Study 131

Árpád Rusz
Selivanov-50 JT
2017
3rd Prize

White wins

1. d7 Nd5! 1... Ba4 2. Nc6! +-; 1... Bf5 2. Ne6! +- 2. Ne6! Thematic try: 2. Nc6? Nc7+ 3. Kb6 Ne6 (position X') 4. Nd4! Ba4! = 2... Nb4+ 3. Kb6 Nc6!

position X

position X'

If we compare Position X with Position X' from the thematic try, it appears like the two knights were "repainted". This is the only difference between the two positions so the study features the WCCT-10 Theme in an original way!

4. Nd4! 4. Kxc6? Ba4+ = 4... Bf5! Black goes for a stalemate trap! 4... Nd8 5. Nxc2 +- 5. Nxf5 5. Nxc6? Bxd7 = 5... Nb8! 6. d8=B! +- 6. d8=Q? stalemate

The end position has a white bishop and knight vs. a black knight, while in the initial position of the study there was a white knight vs. black bishop and knight. It looks like during the game, paradoxically, all minor pieces were repainted!

Watch this study on a dynamic board! Click here!

Study 120

Árpád Rusz
WCCT-10
2016-17
(D31)

White wins

1. Nd8 Nc7+! 1... Bxd4 2. Nf7#; 1... Ng5 2. Bc4 +- 2. Kf8! f1=Q+ 3. Nf7+ Qxf7+ 4. Kxf7 Ng5+ 5. Kg6 Nxh7 6. Bxh7 Bxd4! 7. Bxd4 Ne6

8. Ba1!! Thematic tries: 8. Be5? Nf8+ 9. Kf7 Ng6! 10. Bxg6/Kxg6 stalemate; 8. Bc3? Nf4+ 9. Kg5 Nd5! (9... Ne2? 10. Bb2 Kxh7 11. Kg4 g5 12. Kxg5 Ng3 13. Kf4 Nf1 14. Bc1 +-) 10. Bb2 Kxh7 =; 8. Bb2? Nf8+ 9. Kf7 Ng6! 10. Bg8 Ne5+! 11. Ke8 (11. Bxe5 stalemate; 11. Kf8 Ng6+ 12. Kf7 Ne5+ positional draw) 11... Nd3! (11... Nc4? 12. Bxc4 +-) 12. Bd4 Kxg8 = 8... Nf8+ 8... Nf4+ 9. Kg5! (9. Kf5? Nxg2 10. Bg6 Nh4+ =) 9... Ne6+ 10. Kf5 Nf8 11. Bg6 Nxg6 12. Kxg6 +- 9. Kf7 Nxh7 9... Ng6 10. Bg8 +- double Switchback (K & B) 10. Bxg7#

Watch this study on a dynamic board! Click here!

Here you can find the other entries from the tourney: WCCT-10

WCCT-10

I would like to present some of the studies from the 10th World Chess Composition Tournament 2016-2017 organized by the World Federation for Chess Composition (WFCC). It was a thematic tournament with following theme:

"A logical study with the foresight theme. In a win or a draw study, there is at least one logical try. In this try a critical position B occurs that is very similar to a critical position A in the solution, except for a small difference."

The tourney is still in the judging phase. All studies can be downloaded in pdf and pgn formats in the Downloads section of this blog. Below I present some of the studies I liked.

Update (2017.07.11) The award was published: Award

Unknown author
WCCT-10
2016-17
D020

White wins

1. Rd8 h5! 2. Rd1+! (2. f8=Q? e1=Q 3. Rd1 g4#) 2... exd1=Q 3. Bxd1 g4+ 4. Kh4 Nd7 5. Ba4! (Thematic try: 5. Kxh5? g3 6. Ba4 Nf8 7. Kh6 g2 8. Bc6 e5! 9. Kg7 (9. fxe6 e.p. Nxe6 =) 9... Nd7! 10. f8=Q Nxf8 11. Kxf8 Kh2 12. Bxg2 Kxg2

position B

13. f6 e4 14. f7 e3 15. Kg8 e2 16. f8=Q e1=Q =) 5... Nf8 6. Bc6+! Kh2 7. Kxh5 g3 8. Kh6 g2 (8... e5 9. Kg7 +-) 9. Bxg2 Kxg2 10. Kg7 Nd7 11. f8=Q Nxf8 12. Kxf8 e5

position A

Can you spot the difference between position A and B? They look absolutely the same! But there is a small difference: in position A white can take the e5 pawn by an en passant capture!) 13. fxe6! e.p. +-

Watch this study on a dynamic board! Click here!

Unknown author
WCCT-10
2016-17
D013

White wins

Thematic try: 1. f4+? position B 1... Kc3 2. Rxb2 Rxb2 3. Ka5 Rb5+ 4. Kxa6 Rf5 5. f7 Kc4 6. g7 Rf6+ 7. Ka5 Rf5+ 8. Ka4 Rf6 9. Ka3 Kc3 10. Ka2 Ra6+ 11. Kb1 Rb6+ 12. Kc1 Ra6 13. Kd1 Kd3 14. Ke1 Ke3 15. Kf1

15... Kf3! The black king can hide under the f-pawn! 16. Kg1 Rg6+ 17. Kh2 Rh6+ positional draw

Solution: 1. f3+!! position A 1... Kc3 2. Rxb2 Rxb2 3. Ka5 Rb5+ 4. Kxa6 Rf5 5. f7 Kc4 6. g7 Rf6+ 7. Ka5 Rf5+ 8. Ka4 Rf6 9. Ka3 Kc3 10. Ka2 Ra6+ 11. Kb1 Rb6+ 12. Kc1 Ra6 13. Kd1 Kd3 14. Ke1 Ke3 15. Kf1 +- Now the black king cannot hide under the f-pawn!

Watch this study on a dynamic board! Click here!

WCCT-10 Study D047

Unknown author
WCCT-10
2016-17
D047

White wins

1. g6+! Kh8 2. axb7 Bg8!

3. a8=R!! Thematic try: 3. a8=Q? Qe1+ 4. Kb2 bxc3+ 5. Kxc3 Qc1+ 6. Kd4 Qc4+ 7. Ke3 Qxf4+ 8. Kxf4 f1=Q+ 9. Kg5 Qf6+ 10. Kh5 Qe5+ 11. g5 Qe2+ 12. g4 Qe5 (12... Qf3? 13. b8=R!! +-) 13. b8=Q Qxb8 14. Qxb8 b5 15. Qxb5 Ba2 16. Qxd3 Bg8 17. Qd6 Bb3 18. d4 Ba2 19. d5 Bxd5 20. Qxd5

position B (stalemate)

3... Qe1+ 4. Kb2 bxc3+ 5. Kxc3 Qc1+ 6. Kd4 Qc4+ 7. Ke3 Qxf4+ 8. Kxf4 f1=Q+ 9. Kg5 Qf6+ 10. Kh5 Qe5+ 11. g5 Qe2+ 12. g4 Qf3!

13. b8=R!! 13. b8=Q? Qxa8! 14. Qxa8 b5 =; 13. Rxg8+? Kxg8 14. b8=Q+ Qf8 = 13... Qxa8 14. Rxa8 b5 15. Rb8 b4 16. Rxb4 Ba2 17. Rd4 Bb3 18. Rxd3 Be6 19. Rd6 Bg8 20. d4 Ba2 21. d5 Bxd5 22. Rxd5 +-

position A (no stalemate!)

Watch this study on a dynamic board! Click here!

WCCT-10 Study D012

Unknown author
WCCT-10
2016-17
D012

White wins

1. Bf6+! Kc2 2. Be5 Qe7 3. Rxb2+ Kc1 4. Rb1+! Kc2 5. Rb5 Kc1 6. Rd5! Thematic try: 6. Bb3? Qa3! 7. Kd3 Qf8! 8. Ke2 Qa3 9. Bf4+ Kb2 10. Be5+ Kc1 11. Bd4 Qa6! 12. Bc4 Qg6! 13. Be3+ Kc2 14. Bb3+ Kc3 15. Bd2+ Kd4 16. Rd5+ Ke4 17. Bc2+ Kxd5

position B1

18. Bxg6 hxg6 = 6... Kc2 7. Rd2+ Kc1 8. Rd1+ Kc2 9. Rd5! h5 10. Rb5! Thematic try: 10. Rd2+? Kc1 11. Rd1+ Kc2 12. Rd5 h4 13. Rb5 Kc1 14. Bb3 Qa3 15. Bd4 position B2 h3 = 10... Kc1 11. Bb3! Qa3 12. Bd4! position A2 Qa6 13. Bc4 Qg6 14. Be3+ Kc2 15. Bb3+ Kc3 16. Bd2+ Kd4 17. Rd5+ Ke4 18. Bc2+ Kxd5

position A1

19. Bxg6 +-

Watch this study on a dynamic board! Click here!

WCCT-10 Study D046

Unknown author
WCCT-10
2016-17
D046

White wins

1. Nf6+! Nxf6 2. a8=Q Nd7+ 3. Kc8! Nb6+ 4. Kb7 Qxc7+ 5. Kxc7 Nxa8+

6. Kb8!! Thematic try: 6. Kb7? b2 7. Bc3 b1=Q 8. Bf6 Qh1 -+ position B1 6... b2 7. Bc3 b1=Q 8. Bf6! Qxb4 8... Qh1 position A1 9. g4# 9. Kb7!! 9. Kxa8? Qf8+ -+ 9... Qf4 10. g4+ Qxg4 11. hxg4+ Kxg4 12. Bg7! Kg5 13. d4 Kxf5 14. d5 h5 15. Kxa8 h4

16. Kb8! Thematic try: 16. Kb7? h3 17. d6 h2 18. d7 h1=Q+ -+ position B2 16... h3 17. d6 h2 17... Ke6 18. Kc7 h2 19. d7 h1=Q 20. d8=Q Qh2+ 21. Kc8 Qxf2 22. Qd7# 18. d7 h1=Q position A2 19. d8=Q Qh2+ 20. Kc8! 20. Kb7? Qg2+ = 20... Qxf2 21. Qf6(8)+ +-

Watch this study on a dynamic board! Click here!

WCCT-10 Study D072

Unknown author
WCCT-10
2016-17
D072

Draw

1. g5!! Thematic try: 1. fxg6? Be3 2. Rf3 Bd4+ 3. Nb2+ Nc3 4. Nd3 Nxa4+ 5. Nb2+ Nc3 6. Nd3 Nd1+ 7. Nb2+ Ne3 8. Rxe3+ Bxe3 9. cxd5 c1=Q+ 10. Rxc1 Bxc1 11. Nc4+ Kb3 12. g7 Bg5 13. g8=N Kxc4 14. Kxa2 Kxd5 15. Kb3 Kc5 16. Ka4 Kc4 17. Ne7 Bxe7-+

position B (no stalemate!)

1... Bxg5 2. fxg6 Be3 3. Rf3 Bd4+ 4. Nb2+ Nc3 5. Nd3 Nxa4+ 6. Nb2+ Nc3 7. Nd3 Nd1+ 8. Nb2+ Ne3 9. Rxe3+ Bxe3 10. cxd5 c1=Q+ 11. Rxc1 Bxc1 12. Nc4+ Kb3 13. g7 Bg5 14. g8=N! Kxc4 15. Kxa2 Kxd5 16. Kb3 16. Ka3? Kc4 17. Ka4 Kc5 -+ mutual zugzwang 16... Kc5 16... Ke6 17. Kc4 Kf7 18. Kc5 = 17. Ka4 mutual zugzwang 17... Kc4 18. Ne7! Bxe7 stalemate

position A (stalemate!)

Watch this study on a dynamic board! Click here!