Award of 3rd TT Chess Composition Microweb
C 16.10.1999

Below you can read whole award by Reto Aschwanden as he sent it to me with all comments. All awarded problems follow with comments again and complete solutions.

Juraj asked me to judge his CCM tourney with transmuting kings. I was happy to accept. The entries turned out to be as I like them (I guess the composer's knew that I like letter-themes in particular...). But I was not only pleased thematically, the quality of the entries was good as well. Five of the six entries deserve to be in the judgement. So here is how I decided:

Nr. 1:
 Too small.

Nr. 2: 3rd Honored Mention
A very nice 'Ukrainian cycle' with the speciality that all thematic mates are promotions on the same square. Seems to be quite original. Good economy, since all white pieces are well used in all of the solutions.

Nr. 3: 1st - 2nd Honored Mention e.a.
"Canonical" motivation for a 3x3 Dombro-Lacny. Can't make it any more clear cut. The nine squares at the bottom right corner make all the difference. Good economy.

Nr. 4: 1st - 2nd Honored Mention e.a.
Same as Nr. 3, just a 3x3 Lacny this time.

Nr. 5: Prize
A Carousel with 4 phases is always a noteworthy achievement. A thorough investigation into the works of this one reveals the mechanism. Thematic squares are b5, e4, f5 and f7. Now let's look at the mates, they all need exactly two of these squares covered:
Mate and squares which need coverage:
e8 RO - f5, f7
ROa3 - e4, f7
e8 MO - b5, f7
e8 DS - e4, f5
ROd2 - b5, f5
e8 MA - b5, e4
In each phase white covers one of the thematic squares and all of the black moves take care of another square so the outcome is the familiar carousel theme. Intelligent use of Mao, Moa, Rose and DS properties.

Nr. 6: Comm.
A fine Zagorujko/Lacny combination. The motivation for the changed mates is less harmonic than in numbers 3 and 4 though.

              Reto Aschwanden
Michel Caillaud (France)
dedicated to Juraj Lörinc
Prize
3rd TT CCM C 16.10.1999 - No. 5

1.Bh5? zz, 1...Dspxf7, Rxf5, Moe4, Mab4 2. ! , e8=Ro#, Roxa3#, e8=Mo#

1.Bg4? zz, 1...Dspxf7, Rxf5, Moe4, Mab4 2.e8=Ro#, ! , e8=DSp#, Roxd2#

1.Bf3? zz, 1...Dspxf7, Rxf5, Moe4, Mab4 2.Roxa3#, e8=DSp#, ! , e8=Ma#

1.Ba4! zz, 1...Dspxf7, Rxf5, Moe4, Mab4 2.e8=Mo#, Roxd2#, e8=Ma#, -

A Carousel with 4 phases is always a noteworthy achievement. A thorough investigation into the works of this one reveals the mechanism. Thematic squares are b5, e4, f5 and f7. Now let's look at the mates, they all need exactly two of these squares covered:
Mate and squares which need coverage:
e8 RO - f5, f7
ROa3 - e4, f7
e8 MO - b5, f7
e8 DS - e4, f5
ROd2 - b5, f5
e8 MA - b5, e4
In each phase white covers one of the thematic squares and all of the black moves take care of another square so the outcome is the familiar carousel theme. Intelligent use of Mao, Moa, Rose and DS properties.









#2 (12+8)
Transmuting kings
1+1 mao (f5, a3), 1+1 moa (f7, d2)
rose b1, diagonalspiralspringer e6
Juraj Lörinc (Slovakia)
Michel Caillaud (France)
1st - 2nd HM ex aequo
3rd TT CCM C 16.10.1999 - No. 3

1.Bc6? th., Kxh4, Kf4 2.Rb4#, Rxa4#, Rd4#, 1...gxf5!

1.ROc5? th., Kxh4, Kf4 2.Rxa4#, Rd4#, Rb4#, 1...a3!

1.ROd6! th., Kxh4, Kf4 2.Rd4#, Rb4#, Rxa4#.

"Canonical" motivation for a 3x3 Dombro-Lacny. Can't make it any more clear cut. The nine squares at the bottom right corner make all the difference. Good economy.









#2 (11+4)
Transmuting kings
rose b7
Juraj Lörinc (Slovakia)
Michel Caillaud (France)
1st - 2nd HM ex aequo
3rd TT CCM C 16.10.1999 - No. 4

1.Bc6! zz, Kxh4, Bxg7, Kf4 2.Rb4#, Ra4#, Rd4#,

1.ROd6! zz, Kxh4, Bxg7, Kf4 2.Ra4#, Rd4#, Rb4#,

1.ROc5! zz, Kxh4, Bxg7, Kf4 2.Rd4#, Rb4#, Ra4#.

Same as Nr. 3, just a 3x3 Lacny this time.









#2 (11+5)
Transmuting kings
rose b7
3 solutions
Michel Caillaud (France)
3rd HM
3rd TT CCM C 16.10.1999 - No. 2

1.Te3! (2.a8=S#! 2.a8=N+? Kxe3! 2.a8=Ro+? Kc1!)
1..Kb6 2.a8=N# (1..Le7 2.Txe7#)

1.La4! (2.a8=N#)
1..Kb6 2.a8=Ro#

1.Roh3! (2.a8=Ro#)
1..Kb6 2.a8=S#! 2.a8=N+? Kxh3! 2.a8=Ro+? Kxb2!

A very nice 'Ukrainian cycle' with the speciality that all thematic mates are promotions on the same square. Seems to be quite original. Good economy, since all white pieces are well used in all of the solutions.









#2 (13+6)
Transmuting kings
nightrider b8, rose f2
3 solutions
Juraj Lörinc (Slovakia)
Commendation
3rd TT CCM C 16.10.1999 - No. 6

1.Kb7? zz, 1...Ke8, Ke6, Kd7 2.Kc6#, BLd5#, !,

1.RLh4! zz, 1...Ke8, Ke6, Kd7 2.Sc7#, Bd6#, Kb5#,

1.LIg1! zz, 1...Ke8, Ke6, Kd7 2.Kb5#, Sc7#, Bd6#.

A fine Zagorujko/Lacny combination. The motivation for the changed mates is less harmonic than in numbers 3 and 4 though.









#2 (16+1)
Transmuting kings
2+0 vao (h1, a5), 2+0 lion (a4, b6)
3+0 rook lion, 2+0 bishop lion (f7, h8)
2 solutions

Comments to Juraj Lörinc.
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