Проблемист Украины 2021

Конкурс судил Стеффен Нильсен:

«Качество было неоднородным, но с некоторыми интересными и новыми замыслами в лучших этюдах. Глядя на этюды внизу присуждения, мне иногда казалось, что авторы не подозревают, какую роль неожиданность и парадокс должны играть в нашем жанре. Часто зритель имел дело с технически совершенными произведениями, где выигрыш или ничья достигались серией точных правильных ходов. Но такие этюды без глубины и парадокса останутся бесплодными и не смогут никого впечатлить».

1 приз. На месте автора я бы даже не публиковал такой этюд. Четыре белые фигуры в начальной позиции ради хода ладьей под связанную пешку. Позор автору, судье и журналу. Журнал, конечно, не виноват, но опозорен.

2 приз. Если снять четыре вступительных хода, до судьи могло бы дойти, что это вовсе не масштабный этюд, как он посмел выразиться, а краткий анекдот про слона, который прячется по углам, чтобы заманить ладью на поле а5, укусить ее два раза подряд и выиграть последнюю черную пешку.

Ликбез. В комментариях к этюду Арестова судья написал про дуали в ложном следе, которые помешали ему оценить этюд выше. Эту глупость часто повторяют и другие недоучившиеся эксперты. Поймите, наконец, что альтернативные ходы черных в ложном следе ничего не портят, когда они не опровергают игру белых.

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Ilham Aliev
1 год назад

2-oj priz mne bolshe nravitsa… Xotja pomnju u kogo-to Ba1-Bh8 bilo

Pasman
1 год назад

Such a strange judgment…
The judge comments that my study was not awarded because of “exchange on c2 prior to the mate” .
But at the same time he awards 1st prize with exchange on d6 on second move and 3rd place with exchange on d6 prior to stalemate…

 

Martin Minski
1 год назад
Ответ на  Pasman

There are many good such mate picture studies. Yours isn’t optimal and you’re complaining publicly here.
I think the only interesting and original idea is the first prize and you’re talking about technical side issues.

Pasman
1 год назад
Ответ на  Martin Minski

Ok , may be my study is not good enough. But still I don’t understand while the judge says (his words) that the study is good ( “Some interesting play in the introduction (for instance the amusing fact that 1. Qb2+ Bc2 is echoed on the 10th move after the queen has completed a switchback to b2 via b4 and e7)”, but the exchange on c2 is bad and that is the reason that the study was not awarded. But if I look on the first prize – there is an exchange of unmoved knight on d6 – and there is no problem with that. So I just want to understand judge’s principles

Martin Minski
1 год назад
Ответ на  Pasman

Of course you are right that the exchange on d6 in the first prize is a small flaw, but these are just small technical problems of the introduction. The main idea is crucial.

In a mate picture study it is much more serious if an exchange takes place shortly before the finale.
Please see mate picture studies by Bazlov. He is probably the best in this field.
It is certainly difficult to build a new original Mate picture study at this level.

By the way, I personally find it completely irrelevant whether a non-optimal study receives a commendation or nothing.

Jan Sprenger
1 год назад

The level of the competition was so-so, in my view.

I agree with Steffen that Pervakov’s and Didukh’s studies are stimulating, but not among their finest works.

However, I do not agree that the second prize has a tablebase feeling. The lines are quite clear, and so is the motivation of the white play. The point of 8. Bh8! is to avoid that after 8. Ba1?/Bc3? Rxf7 9. Kxf7, Black can defend the pawn from the bottom with 9… Rd1!/Rd3! followed by Re1/Re3.

With the bishop on h8, Black has first to play 9… Rh5 10. Ba1, and now there is only the a5 square left for attacking the bishop because the king blocks h1. But then, 10… Ra5 11. Bc3 Ra3 and now White can exploit the rook position with the double attack 12. Bb4. Nice!

The only slightly annoying line is 7… Rxd5, where Black has several options as the play continues. But the amount of analytics is acceptable, I think.

I really like Arestov’s study (3rd honorable mention) with inventive and clear play. Like Serhiy, I find the dual completely irrelevant. A prize can be considered for this instructive miniature, especially since there is no outstanding study in the competition. Steffen admits that part of the reason why he does not rank the study higher is his dislike of the material distribution. Perhaps not the best of all reasons, but tastes are different and it is good that judges are clear about it.

Aliev’s second honorable mention is very amusing.

The biggest question mark is the first prize. Steffen praises the “quality of the introductory play” with particular mention of 4. Bf8+!, but in my opinion, several things are wrong with this judgment. First, the (logical) Bf8+! decoy is part of the scheme and not of the introduction: otherwise the study would be completely trivial, a one-mover (Rhg4).

The idea of the study to decoy the rook with a sacrifice to f8 is good, in my view. Compliments to the author for that. But the introduction is way too rough. The white rooks do not move before the final (Rf4 never moves…), Nd6 is captured without having moved, Kf8 and Rg8 are almost in stalemate at the beginning, and there is a heavy exchange on the d6 square. I could accept one of these things, but not all of them together.

I agree that it is not easy to improve the introductory play. But this is just too far away from the optimal form. The study has an original pointe, but there are too many flaws for a prize.

Jan Sprenger
1 год назад
Ответ на  Didukh

I like to call alternative moves in the refutation of a thematic try “black duals”, just for the sake of convenience. The point is for me (and I guess, also for you) that the reason why the try fails must be unique.

Yes, you are right that Harold’s article does not mention this topic, but I just got annoyed recently, when scrolling through the award of the WCCT that some judgments were punishing (rather harmless) duals quite heavily.

Jan Sprenger
1 год назад

I have tried for two hours to improve the introduction, with extremely limited success. At least I would try, however, to get rid of the wNd6. I put a pawn there with wBe5, BTM: Black has the choice between 1… Rd5 2. Rh7! or 1… Rxd6+ 2. Bxd6 etc. But an exchange on d6 remains and there is no white key. So no real improvement.

Martin is more skilled at this than me. Perhaps he finds something. One can shift everything to the left, so at least there should be options.

Pasman
1 год назад

I found better introduction for the first prize.
If Amatzia wants, he can use it for free.
I’m trying to improve it even more – I think it’s possible.

 

Jan Sprenger
1 год назад
Ответ на  Pasman

Excellent! The rook moves. Clear lines, no technical weakness and good black defensíve play with 1… Rc5. Now it is a really nice study.

Steffen Nielsen
1 год назад
Ответ на  Pasman

Wonderful version, worth much more than a commendation.

Martin Minski
1 год назад
Ответ на  Pasman

Excellent version, Michael!

Pasman
1 год назад
Ответ на  Pasman

May be this

Jan Sprenger
1 год назад
Ответ на  Pasman

Perfect! Probably this is the optimal version unless we add material.

Congratulations, Michael: your technique is really remarkable. One needs to think about the position and to understand that Rh4 and Rh7 is such a strong threat in order to find the Rc5 defense. By contrast, I just mindlessly moved around the pieces.

Now this is probably the best study of the tournament. Excellent play, economic setting, no analytics, a great pointe with 4. Bf8+! and an amusing finish. So after all, the award looks fine to me. I hope Amatzia accepts the version.

Martin Minski
1 год назад

Michael has shown everyone that he has excellent technique. For me he is one of the best composers.
I probably would never have thought of Rc5.

Serhiy should reconsider his aggressive tone towards the judge.

Martin Minski
1 год назад
Ответ на  Didukh

I think every judge accepts your competent advice, but stay factual!

I think the idea in Avni’s study is the best. In Pasman’s version it is a study without blemish.
Which study do you think is better in this tournament ?

Jan Sprenger
1 год назад
Ответ на  Didukh

I have two questions on this; they are honest and not rhetorical.

I guess most people do not use “black dual” as a proper theoretical term, but as a convenient shorthand for “two alternative moves for Black in a thematic try, which correspond to two different refutations of the white play”. Does this make sense?

I do not like “position X” either, but it can sometimes be helpful to highlight the moment where the difference between the try and the solution becomes clear. Why is it so bad to use it?

(Of course, the difference should not be in the visual image of the position, but in the removal of the obstacle. So I usually try to describe the difference in these terms. But if one does not want to comment extensively, the “position X” indication can help to identify how the obstacle has been removed. Especially if the judge is lazy. 😀 )

Jan Sprenger
1 год назад
Ответ на  Didukh

Serhiy, I agree with you both on that Steffen should not have used the word “dual” and on the purity of purpose in Arestov’s study. That was not the point. I asked a general question about terminology. Your answer regarding the term “position X” was useful (and agrees with my own impression, btw).

Steffen Nielsen
1 год назад
Ответ на  Didukh

I agree “dual” is the wrong term. I am not questioning that the logic is pure in aim.

But still these extra black opportunities influence my overall impression of the study (in the same way minor White duals do, or muddy sidelines or other flaws). They might not be logically important but the are humanly important, because they influence the clarity of the tale.

Daniele Gatti
1 год назад
Ответ на  Jan Sprenger

I guess the point is that the alternative bK moves (8. … Kb2-Kb3-Kb4) are just alternative moves, and not duals, because the refutation is the forecoming Qxa7 if White delivers check in a7 (which is the logical culmination of the sequence).
Alternative White King’s pathway duals are often pointed as minor ones: Black ones are even more irrelevant.
Am I right?

Pasman
1 год назад
Ответ на  Martin Minski

Thank you, Martin. I was also a bit lucky to find Rc5 move and that such nice defensive move existed in the position. I agree with Jan, that now it is 1st prize study. There is also a good flow with all those rook moves. Before that in my opinion, it was commendation study, because of bad introduction. As I already said, Amatzia is free to use this version – I don’t want to have any part on it.

Steffen Nielsen
1 год назад

In my next award, I promise I will not write poorly about the studies of anyone in our little debate group.

Daniele Gatti
1 год назад
Ответ на  Steffen Nielsen

Please, don’t! What would our days be without these amusing quarrels? A ton of boredom! 🙂

Steffen Nielsen
1 год назад
Ответ на  Daniele Gatti

My next award is YCCC. Then I will be back!