Chess Problem Art 
 by Paz Einat
 		אומנות בעיות השחמט
מאת פז עינת
Annual Meeting 2011

The meeting took place on Saturday, March 26th 2011 at metropolitan Hotel, Tel Aviv
מפגש הפרובלמאים השנתי - 2011

המפגש התקיים ביום שבת ה 26 במרץ 2011 במלון מטרופוליטן בתל-אביב

תחרות חיבור למתחילים - קדם מפגש שנתי 2011 - מט ב-2 מסעים
 להורדת דוח התחרות בעברית

 Composing Tourney for beginners - Pre Annual Meeting 2011

Theme: The participants need to compose a "mate in two moves" problem wherein in his first move white sacrifices a piece in a square near the black king so that the king can capture this piece. White's first move cannot be a checking move or a capture of any piece except a pawn.

Judge: Aaron Hirschenson.

I received 9 problem and the level was medium considering it was a tourney for beginners.

First Prize - David Stern
In the set there are two flights for the black king on a6 and c7 and there is a set mate for Kxa6. The key controls c7 but compensates by the knight's sacrifice on a8 (a give & take key). A nice play of line opening controlling the sacrifice square is shown, and there is a nice pin mate after the capture of the sacrificed knight. Importantly, a random move by BBb8 would allow two mate, but these are separated by nice dual avoidance by the only two available moves of the bishop.

Sol: 1.Sa8 ! zz

1...Kxa8 2.Bxc6 #

1...Kxa6 2.Sc5 #

1...Sc8,b5 2.Sc5 #        

1...Bc7 2.Sc5 # 

1...Bd6 2.Rb6 #

 

David Stern

1st Prize Beginner T. Pre-meeting 2011

#2                                      ( 8 + 5 )

Second Prize - David Stern
Here we also have a give & take key. White sacrifices a knight on h8, creating a flight in addition to the one on f6. We have a pin mate and another good battery mate after 1...Kf6. The move 1...Sf6 is actually a correction move since the removal of the knight from the board would result in 2.Be5#. A version in which h6 is also given as a flight seems possible.

Sol: 1.Sh8 ! zz

1...Kxh8 2.Be5 #

1...Kf6 2.Bf8 #

1...Se7 2.Be5 #

1...Sf6  2.Sf5 #

 

David Stern

2nd Prize Beginner T. Pre-meeting 2011

#2                                     ( 7 + 4 )
Third Prize - Tomer Albagli
White sacrifices the rook and by evacuating e4 a nice self-block mate is created after 1...Bxf4

1.Rf4 ! (2.Qf6 # )

1...Bxf4 2.Se4 #

1...Kxf4 2.Qh6 #

1... h4 2.Rf5 #

Tomer Albagli

3rd  Prize Beginner T. Pre-meeting 2011

#2                                     ( 7 + 4 )

 

David Stern

1st HM Beginner T. Pre-meeting 2011

#2                               ( 8 + 6 )

    

    1.Re5 ! zz

     1... f4 2.Sg4 #; 1... d5 2.Qe7 #

     1...dxe5 2.Qe7 #; 1...Kg5 2.Se4 #

     1...Kxe5 2.Qc3 #; 1... g5 2.Rxe6 #

 

Leon Aisenshtadt

1st HM Beginner T. Pre-meeting 2011

#2                             ( 11 + 7 )

    

     1.Rxd4 ! (2.Rxc4,Rd5 # )

      1...Kxd4 2.f4 #

      1...Sxd4 2.Sa4 #

 

David Stern

1st Com Beginner T. Pre-meeting 2011

#2                              ( 7 + 4 )

1.Sh6 !  (2.Qxg7 # )  

1... g4 2.Qf7 #

1...gxh6 + 2.Rxf6 #