(04.01.2015) We are just a beginning of 2015 but here you can see the award of KoBulChess Twomovers 2014! It was really nice surprise for me to receive this detailed award by the Judge Karol Mlynka on 01.01.2015! Thank you very much Karol for this award which remains open for claims for 1 month period.

KoBulChess IT 2014 – TWOMOVERS AWARD

Judge: Karol Mlynka (Slovakia)

In the section Twomovers of KoBulChess IT 2014  were presented total 16 problems by 11 composers from 10 countries (Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, France, India, Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Ukraine, USA): numbers 310, 322, 322.1, 341, 342, 399, 413, 433, 443, 444, 447, 448, 454, 464, 468, 479. It's not much, but the level of competition was of good average quality.

Prize - Kovacevic:

1.Qb6? (2.Sd6#) Qf6 a 2.Qb1# A, 1...cxd4 b 2.Qxd4# B, 1...Sb5! c,

1.Qe7? (2.Sd6#) cxd4 b 2.Rxd4# C, 1...Sb5 c 2.Sf7# D, 1...Qf6! a,

1.Qc6? (2.Sd6#) Sb5 c 2.Rxd7# E, 1...Qf6 a 2.Bd3# F, 1...cxd4! b,

1.Qe6! (2.Sd6#) cxd4 b 2.Rxd4# C, 1...Sb5 c 2.Sxd7# G, 1...Qf8 d 2.Bd3# F.

There are changes of mates in three tries with two variations after a cyclic shift of defences and refutations (Z-32-36). White Queen creating batteries vacates the square four times  for the same threat by the white Knight. The solution itself is then not so interesting, because the theme would be complete even almost without key.

1^st H.M. - Onkoud:

1.Bxd5? (2.Bxc4# A) bxa4 a 2.Qxc4# B, 1…Rxd5 2.Rxd5#, 1…Kd4 2.Rd2#, 1…e3!,

1.Bxb5! (2.Qxc4# B) Rf7 b 2.Bxc4# A, 1…Rg7 2.Rxd5#, 1…Kd4 2.Rd2#.

A very exciting realization of Pseudo le Grand theme associated with a threat correction of wBc6. Mates and threats on the same square. Opening of white lines resulting from the battery double check to pin mate. The original intention was probably to achieve a pin mate after the king move. Position without white pawns, which would be especially appreciated in the Bohemian problem school, but construction with white aristocrat is in general currently considered to be a little more aesthetic.

2^nd H.M. - Janevski:

1...exf3 a 2.c4# A, 1...Re6 b 2.Bxe6# B, 1.Sd~? (2.c4# A) Rc1 2.fxe4#, 1…b5!, 1.Bf1? (2.Qc4# C & 2.Bc4#) Rxf1 2.fxe4#, 1...Re2!, 1.Sf5! (2.Se7#) exf3 a 2.Qc4# C, 1...Re6 b 2.c4# A, 1...Ke6 2.Se3#.

I think this composition was commented accurately by the author himself: “Combination of Threat Correction with Ruchlis paradox, mates on same square and flight-giving key.“ Plus, of course, halfreciprocal change of mates and defences.

1^st Com - Gavrilovski:

[1.Qc6? (2.Qc3#) Sxd3/Sa2 2.Qxd5#, 1...Sxc6+ 2.Sxc6#, 1...Ke5!]

1.Sc3? (zz) Kc5 a 2.Sc6# A, 1...Ke5 b 2.d4# B, 1...S~ 2.S(x)c6#, 1...Sxd3!,

1.Se3! (zz) Kc5 a 2.d4# B, 1...Ke5 b 2.Sc6# A, 1...S~ 2.S(x)c6#.

The good old reciprocal change after king’s moves, but no mates after this king’s flights in the setplay. A little symmetrical. Furthermore, the originality does not seem to be the best either. Although the white knight first moves and the transferred pawn mate are used before, nevertheless, it is not anticipated by P. A. Murashov's miniature  www.yacpdb.org/?id=166804.

2^nd Com - Svitek:

1.Qg6? (2.Qe4#) Rf5 A 2.Se7#, 1...Sb5 B 2.Bc4#, 1... Re3 C 2.Sxb4#, 1... Bc2!,  

1.Qg1! (2.Qd4#) Rf5 B 2.Se7#, 1... Sb5 C 2.Bc4#, 1... Re3 A 2.Sxb4#

A very impressive cyclic change of 3 defensive motives (at different threats): A = line closure, B = unpinning, C = direct guarding. The harmful effect is in all variations the same. Try, key and threats consistently with WQ. A well known Mlynka theme in which for nearly fifty years of existence many subgroups combinations of motifs had not been composed yet.

3^rd Com - Labai:

1.Kc6? (2.Sbd3# D), 1…Kf4!, 1.Rd3? C (2.Bh2# B), 1…Kf4!, 1.Sc6+? E Kd6 a 2.Rd3# C, 1…Kf4! b,

1.Rg7? A Kd6 a 2.Bh2# B, 1…Kf4! b, 1.Sbd3+? D Kd6! a, 1.Bh2! B (2.Rd3# C) Kd6 a 2.Rg7# A,

1…Kf4 b 2.Sbd3# D, 1…Kd4  2.Sc6# .

Many changes of function, Urania and Salazar theme, mate changes in three phases, flight-giving ambushed key, but no-strategy in this so called new strategy. However, absent the threat A and mate D after defence a. And the repeated black refutation is really the weakness of this fine twomover.

4^th Com - Permyakov:

1.Sf4? (2.Qb3# A) Kb5 a 2.Qa4# B, 1…a4 2.Qb4#, 1…Bd5!,

1.Se4! (2.Qa4# B) Kb5 a 2.Qb3# A, 1…Be7/Rxe4 2.Sb6/Be2#.

Le Grand theme after king move with preliminary masked interference, but the co-editor found out that, some time ago,  this scheme had already been processed, even in miniature, by Stefan Dittrich, 4 ^th Sp. H. M. Die Schwalbe 162 ^nd TT/1, 1979 (http://www.yacpdb.org/?id=143144).  

Bratislava, January 2015         Karol Mlynka - International Judge of FIDE