where the reciprocal role of the two black Sirens is interesting: one Siren is sacrificed, the other one blocks the black Poseidon, and then – vice versa! The play of the white Marine pawns impresses as well – they activate lines for the white Poseidon, which after the МP-captures then guards the squares g4 and f4 respectively.
I.1.SIaf6 MP(g)xf6-e7 2.SIh7 Bg6#; II. 1.SIhf6 MP(e)xf6-g7 2.SId3 e4#
| Dmitry Turevski Russia Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# Dedicated to Manfred Rittirsch 1st Honorable Mention  h#2 (4+7+3)b) MPc6→b3 Marine pawn c6 |
James Quah Singapore Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# 2nd Honorable Mention  h#2 2 solutions (5+6)Charybdis h4 Skylla g6 |
1st Honorable Mention: Dmitry Turevski (Russia) – Initially the tries 1.Bd4+? nRxd4! and 1.Bf4+? nSxf4! don’t work so it is necessary to replace nRd8 and nSh3 with their “Marine analogues” – a very ambitious logical scheme, very well expressed here. But it seems to me that this idea might be made more complicated, with more solutions or more moves.
a) 1.nRd7+! nMP×d7-e8=nTR! 2.nTRnd8! Bd4#! (3.nTRxd4-d3?? – self-check!!);
b) 1.nMP×c2-d1= nMS! nSf2! 2.nMS×f2-h3 Bf4#! (3.nMSxf4-d5?? – self-check!!).
2nd Honorable Mention: James Quah (Singapore) – A problem of small thematic form, but the content is very nice and economically expressed. The basic themes are: Zilahi; Dual Avoidance; Annihilation. I like also the play of the white Q, interfering with the black pieces.
I.1. Bxh4 Qg3 (Qf6?) Bg5+ SKxg5-h4#; II. 1. Rxg6 Qf6 (Qg3?) Rg5 CYxg5-g6#
| Luis Miguel Martin Spain Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# 3rd Honorable Mention  h#2 (4+9)2 solutions Nereid d3; Triton c5 Marine Knights: c7, e1 |
Mario Parrinello Italy Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# 4th Honorable Mention  h#2 (7+6)3 solutions Marine pawns: b6, c6, d6 |
Geoffrey Foster Australia Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# 5th Honorable Mention  h#3,5 (0+0+6n)2 solutions Siren e4; Nereids d1, f4 Triton f3; Poseidon g4 Marine pawn e2 |
3rd Honorable Mention: Luis Miguel Martin (Spain) – Good reciprocal play of the white MSs, although there are no surprising Marine elements. In my opinion the most interesting moves here are 1…MSb5 (I) and 1…MSc2(II) – which allow two black pieces at one time access to the squares a5/b1. The author showed as tries 1.Rf4? ~ 2.Re4 MSe6+ 3.NDc2! and 1.Rf4? ~ 2.Re4 MSf3+ 3.TRb5!, but in my opinion the moves 3.NDc2! and 3.TRb5! are more like elementary replicas (moves-refutations).
I. 1.Rf3 MSb5 2.Ba5 MSxf3-g5# ; II. Re6 MSc2 2.Rb1 MSxe6-g5#.
4th Honorable Mention: Mario Parrinello (Italy) – Here is presented a cyclic Zilahi in a very interesting way with transformations of Marine pawns into 3 orthodox pieces – S, B, R. It is all wonderful, and also in combination with the theme of annihilation, but it seems to me that this beautiful scheme is unfinished and non-optimal. The matter is that the author could (probably?!) also show here tries on the mating moves (2…d8=MS+??, 2…d8=ND+??, 2.f8=TR+??), using the blockage of these pieces as refutations. Approximately: 2…f8=TR+?? Rf6!!
I. 1.Bxd6 MPc7 2.Bxc7 MPxc7-d8=S#; II. 1.S×b6 MPd7 2.Sxd7 MPxd7-e8=B#; III.1.Sxc6 MPb7 2.Se7 MPxe7-f8=R#.
5th Honorable Mention: Geoffrey Foster (Australia) – A Miniature created only from neutral Marine pieces! Difficult and interesting mates, though without full thematic identity. Оf course, there are also other problems composed with only neutrals (but without Marine elements) where the mates to the neutral King are also given by neutral pawns. But this problem has its own independent beauty.
I.1…nPOh5 2.nNEg5 nTRf6 3.nSIf4 nMPe4 4.nNEc2 nPO×g5-f5#; II. 1…nPOh4 2.nNEc1 nPe3 3. nTRf5 nNEg4 4.nSIf3 nPO×g4-f4#
| Pierre Tritten France Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# 6th Honorable Mention  h#2 2 solutions (5+7)Triton h3 Bishop-Locusts: a8, b6 |
Francesco Simoni Italy Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# Special Honorable Mention  h#2 4 solutions (7+5)Marine Knight f6 |
6th Honorable Mention: Pierre Tritten (France) – Nice play with battery-creation, anticipatory selfpins and pin mates.
I. 1.Bf4 TR×f3-e3+ 2.Kd4 TRb3#; II. 1.Rf4 TR×g3-f3+ 2.Ke4 TRa3#
Special Honorable Mention: Francesco Simoni (Italy) – The author’s comment: “A bS moves twice to sacrifice itself and so to allow the double jump of the wMS in the mating move. The choice of the W1 move is specified by the guard abandon on the square where the wMS could make the double jump to check in the mate position. Twice reciprocal dual avoidance AB-BA CD-DC. Meredith form.” These duels between the white MS and black Ss are interesting (task!), but in my opinion also in some degree schematic.
I. 1.Se6 MSd7 (MSh7 ?) 2.Sc5 MS×c5-b3# ( A B?); II. 1.Se4 MSh7 (MSd7 ?) 2.Sg5 MS×g5-f3# (B A?);
III. 1.Sf5 MSg4 (MSg8 ?) 2.Se3 MS×e3-c2# (C D?); IV. 1.Sd5 MSg8 (MSg4 ?) 2.Se7 MS×e7-c6# (D C?).
| Daniel Novomeský Slovakia Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# Commendation  h#3 (3+3)b) MSe6→g5; c) MSd5→c5 d) Kc3→g4 Marine Knights: c4, d5, e6, f5 |
Francesco Simoni Italy Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# Commendation  h#2 (5+10)b) -Pe4 Sirens: a2, c1 Marine Knight c5 |
Andreas Thoma Germany Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# Commendation  h#3 (2+1+2)2 solutions Siren h2 |
Commendation: Daniel Novomeský (Slovakia)
a) 1.Ke5-e4 Kc3-b4 2.MSc4-e5 MSd5-f6 + 3.Ke4-d5 Kb4-b5 # ;
b) 1.MSg5-e4 + Kc3-b3 2.Ke5-d4 MSd5-f4 3.MSc4-e5 Kb3-b4 #;
c) 1.MSc4-d6 MSc5-d7 + 2.Ke5-e4 MSf5-e7 3.Ke4-d5 Kc3-d3 #;
d) 1.Ke5-e4 Kg4-h4 2.MSc4-e5 MSf5-d6 + 3.Ke4-f5 Kh4-h5 #
Commendation: Francesko Simoni (Italy)
a) 1.Qg5 MSd3 2.Kf4 SIf7 # ; b) 1.Bf7 SIg5 2.Ke6 SIg6 #
Commendation: Andreas Thoma (Germany)
I. 1.nSIh2-h7 nBe2-e4 2.Kf6-e5 Kf2-e3 3.nSIh7-e7 d2-d4 #; II. 1.Kf6-f5 nSIh2-h5 + 2.Kf5-e4 Kf2-g3 3.nSIh5-c5 d2-d3 #
| Juraj Lörinc Slovakia Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# Commendation  h#3,5 2 solutions (2+3)Lions: g3, h7 Poseidons: c5, e3 |
Sven Trommler & Franz Pachl Germany Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 Section H# Commendation  h#3 2 solutions (7+8)Nereid a6; Triton h3 Marine Knight e6 |
Commendation: Juraj Lörinc (Slovakia)
I. 1…LIb3 2.LIb7 POe4 3.LIb2 LIb1 4.Se5 POd5# ; II. 1…LIc3 2.POc6 POd4 3.LIc7 LIg7 4.LIc4 POc5#
Commendation: Sven Trommler & Franz Pachl (Germany)
I. 1.f3 f6 2.Ke3 NDd3 3.f2 NDxc2-b1# ; II. 1.b5 d7 2.Kc4 TRd3 3.b4 TRxd1-d1#