The British Chess Problem Society
Chess Problems News 2002— by John Rice
Quick links to subjects on this page:
(1) British Chess Solving Championship 2001-2.
(2) World Chess Solving Championship, 2002.
(3) British Chess Problem Society.
(4) Composing Match v USA.
(5) Tourney Awards.
Back to BCPS homepage. Link to BCPS Report 2000.
This page is based on the BCPS entry in the British Chess Federation Yearbook for 2002.
ñ (1) British Chess Solving Championship, 2001-2
A steady afternoon's solving ensured first prize for FIDE Solving Master Michael
McDowell in the Final of this event, held at Oakham School on 16th February.
With Jonathan Mestel, Colin McNab and David Friedgood unable to attend, Michael
was the clear favourite, but being in this position always brings extra pressure,
especially in an event which generates tension of its own. So Michael did well to
win the trophy, ahead of Ian Watson (2nd) and Bill Clark (3rd). Michael's score of
52/60 testifies to the difficulty of some of the problems set for solving. As usual,
Brian Stephenson was in charge of the event, which had begun in the summer of 2001
with a starter problem published in the national press and specialist magazines.
More information about the British Chess Solving Championship can be found on
The BDS pages.
ñ (2) World Chess Solving Championship, 2002
The seaside town of Portorož (Slovenia) was the venue for this event, held in
early September. The British team of GM Jonathan Mestel, GM Graham Lee and FM Michael
McDowell finished sixth in a strong field, a very creditable result. World Champions
were Germany (not for the first time by any means), followed by Finland and Israel.
Jonathan's excellent score of 75.5 out of a possible 90 put him in third place overall.
Because the time-limit for the acquisition of norms has now been abolished, Graham Lee
has been granted the title of International Grandmaster for Solving, on the strength
of norms gained over a period of nearly 20 years.
ñ (3) British Chess Problem Society
This Society, open to chess enthusiasts in all countries, has been in existence since
1918. Monthly meetings are held in London during the winter, and there is a Residential
Weekend around Easter, usually outside the London area. The 2002 Weekend, held at the
Carlton Hotel, Cheltenham, was attended by about 40 problemists, who took part in
composing and solving contests and listened to lectures by (among others) Barry Barnes
and Sir Jeremy Morse. Barry's talk took the form of a tribute to former Society President
Colin Vaughan, who died in July 2001 at the age of 84. One of the speakers at the London
meetings during the 2001-2 season was Michael McDowell, who gave an illustrated talk
on the problems composed by the late Lionel Penrose, whose son Jonathan was British
Champion on many occasions. Here is one of the problems Michael discussed.
L. S. Penrose
1st prize The Observer 1920
White to play and mate in 2
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If White had already played, there would be a mate to follow every black move,
e.g. 1…Rg2 2.Bf3; 1…Bg2 2.Qxe3. There are no pure waiting moves available, so White
must play a move that changes these two mates, by giving the BK a flight-square
and unpinning the WQ: 1.Kh5, waiting. The variations are: 1…Rg2 2.Qf3. 1…Bf2 2.Qg4.
1…Kxf5 2.Qf4. 1…Rxg3 2.Nxg3. 1…d2 2.Bc2. 1…e2 2.Qxd3 (changed from 2.Nd2).
This is Lionel Penrose's most famous problem, and arguably his best.
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Members of the British Chess Problem Society can attend the London meetings, held
at the Chadwick Street Recreation Centre, SW1, and may also borrow books from the
extensive BCPS Library. Members receive two magazines, The Problemist and its Supplement,
six times a year [For subscription details go to: Joining the BCPS].
In addition to editing the Society's magazine, John Rice is also the British
Delegate to the FIDE Permanent Commission for Chess Compositions. At the 2002 meeting
of this Commission, held in September in Slovenia alongside the World Solving Championship
reported on above, John was elected President for the next four years. This is the
first time since 1974 that the British Delegate has been President of the Commission,
and Great Britain is the only country to have provided more than one President (the late
Comins Mansfield was the previous British holder of the post).
ñ (4) Composing Match v USA
The results of a composing match between teams of composers from Great Britain and
the USA were announced during the year. The British team won the match by the convincing
margin of 37 points (147:110), largely because British entries gained the first five
places in the section for direct-mate 2- and 3-movers. The following problem took
1st place.
John Rice
1st place GB v USA 2001-2
White to play and mate in 3 moves
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Solution: Not 1.Ke6? (threat 2.Nc4+ Kxe4/Kxc4 3.Qf5/Rxc5) g3+ 2.Nf5+ Kxe4/Kc4
3.Qf3/Rxc5, because Black can play 1…Ra5!, after which White has no continuation
that will force mate on his third move. So correct is 1.Kc6! (threat 2.Nf5+ Kxe4/Kc4
3.Re8/Ne3) cxb4+ 2.Nc4+ Kxe4/Kxc4 3.Re8/Kb6. Much of the point of the problem lies
in the recurrence of the white moves 2.Nc4+ and 2.Nf5+, and the differing mates
after the moves of the black King.
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ñ (5) Tourney Awards
British composers continue to gain awards for their problems in composing tourneys
with international participation. One of Britain's best known composers, R.C.O. Matthews,
recently celebrated his 75th birthday, and it was fitting that another British composer,
Don Smedley, should have won equal first prize in the tourney held to mark the occasion.
Don Smedley
1st prize (equal) R. C. O. Matthews 75th birthday tourney 2002
White to play and mate in 3 moves
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Solution: 1.Nxd5 (threat 2.Bd3+ Nxd3/Rxd3 3.Nc3/Nf6) Nc4 2.Nc3+ Rxc3/Kf5 3.Bc6/Bd7.
1…e6 2.Nf6+ R,Bxf6/Kf5 3.Bc6/Bd3. 1…Kf5/Bxa5/Kxd5 2.Qxf7+/Qxe7+/Qc6#.
Black's main defences allow White to play the third-move mates of the threat as
second-move continuations. The key (White's first move) is top-class, in that it
gives the black King freedom to move to two new flights.
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Another very successful composer is David Shire, a specialist in 2-movers and helpmates.
The following prizewinner is a good example of David's style in this latter genre, in
which Black plays first and helps White to reach a mating position in the number of moves
shown.
David Shire
1st prize The Problemist 2001
Black to play and help White to mate in 2 (2 solutions)
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Solutions: 1.Bf4 Nd6+ 2.Kc5 Nb3, and 1.Nf4 Nb3 2.Kb5 Nd6. Black's first moves are
determined by the fact that the line a4-h4 must be closed in anticipation of the
subsequent moves by both sides. The two white moves are interchanged between the
solutions.
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Back to BCPS homepage. Link to BCPS Report 2000.
