Going "all in"?

Some interesting rumours have reached my ears, from the city of Al Ain, in the United Arab Emirates, which has just played host to the World Cities Championship. Those who have their ear close to the ground in the less exotic environs of Hastings will have heard, some weeks ago, that a certain diminutive arbiter of this blog's acquaintance would not be present for the early rounds of the traditional seaside event. However, his name then appeared in the round one draw, as a filler. So what happened?

According to a couple of sources close to the Al Ain event, it would appear that The Little I Am was expecting to be arbiting at the World Cities Championship (an event due to finish only on 28 December, hence his anticipated late arrival at the Sussex seaside), but that his invitation was subsequently withdrawn. The reason might be summarised by Sir Humphrey Appleby as "a certain lack of congruence between the financial expectations of the invitee, and the sums willing to be disbursed by the invitor, in consideration for the services to be provided". In other words, the Little Man seems to have demanded too much money, and the organisers decided that they could, after all, manage to survive without his inimitable company!

Of course, it could be that his extravagent demands (including, I am told, business class air tickets and other perks) were just a negotiating ploy, an opening gambit, as it were. If so, then he clearly overplayed his hand - surely an elementary error for such an experienced poker player?

Goodbye Viktor?

I had intended to write today about the latest petty act of spitefulness by the assholes at the Egregious Chess Federation, but this has all been swept aside by the news I have just seen on Twitter. The great and incomparable Viktor Korchnoi has probably played his last competitive game of chess. According to this report, Viktor Lvovich suffered a stroke in September, and is now hospitalised again with heart trouble. There are hopes he will be able to return to his apartment in Switzerland, and be cared for by his devoted wife, Petra, but it appears unlikely that he will ever be able to return to tournament chess.

If so, thus ends what is surely the greatest chess tournament career ever, if measured in terms of longevity. Viktor Lvovich won tournaments across at least six decades (!), starting in the 1950s. He won everything except the world championship, and the latter eluded him only by a hair's breadth.

This is a sad day for chess lovers everywhere. One can only take consolation in his games. Here is one of his own favourites:

Honoured at last!

Naturally, at this time of year, one's thoughts turn to the New Year's Honours List. It has been a long time since those halcyon days of the 1970s, when British chess had Sir Stuart Milner-Barry in charge of the honours system, with the result that leading figures in British chess were rewarded as never before. However, I am delighted to be able to reveal exclusively that the new President of the Egregious Chess Federation, Roger "Alumnus" Edwards, is in line for a gong this time round. My extensive network of contacts has even supplied me with a copy of the Latin award citation, in full, which I am delighted to be able to reveal to followers of this blog:

Photo: channel4.com

SALUTAMUS ROGERUS EDWARDIUS, IMPERATOR FEDERATIAE SCHACCISTICUS ANGLICAE, QUOQUE NOTUS UT "ALUMNUS", QUIA COLLECTIO MAGNUSISSIMO LAUDATII SCHOLISARII PER WIKIPEDIUM. SALVATOR REGNUM CAISSARIUS OT TYRANNIS INFAMIS EGGHEADUS C-US J-US DE MOOIUS, ET PRAESTES CAUSA IUDICUM SCHACCISTICUM. ADVERSARIUS GRAVISSIMUS SCHEMA FEDERATIONAE COACTO PARTICIPATIO, SED QUOD NIHIL POTUIT ALIQUID, PROPTER EDICTIO CONCILIUM. NEMO COGNOVERIT QUID FACIAT, SED QUIDQUID ID EST, QUIDQUID EST OPTIMUM. GAUDEAMUS!

Traditional Boxing Day hunts go ahead

"That looks like a termite over there!" (photo: itn.co.uk)

"World to end today", say Mayans

"I expect it only ends for people who have not joined the ECF compulsory membership scheme" (Photo: John Saunders)

Termitewatch 43 - The KKK Diversity Committee

"What mighty contests rise from trivial things"! Over on the Forum, all hell has broken loose, after one of the termites, a certain Alan Burke (sic) apparently made a formal complaint to the ECF against Sean Hewitt, over comments made during a Forum exchange. The latter reacted by closing his Forum account, while the Forum's chief censor, Carl "Old Mother" Hibbard, lost no time in closing the eponymous Burke's account as well, to prevent him answering Hewitt's comments.

Hewitt stands accused under the ECF's newly-adopted "Code of Conduct", a risible document which can be found here. Inter alia, this provides that "officials of the ECF ...must ensure that their actions do not:...bring the game of chess or the ECF into disrepute". Yes, this is the Egregious Chess Federation we are talking about! Sean must be laughing his socks off - to be accused by the Egregious mob of bringing chess into disrepute is rather like having the Ku Klux Klan accuse one of a lack of racial sensitivity. Meanwhile, the Egregious clowns are running around like headless chickens, trying to decide which of their own number should investigate a complaint against another of their number, and if proven, what they should do to him. Given that they have half the Board posts unfilled as it is, are they really going to suspend or expel the only Director they have, who has an ounce of commercial sense?

Now the usual pompous Forum oafs have waded in, including "Sir" Roger de Coverley, Justin "Care in the Community" Horton, and Martin Regan. Surely it can only be a matter of time before Ernie "Good Moaning" Lazenby awakes from his slumbers and gives us the benefit of his unique constabulary wisdom?

We'll keep you posted.

"I was pissing by your blag, and spitted something about a Kode of Kinduct"

PS. 18 December 2012: Sure enough, the old fool has "pissed by" the Forum and had his two penn'orth. At least, it purports to be Ernie, but given that his post contained only one clear spelling/grammatical error, I suspect his account may have been hacked...

A great loss - the solution

A C Reeves, Probleemblad 1965

White to play and mate in two

As I pointed out, experienced solvers will immediately focus their attention on the pawns on c2 and e7. A pawn on its original square can have a maximum of four legal moves, and problems in which all four such moves occur in the solution are known as Albinos. The equivalent term with a black pawn is the now poltically incorrect Pickaninny.

Looking at the above position, we note that 1.cxb3 threatens 2.b4 mate, but is defeated by the sole defence 1...exd6! Further inspection reveals that the other three white pawn moves 1.c3/c4/cxd3 all threaten mates (2.Rc5/Qd5/d4 respectively), but are defeated in each case by the appropriate move of the black pawn (1...exf6!/e6!/e5!). In other words, we have the four Albino tries, defeated by the four Pickaninny defences! This remarkable task had been achieved before, back in 1930, by the great Russian composer Lev Loshinsky, but in a much more clumsy setting; Chris Reeves' version here is a vast improvement.

The key is 1.Rb4!, which threatens 2.Ne4 mate. Black's defences 1...exd6/Nc6/Nc4+ are then met respectively by 2.Bxd6/Qxc6/Rxc4 mate.

A wonderful achievement, the only small blemish on which (as David Shire points out, in the article linked to in the previous post) being that the white Bf1 does not play any part in the post-key play. It is needed to ensure that after the try 1.cxd3, the only defence is 1...e5 (without the bishop, Black would have another defence in 1...exd6, securing a flight on b5). However, this still does not stop this problem being a major improvement on Loshinsky's original effort at the same task.. It was characteristic of Chrishopher Reeves to attempt such difficult constructional tasks in his problems, and although his output was consequently relatively small, alongside many other composers', the overall quality of his compositions was extremely high. 

It was a privilege to have known Christopher, and my condolences go to his wife Claire and their children.

A great loss

Just over a week ago, British problem chess lost one of its stalwarts, with the sudden death of Christopher Reeves. I had come to know Christopher, and his charming Swiss-born wife Claire, a little in recent years, at the annual weekend meetings of the British Chess Problem Society. Christopher was not just a charming man, but a very considerable composer. Those interested in seeing a fuller and more authoritative appreciation of his problems will enjoy this splendid article. For myself, here is a favourite problem of Christopher's. Solution and comments later this week, but experienced problem solvers will home in at once on the pawns on c2 and e7!

A C Reeves, Probleemblad 1965

White to play and mate in two

Chess editor laid low by 3mm kidney stone!

"It's amazing what a pain some little things can be".

A classic problem - the solution

A Dombrovskis, 1st Prize, Probleemblad 1958

White to play and mate in two

In order to understand the theme of this problem, one needs to see the moves which do not solve it, and why. The first try is 1.Bc1, which threatens mate by 2.Nf4X ("Threat A"). However, this is defeated by 1...Bd2 ("Defence a").

A second try is 1.Ng3, threat 2.Rd4 mate ("Threat B"), which is refuted by 1...Qe2 ("Defence b").

The key is 1.Ne3!, which grants the BK two flights, and threatens 2.Qc2 mate. Black's two main defences to this threat are 1...Bd2, which allows 2.Nf4 mate, and 1...Qe2, which allows 2.Rd4 mate. (there is also a third, non-thematic variation, 1...Ke2. 2.Qd1 mate).

If we look again at the two main variations after the key, we see that 1...Bd2 ("Defence a") now allows the very mating move ("Threat A") which it prevented in the try phase. Likewise, 1...Qe2 ("Defence b") is now refuted by the mating move it prevented ("Threat B") in the try phase!

This delightful paradox is known as the Dombovskis Theme, after the composer of this classic early example. It is a very good example of the sort of problem which can only really be appreciated if one tries to solve it oneself.

A classic problem

I have recently been spending a little more time on chess problems, after something of a hiatus. Here is a classic 2-mover, that lent the composer's name to the theme. It is one of those problems that you appreciate much more, if you have made a real effort to solve it, so do have a go.

A Dombrovskis, 1st Prize, Probleemblad 1958

White to play and mate in two

Solution and explanation on Thursday.

The Giddins 21st-Century Bible

You've all heard of the Gideon Bible, now we bring you a new, 21st-century translation: the Giddins Bible! Today's chosen text comes from St Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians:

"He that does not pay, neither shall he watch live games" - II Thessalonians, 3:10.

A verse especially chosen, for the benefit of the hysterical whinging termites, who have spent most of the past 24 hours, expressing their utter outrage at the fact that yesterday's free online coverage of the London Classic had a few server problems.

Personally, I blame Malcolm Pein - never give a termite anything for nothing, else it will assume it is its divine right and will go on making ever-increasing demands. If termites want to watch live games of chess, let them travel to Olympia and buy a ticket.

Here endeth the umpteenth lesson...