Award of TT Marianka 2014 - Fairies C 2.9.2014

The thematic requirement of fairy unpin was chosen with two aims in mind: - to discourage uninteresting entries generated quickly by computer and - to allow many possible fairy forms, stipulations and thematical complexes to be shown.

The tourney was succesfull in this respect. It attracted reasonable number of 13 entries, some sent in by e-mail, some handed directly in Marianka. Overall, composers present in Marianka took the highest places, but Internet can win next time.

The order of awared problems was decided not only based on the number of thematical unpins or thematical density within content, although these elements played some role. The motivation related to unpins and overall qualities of compositions were included in my considerations.

8th Place: Hubert Gockel
The introduction by both sides serves to create the situation where black pieces are partially unpinned and can make a move. It can be called Pelle move too as the black piece remains pinned after in the final position.

7th Place: Ladislav Packa
Two black pieces, Qb1 and Pd3, pin two white rooks. Simple removal of attack from wK unpins in Anticirce fashion, black queen also has to choose square where it could not enter h1. This determines black moves, while White choses direction of attack depending on the order of unpins. I like a light and crystal clear motivation in this case as well as the fact that all black moves unpin.

6th Place: Jacques Rotenberg
More complicated Anticirce strategy culminates in the switchbacks of pinning white pieces along held pin line. The motivation of switchbacks is not the same, but similar - line closing. Unpins by reciprocal occupation of rebirth squares of Qf3 and Rd3 is in the spirit of the tourney and irreversible moves by black Q and S to the same square f5 add unity.

5th Place: Jan Golha
Mlynka theme (cyclical change of defence motifs of three defences) without the easiest motif "direct guarding" is a good achievement. In the context of the present tourney it is even more so as two of thematical motifs include guarding by unpinning. Namely, there is unpining by hurdle departure and unpinning by arrival behind king (for locust pin). The remaining motif is guarding by hurdle arrival - if that was also with unpin...

4th Place: Emil Klemanic & Michal Dragoun & Ladislav Salai jr.
SAT offers relatively easy way of unpinning: attack on the piece blocking square for the king in fact upins it. The well known movement in guard-unguard fashion by bishop includes the highest number of unpins in the tourney, moreover there is logical try underlining the long journey. But the overall strategy is not so rich as in the following three problems.

3rd Place: Emil Klemanic & Michal Dragoun & Ladislav Salai jr.
The content of three solutions is completely analogous. B1 unguards the future mating square and blocks one of three flights of bK b5, c4, d4. W1 guards two remaining flights and unpins black leo by hurdle departure. B2 then prepares hurdle for mating move by white equihopper who initially pinned it. Only three unpins, but this scores high on the overall impression scale.

2nd Place: Vasyl Dyachuk & Valerij Kopyl
Ukrainian cycle is not an easy theme. It's SAT form requires some creative thinking and by chance I have managed to show it about dozen years ago in s#2. The present direct twomover is based on the same SAT upinning as the 4th placed problem, but naturally there is much more strategy. White keys beside positive motifs creating threats have to include negative motivation removing one of possible checkmates after thematical black defence. The composition was placed only on the 2nd place because of the high number of fairy piece types used.

1st Place: Emil Klemanic & Michal Dragoun & Ladislav Salai jr.
This threemover uses well known lion unpinning mechanism in which there are between Ka4 and white RLh4 two pieces, one white LIb4 and one black RLg4. Black RLg4 is pinned, but after checking departure of LIb4 it is unpinned and can parry the check by its own departure. It is important for the content that it can choose the arrival square freely. It motivates the key (in view of possible black move RLg7) as well as choice of play by LIb4 (in view of possible defences 2...RLg8, 2...RLg1 and 2...RLg7 against 2.LIf8+, 2.LIe1+ and 2.LId2+ respectively). As a result of black couterplay we get 4 variations (including threat) with good black counterplay. Moreover the form is much better than in the 2nd placed problem.

Thanks to all participants and congratulations to winners!

Juraj Lörinc
International Judge of the FIDE for fairies
Marianka - Bratislava, 2.9.-6.9.2014

Hubert Gockel 8th Place Marianka C 2.9.2014	1.f5 Rf8 2.Bf7 Qxg7# 1.f6 Qxf6 2.Sf5 Rxg8# The introduction by both sides serves to create the situation where black pieces are partially unpinned and can make a move. It can be called Pelle move too as the black piece remains pinned after in the final position.

h#2 (3+7) Back-to-Back 2.1.1.1

Ladislav Packa 7th Place Marianka C 2.9.2014	1.d2 Rc6 2.Qb4 Rd5# 1.Qb4 Rg8 2.d2 Rh7# Two black pieces, Qb1 and Pd3, pin two white rooks. Simple removal of attack from wK unpins in Anticirce fashion, black queen also has to choose square where it could not enter h1. This determines black moves, while White choses direction of attack depending on the order of unpins. I like a light and crystal clear motivation in this case as well as the fact that all black moves unpin.

h#2 (3+7) Anticirce 2.1.1.1

Jacques Rotenberg in memory of Uri Avner 6th Place Marianka C 2.9.2014	1.Sf4 Rd1 2.Qxf5(Qd8) Rdd3# 1.Rc2 Qh1 2.Sxf5(Sg8)+ Qf3# More complicated Anticirce strategy culminates in the switchbacks of pinning white pieces along held pin line. The motivation of switchbacks is not the same, but similar - line closing. Unpins by reciprocal occupation of rebirth squares of Qf3 and Rd3 is in the spirit of the tourney and irreversible moves by black Q and S to the same square f5 add unity.

h#2 (8+16) Anticirce 2.1.1.1

Jan Golha 5th Place Marianka C 2.9.2014	1.g8=S? th. 2.Sgf6# 1...NHe5 2.Sc5# 1...CAg6 2.Qxf4# 1...d4 2.Sg3# 1...Gd6! 1.Kd2! th. 2.Qd3# 1...NHe5 2.Sc5# 1...CAg6 2.Qxf4# 1...d4 2.Sg3# 1...CAc2 2.Qxf4# Mlynka theme (cyclical change of defence motifs of three defences) without the easiest motif "direct guarding" is a good achievement. In the context of the present tourney it is even more so as two of thematical motifs include guarding by unpinning. Namely, there is unpining by hurdle departure and unpinning by arrival behind king (for locust pin). The remaining motif is guarding by hurdle arrival - if that was also with unpin...

#2 (10+14) 3+3 grasshopper, 2+0 locust 0+4 nightrider-hopper (a3), 0+3 camel (e3)

Emil Klemanic Michal Dragoun Ladislav Salai jr. 4th Place Marianka C 2.9.2014	1.Bc2? Qa3 2.Bb1+ Qb3 3.?? 1.Bf3 Se7 2.Bh5+ Sd5 3.Bf7 Se7 4.Be8+ Sd5 5.Bc6 Se7 6.Bd7+ Sd5 7.Be6 Se7 8.Bc8+ Sd5 9.Bb7 Se7 10.Bxa6+ Sd5 11.Bb7 Se7 12.Bc8+ Sd5 13.Be6 Se7 14.Bd7+ Sd5 15.Bc6 Se7 16.Be8+ Sd5 17.Bf7 Se7 18.Bh5+ Sd5 19.Bf3 Se7 20.Bd1+ Sd5 21.Bc2 Qa3 22.Bb1+ Qb3 23.a6! axb1=~# SAT offers relatively easy way of unpinning: attack on the piece blocking square for the king in fact upins it. The well known movement in guard-unguard fashion by bishop includes the highest number of unpins in the tourney, moreover there is logical try underlining the long journey. But the overall strategy is not so rich as in the following three problems.

s#23 (8+9) SAT

Emil Klemanic Michal Dragoun Ladislav Salai jr. 3rd Place Marianka C 2.9.2014	1.Bd4 LExe2 2.LEg4 EQg3# 1.Qc4 LExb2 2.LEf6 EQe7# 1.Rb5 LEf4 2.LEe6 EQc7# The content of three solutions is completely analogous. B1 unguards the future mating square and blocks one of three flights of bK b5, c4, d4. W1 guards two remaining flights and unpins black leo by hurdle departure. B2 then prepares hurdle for mating move by white equihopper who initially pinned it. Only three unpins, but this scores high on the overall impression scale.

h#2 (6+12) equihopper g5, 1+1 leo 3.1.1.1

Vasyl Dyachuk Valerij Kopyl 2nd Place Marianka C 2.9.2014	bishopper a6 - f1 bishop lion g5 - c2 grasshopper b8 nightrider g4 nightrider-hopper e5 - a2, e4 nightrider lion g1, g6 rookhopper b6, f4, c3, e2, h2, c1 - h3 rook lion a4 1.RHxa3? th. 2.BLd2# 1...NHg8 2.Nxc2# 1...RHc3! 1.d4? th. 2.NLxa3# 1...NHg8 2.BLd2# 1...BHd3! 1.RHf7! th. 2.Nxc2# 1...NHg8 2.NLxa3# 1...Gf4 2.RHb4# Ukrainian cycle is not an easy theme. It's SAT form requires some creative thinking and by chance I have managed to show it about dozen years ago in s#2. The present direct twomover is based on the same SAT upinning as the 4th placed problem, but naturally there is much more strategy. White keys beside positive motifs creating threats have to include negative motivation removing one of possible checkmates after thematical black defence. The composition was placed only on the 2nd place because of the high number of fairy piece types used.

#2 (18+9) SAT (fairy pieces see on the right)

Emil Klemanic Michal Dragoun Ladislav Salai jr. 1st Place Marianka C 2.9.2014	1.Kh6! th. 2.LId6+ RL~ 3.LId1# 1...BLg8 2.LIf8+ RL~ 3.LIa8# 1...Rg1 2.LIe1+ RL~ 3.LIa1# 1...RLf1 2.LId2+ RL~ 3.LId7# This threemover uses well known lion unpinning mechanism in which there are between Ka4 and white RLh4 two pieces, one white LIb4 and one black RLg4. Black RLg4 is pinned, but after checking departure of LIb4 it is unpinned and can parry the check by its own departure. It is important for the content that it can choose the arrival square freely. It motivates the key (in view of possible black move RLg7) as well as choice of play by LIb4 (in view of possible defences 2...RLg8, 2...RLg1 and 2...RLg7 against 2.LIf8+, 2.LIe1+ and 2.LId2+ respectively). As a result of virtual black couterplay we get 4 variations (including threat) with "delayed" motivation. Moreover the form is much better than in the 2nd placed problem.

#3 (12+11) 1+0 lion, 1+3 rook lion, 0+5 bishop lion

Comments to Juraj Lörinc.
Back to main page of Chess Composition Microweb.