nngg@ihuxx.UUCP (10/04/83)
How about some chess problem news? The USA placed third in "2.WCCT," i.e., the Second World Chess Compositions Tournament of the F.I.D.E. F.I.D.E. in English is of course the World Chess Federation, the same outfit that governs world players championships, grandmaster titles, etc. First and second places in 2.WCCT were taken by the USSR and Israel, both of which have strong problemist organizations; the USA is very loosely organized problemistically. Other national rankings were, in order, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Jugoslavia, Netherlands, Rumania, Bulgaria, Finland (which won the last WCCT), Sweden, Greece, Denmark, India, GB, East Germany, Norway, Poland, West Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, Brazil, Austria, Italy, Mongolia, Switzerland, Canada, Indonesia. I did not participate, but I have in the past, including two stints as captain of the US team. Captain of the US team this time was Eric Hassberg, from New York. The tournament challenged composers to create new problems based on 10 themes. Composers were organized by country, which could select among eight of the ten themes to enter. This selection idea is a good one that enables countries with no experience in endgames, say, to avoid that section. Themes covered two movers, three movers, more-movers, endgames, helpmates, selfmates, and "heterodox." The best individual performer overall was the US's Milan Vukcevich. A rarity among problemists, he is also an excellent player, near 50th in the Elo ranks. He is in materials science (Sc.D. MIT, 1967) near Cleveland. I'm diagramming below one of his successes, a fourth-place award in one of the sections. For contrast, I'm also diagramming the first-place award by Milan Melirimovic of Jugoslavia (coincidentally, Vukcevich is originally Jugoslav). I believe Melirimovic is a programmer. In the diagrams, caps are White. Both are White to move and mate in two moves. Milan Vukcevich Milan Velirimovic . . . . . . r . . . . . . N . . . B B P p p n . b b . P . . . . . . . . k q r . R n . P . . . . . . . . N N p . r p . k . . p . . P . R . . . . p P . N . . . n . . . . . . . . . . . B . . . . b . . . Q P . . . . K . . Q . . . . . R . n K . . . . . R . . . The problems satisfy the official requirement: "The following theme has to be shown in at least two tries. Interferences of the same white piece by another single white piece. The theme can be expressed either by the play of the interfering or the interfered piece, on the first or the second move." Whew. Play: Vukcevich -- In the set position we find l...Qxf5 2 Qa6 and 1...Nxf5 2 Qa2 mates. These tries are thematic, since they show interferences with potential mates by the WQ: l R4d2 or d5? Nxf5! l R4d3? Qxf5! 1 Re4? Qxf5! 1 Rg4? Kxf5! Solution: l Rc4! threatening 2 Nd4. Velirimovic -- In the set position, l...Kxd6 2 Pd8Q mate. Thematic tries: l Nf3? Nd7! 1 Nde6? Na8! 1 Nf5? Nc8! Solution: 1 Ne2! threatening 2 Qc5 mate. Newman Guttman AT&T Bell Laboratories Naperville IL