www.arves.org - Probleemblad 2023-2024

Studies awarded for the Probleemblad 2023-2024 tournament.

Problemblad 2023-2024 Studies award: 42 studies took part in the tourney, from which I selected 12 for the award.

I thank the composers for their enjoable studies and Marcel van Herck for directing the tourney. Gady Costeff March 15, 2024

[Event "1/2 Prize"] [Site ""] [Date "2025.02"] [Round ""] [White "E567-Dreelink, Jakob"] [Black "Belgium"] [Result "1-0"] [FEN "8/pp2P2p/1k1PB2P/1p4q1/PP6/1P6/KP4p1/8 w - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [PlyCount "29"] 
 1.a5+ ( 1.e8=Q g1=Q 2.a5+ Ka6 3.Qc6+ Qb6 $1 ) 1...Ka6 2.e8=N $1 ( 2.e8=Q g1=Q  3.Qc6+ Qb6 $1 ) 2...Qc1 3.Nc7+ Qxc7 4.dxc7 g1=Q 5.c8=R $1 {White threatens Rc6+!} ( 5.c8=Q Qa1+ 6.Kxa1 {stalemate.} ) 5...Qh1 $1 6.Rd8 $1 {Threatening Rd6+.} ( 6.Bd7 Qd5 7.Rc6+ Qxc6 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.Kb1 Kb7 10.Kc2 Kc7 11.Kd3 Kd6 $11  ) 6...Qc6 ( 6...Qh2 7.Rd5 Qf4 8.Ka3 Qc1 9.Rd6+ b6 10.Ka2 Qc2 11.Bg4 Kb7 12.Rf6  bxa5 13.Bf5 Qd2 ( 13...Qg2 14.Bxh7 a4 15.Re6 axb3+ 16.Ka3 ) 14.Bxh7 Qxb4 15.Bc2  a4 16.Rf3 axb3+ 17.Rxb3 Qa4+ 18.Kb1 Qh4 19.h7 b4 20.Rf3 a5 21.Rf4 Qh6 22.Ka2  Qe6+ 23.b3 ) 7.Bf5 {Attacking the h7-pawn while preparing Rd7.} ( 7.Bh3 Qc7 $1  ) 7...Qxh6 ( 7...Qf6 8.Rd5 Qf8 9.Rc5 Qe7 10.Ka3 {wins. White will play Rd5-Bd7 at some point and win the b5-pawn.} ) 8.Bc8 {with the idea of Rd7 or Re8-Re6+.}  8...Qc6 9.Ka3 $1 {Zugzwang (reciprocal). Black is forced to move the pawn, as any queen move allows Re8 or Rd7 or Rd6+.} 9...h5 ( 9...Qc7 10.Re8 ) 10.Rg8  {But now White can win the queen, using the newly-weakened g6-square.} 10...h4  11.Bf5 Qc1 ( 11...h3 12.Rg6 Qxg6 13.Bxg6 h2 14.Be4 ) 12.Rg6+ ( 12.Ka2 h3  13.Bxh3 Qc2 $11 ) 12...b6 13.Rg1 $1 Qc6 ( 13...Qxg1 14.Bc8# ) 14.Rg8 $1 Kb7 (  14...bxa5 15.Rg6 ) 15.a6+ $1 {Wins the queen. 
 Following 5.c8R! the rook and bishop exploit the weakness of the black king and zugzwang to finally win the queen. This version was submitted by the composer before the award.} 1-0

[Event "3rd Prize"] [Site ""] [Date "2024.07.01"] [Round ""] [White "E570-Pasman, Michael"] [Black "Israel"] [Result "1-0"] [EventDate "2024"] [FEN "1K6/8/7k/5R2/4N3/3P4/Pp6/1n5r w - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [PlyCount "19"] 
 1.Rf6+ $3 ( {Logical try :} 1.Rf2 Nd2 2.Nxd2 Rd1 3.Nb1 Rxb1 4.Rg2 Kh5 $1 $11  {reciprocal zugzwang - white to move} 5.d4 ( {or} 5.Kb7 Kh4 $1 6.d4 Kh3 $1  7.Rd2 Kg4 8.d5 Kf5 9.d6 Ke6 10.d7 Rc1 $1 11.d8=N+ $1 Ke7 12.Nc6+ Rxc6 $1 $11 )  5...Rd1 6.Rxb2 Rxd4 7.a3 Ra4 $1 $11 ) 1...Kh5 ( 1...Kg7 2.Rf2 Nd2 3.Nxd2 Rd1  4.Nb1 $1 Rxb1 5.Ka7 Rd1 6.Rxb2 Rxd3 7.a4 ) ( 1...Kh7 2.Rf2 Nd2 3.Nxd2 Rd1 4.Nb1  ) 2.Rf2 $1 ( 2.Ng3+ Kg5 3.Ne4+ Kg4 $1 4.Nf2+ Kg5 5.Rb6 Rh8+ 6.Kb7 Rh7+ 7.Ka6  Nc3 8.Rxb2 Rh4 9.Ne4+ Nxe4 10.dxe4 Rxe4 $11 ) 2...Nd2 $1 3.Nxd2 Rd1 4.Nb1 $1  Rxb1 5.Rg2 $1 {Reciprocal zugzwang - black to move} ( {Logical try :} 5.d4 Rd1  $1 6.Rxb2 Rxd4 7.a3 Ra4 $1 $11 ) 5...Kh4 ( 5...Rd1 6.Rxb2 Rxd3 7.a4 ) ( 5...Kh6  6.Kb7 ) 6.d4 $1 ( 6.Kb7 Kh3 $11 ) 6...Rd1 ( 6...Kh3 7.Rd2 Kg3 8.d5 Kf4 9.d6 )  7.Rxb2 Rxd4 8.a3 $3 {This works with the black king on h4} 8...Kg5 ( 8...Ra4  9.Rb4+ ) 9.Rb4 $1 Rd3 10.a4 $18 {A reciprocal zugzwang battle won by the far-sighted 1.Rf6+!! 
 8.a3!! is surprising for a rook endgame and is remeniscent of Fritz HHDBvi.64617. A professionally executed study.} 1-0

[Event "1st HM"] [Site ""] [Date "2023.04.01"] [Round ""] [White "E543-Hergert, Volker"] [Black "Germany"] [Result "1-0"] [EventDate "2022"] [FEN "8/K2p1k2/P7/8/b7/7N/8/8 w - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [PlyCount "17"] [SourceVersionDate "2022.12.03"] 
 1.Kb6 $1 ( 1.Kb8 Ke7 2.a7 Bc6 $11 ) 1...Ke8 ( 1...Bc6 2.Kc7 Ke6 3.Nf4+ Ke5  4.Ng6+ Kd4 5.Ne7 Be4 6.Nc8 Kc5 7.Nd6 ) ( 1...Ke7 2.Nf4 Kd8 {see main line} (  2...Kd6 3.Nd3 Bc6 4.Nc5 Ba8 5.Nb7+ Ke5 6.Ka7 ) ) 2.Nf4 $1 ( {logical try} 2.a7  Bc6 $1 3.Kc7 Ke7 4.Nf4 Ba8 $1 5.Ne2 ( 5.Ng6+ Kf6 $1 6.Nf8 d5 $1 7.Nd7+ Ke6 $1  8.Nb6 d4 9.Nxa8 d3 10.Nb6 d2 11.a8=Q d1=Q ) 5...d6 $1 ( 5...d5 6.Nd4 {mutual zugzwang - Black to move} ) 6.Nd4 d5 $1 $11 {mutual zugzwang - White to move} )  ( {logical try} 2.Kc7 Bb5 $1 ( 2...Bc6 3.Nf4 Ba8 4.Ne2 ) 3.a7 Bc6 $1 4.Nf4 Ba8  $1 5.Ne2 ( 5.Nd3 d5 6.Nc5 d4 7.Kb8 Kd8 8.Kxa8 Kc8 9.Nd3 Kc7 $11 ) 5...d5 $1  6.Nd4 Ke7 $11 ) ( 2.Ng5 Bc6 $1 3.Ne6 Bh1 $1 ( 3...Be4 4.Nc5 ) ( 3...Bf3 4.Nd4 )  ( 3...Bg2 4.Nf4 ) 4.Nc5 Kd8 5.Nb7+ Kc8 6.Nd6+ Kd8 7.a7 Ba8 $1 $11 ) 2...Kd8 (  2...Bc6 3.Kc7 ) 3.Ne6+ $1 Kc8 ( 3...dxe6 4.a7 ) 4.Nd4 Kb8 5.Nf5 $1 {Threatens 6.Nd6, followed by 7.a7+ Ka8 8.Ne8 and 9.Nc7#.} ( 5.a7+ Ka8 6.Nf5 d6 7.Ne7 Bb3  $11 {there is no way for the knight to checkmate on c7} ) 5...d6 $1 ( 5...Bc6  6.Nd6 Ba4 7.a7+ Ka8 8.Ne8 d5 9.Nc7# ) ( 5...d5 6.Ne7 ) 6.Ne7 $1 {Threatens 7.a7+ Ka8 8.Nd5, followed by 9.Nc7#.} ( 6.Nxd6 Bd7 $1 7.a7+ Ka8 {the knight won't be able to get to c7} ) ( 6.Nd4 Bd7 7.Nc2 Bc8 8.a7+ Ka8 9.Nb4 Bb7 10.Nd3 {this time the long diagonal is not blocked and the bishop moves to any square on that diagonal.} 10...Bf3 11.Nf4 Bd5 $1 12.Nxd5 {stalemate} ) 6...Bb3 7.Nc6+ Ka8  8.Nd4 $1 Bc4 ( 8...Bd5 9.Nb5 Kb8 10.a7+ Kc8 11.Nxd6+ Kd7 12.Nb7 ) 9.a7  {Zugzwang - checkmate in 2. 
 Somehow the black king reaches a8 in time, only to be mated there. The try 2.a7 leads to another zugzwang battle. A rich and difficult study, which seems like ideal training material for players.} 1-0

[Event "Com."] [Site ""] [Date "2024.10.01"] [Round ""] [White "E575-Hergert, Volker"] [Black "Germany"] [Result "1-0"] [EventDate "2021.05.19"] [FEN "8/8/k1pppp2/4p3/2P1P1P1/3P1P2/8/K7 w - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [PlyCount "45"] 
 1.d4 $1 ( 1.Kb2 c5 ) 1...Kb6 ( 1...exd4 2.f4 Kb6 3.g5 fxg5 4.fxg5 ) ( 1...c5  2.dxe5 dxe5 3.Kb2 Kb6 4.Kc3 Kc6 5.Kd3 Kd6 6.Ke3 Ke7 7.f4 ) ( 1...Kb7 2.dxe5  dxe5 3.Kb2 Kb6 4.Kc3 Kc5 5.Kd3 Kd6 6.Ke3 Kc5 7.f4 $1 exf4+ 8.Kxf4 Kxc4 9.e5 $1  fxe5+ 10.Ke4 $1 {see main line} ) ( 1...Ka5 2.c5 $1 ) 2.dxe5 dxe5 3.Kb2 Kc5  4.Kc3 Kb6 ( 4...Kd6 5.Kb4 Kd7 6.Ka5 $1 Kc7 7.Ka6 ) 5.Kd2 $1 ( 5.Kc2 {is another way to triangulate - a minor dual.} ) 5...Kc5 6.Kd3 Kd6 7.Ke3 Kc5 8.f4 $1 exf4+  ( 8...Kd6 9.Kf3 c5 10.Kg3 ) 9.Kxf4 Kxc4 10.e5 $1 fxe5+ 11.Ke4 $1 ( {Logical try:} 11.Kxe5 c5 12.g5 Kb3 13.g6 c4 14.g7 c3 15.g8=Q c2 16.Qg1 Kb2 17.Qb6+ Ka2  18.Qa5+ Kb2 19.Qb4+ Ka2 20.Qc3 Kb1 21.Qb3+ Ka1 22.Qxc2 {stalemate.} ) 11...c5  12.g5 Kb3 13.g6 c4 14.g7 c3 15.g8=Q c2 16.Qg5 $1 Kb2 17.Qxe5+ Kb1 18.Qb5+ Ka2  19.Qa4+ Kb2 20.Qb4+ Ka2 21.Qc3 Kb1 22.Qb3+ Ka1 23.Qxc2 {The same position as in the 11.Kxe5 line, but with the king on e4 instead of e5, so there is no stalemate. An entertaining pawn study.} 1-0