#2-94
#3-94
#n-94
h#-94
s#-94
#2-95
#3-95
#n-95
h#-95
s#-95
Mat Plus #2-96
#3-96
#n-96
h#-96
s#-96
#2-97
#3-97
#n-97
h#-97
s#-97
#2-98/99
#3-98/99
#n-98/99
h#-98/99
s#-98/99

Mat Plus Informal Tourney: Twomovers 1997
Judge: Paz Einat

Judging the mate-in-two section of MAT PLUS is an unusual task. When the identity of all composers is known and thorough comments are published alongside the problems the assessment and grading of the problems must be done with great care. This notion was only strengthened when I found myself confronted with such a high number of excellent compositions among the 41 originals published in 1997. In evaluating the problems my basic criteria were artistic value and originality and then the technique, construction, and new ways of expression. The top nine problems are of high standard and the overall grading as well as distinction between prizes and honorable mentions was not trivial and thus depends more on personal taste. Problem No.261 by Milan Vukcevich that was intended to get the 4th HM was found to be anticipated (I thank Milan Velimirovic for bringing it to my attention) by O. Stocchi, Gazette de Liege 1931, Kc1 Qe2 Ra4 e7 Bb1 g3 Sc7 e3 Pc2 d2 d4 e6 h3 (13) - Ke4 Qa6 Rd6 h4 Bb5 b6 Sf3 Pg4 (8), #2, 1.Rf7.

Milan Velimirovic
1st Prize Mat Plus 1997
7s3p1PP3pSk1P3p1S2R2s6BrPB1Q3p7K1R






#2 12+8
1.Bd4! ~ 2.Sec4:/Sf3/Sg4/Sc6:#
1... Kd5,Kd6:,Ke7,cd4 2.Sf3,Sc4:,Sc6:,Sg4#
1... Kf6,Rd3:,Sf7:,Sg6: 2.Sd7:,Sd3:,Sef7:,Sg6:#
(1... Rb3: 2.Sec4:#)
Victor Chepizhny
2nd Prize Mat Plus 1997
s6B7B4p4rR3p2p1SP4QpkS3qs3P3b2K






#2vv 9+10
1.Qd5? ~ 2.e5#
1... e5,Qa7 2.Sb3,Se6:#
1... Rb7!
1.Rd5? ~ 2.e5#
1... e5,Rb7 2.Sb5:,Se6:#
1... Qa7!
1.Se6:! ~ 2.e5#
1... Rb7,Qa7 2.Rd5,Qd5#
Marjan Kovacevic
3rd Prize Mat Plus 1997
1B2s2q2SR1r4p1S6bk1P2Qp1P6P1R9bK2s






#2v 10+9
1.Re7? ~ 2.Se8:#
1... Be4:,Be6:,Sc7:,Re7: 2.d4,Qc5,Bc7:,Rf5#
1... Sd6!
1.Re3! ~ 2.d4#
1... Be4:,Be6:,Sc7:,Se3:,cd3,c5 2.Qc5,Se8:,Qd6,Qc3,Qd4,Rd5:#
1.Qc5? Bg1!, 1.Qe7? cd3!

1st Prize (No.369) Milan Velimirovic. The most original problem I have seen in recent years, let alone in this award. The white knight on e5 is the focal point of four batteries, each directed at one of the four BK flights. The four threats are "Fleckly" separated in a precise and varied manner. Four additional variations invite WSe5 into the four places it had not visited and complete a white-knight-wheel. An original and artistically appealing concept convincingly executed. Points that would have been regarded as critical flaws, like the un-provided flights, are irrelevant here.

2nd Prize (No.310) Victor Cepizhny. A "Banny" full of inspiration. The try play centers around BPe6 with the mate 2.Se6# being transferred using the batteries which are formed and realized as the actual key. Though the solutions comes as somewhat of an anti-climax the harmony and completeness of the three phases makes the problem worthy of its high place.

3rd Prize (No.363) Marjan Kovacevic. Like many other Lacny problems "differential pinning" is used as an anchor for the mechanism. The rest, however, makes up an original "threat Lacny". In each phase one of the white rooks gives up a double guard on two squares and provides a double guard on a third square, allowing the threat. The harmony stemming from switching of the defensive motifs from one side of the BK to the other side, the use of the WBb8/WSe7 battery, the inclusion of an additional mate change, and the good construction are the ingredients of a memorable composition.

Mihajlo Stojnic
4th Prize Mat Plus 1997
17p7B2S1p3p1Ppp1Q3P1p1RBP2kS4sR2K






#2vv 11+8
1.ef4?(A) ~ 2.Sg4:#
1... Se3 2.Qe3:#
1... Sc3!(a)
1.c3?(B) (~)
1... Sc3: 2.Bc3:#
1... Se3:!(b)
1.Bd4! (~) 1... Sc3(a) 2.ef4#(A)
1... Se3:(b) 2.c3#(B)
(1... c3,fe3,f3 2.Rf1,Qf8,Sg4:#)
Milan R. Vukcevich
5th Prize Mat Plus 1997
5S4B4R1pp8k3pr5RqbP3P1S2KP2B7Q






#2* 11+7
*1... Rc4+,Rd4,Re4,Rf4,Rg4: 2.bc4,Qd4:,fe4,Sf4:,fg4#
1.Rb4! ~ 2.f4/Rd7#
1... Rb4:,Bb4:,Qb4: 2.Rd7,f4,Rh5:#
1... Qc4+,Qd4,Qe4,Qf4,Qg4 2.bc4,Qd4:,fe4,Sf4:,fg4#
Miodrag Mladenovic
1st HM Mat Plus 1997
10Sp7p3BRpP6psk5P4K3QS11B






#2* 9+6
1... Ke5,Kc5: 2.Bg7,Be3#
1... S~,Se5! 2.Sf3,Sb5:#
1.Sd5! (~)
1... S~,Se5! 2.Bg7,Be3#
1... Ke5,Kc5: 2.Qc4:,Qe4#

4th Prize (No.259) Mihajlo Stojnic. The first acceptable realization of ideal "Vladimirov". The other problems, No.3 and 4 in Milan's article in MAT PLUS No.15, suffer from serious flaws. The genuine mechanism uses blocks on c3 by both black and white in the tries to prevent the move 2.Bd4. The key build up two batteries that are differentially used according to the play by BSd1. I can only join the enthusiasm expressed in the comments along the solution in MAT PLUS and complement the composer for this achievement.

5th Prize (No.258) Milan Vukcevich. A mate transference task accomplished in a good open setting. Mates are provided for all of the six BQ defenses on the a4-h4 line with a good mate arranged for 1... Qb4:. The other five mates are transferred from the five set mates following the BRa4 moves from c4 to g4. Compared to its predecessors by the same composer and van Dijk the problem offers not only more quantity but also distinct quality and probably the ideal presentation of the scheme. WPf6 should be added as suggested by Miodrag Mladenovic.

1st Honorable Mention (No.254) Miodrag Mladenovic. Most elements in this excellent "Black Correction" ideal Ruchlis are known including the mate transference based on the BK flights and the key that unguards two squares (c6 and e6) and guards two squares (b6 and f6). However, combining all this with a convincing black correction play in an ideal setting makes a remarkable achievement. The main criticism is on the role of WSd2 that is used only to provide the set mate 1... S~ 2.Sf3#. A thorough analysis reveals the difficulties faced by the composer and makes WSd2 understandable but a flaw non-the-less. An additional flaw is the set dual 1... Se3 2.Bg7/Sf3#

Miodrag Mladenovic
2nd HM Mat Plus 1997
4B5S6s11K3P1kpp1R2sPpPb4R9SQ






#2 10+7
1.Bf7! (2.de4:#)
1.... Sbd5 (Ab) 2.Se6#
1.... Sc~ (Bc) 2.Sb5#
1.... Sc4 (Cd) 2.dc4:#
1.... ef3: (De) 2.Qe3:#
1.... Bf2 (Ea) 2.Qg7#
A/a = closing / opening of white line
B/b = unblock / self-block
C/c = guard / unguard
D/d = escape from / expose to WP
E/e = unpin / pin of black man)
Aaron Hirschenson
3rd HM Mat Plus 1997
1S6PKs9Q1r1kp4BRspr6P11b2R






#2vv 8+8
1.Be3? ~ 2.Ra4:#
1... Sd5,Rg6,Rc5! 2.a8Q,Qb6,? #
1.Bf6? ~ 2.Ra4:#
1... Sd5,Rg5!,Rc5 2.Qa6,?,Qb6#
1.Bd8! ~ 2.Ra4:#
1... Rc5,Rg5,(Sd5?) 2.a8Q,Qa6#
(1... Bc5 2.Sc6#)
Zoran Nikolic
1st Com Mat Plus 1997
6SK3P1ppSR7r4kbP1Qp4p5PPp1B3s2q






#2v 10+10
1.Qe7? ~ 2.Qg5:#
1... Qc1,Ra6:,Se4,f6,Bd2/Bf4 2.Ra5:,Qe5,Qe4:,Qe6,Qf7:#
1... Bf6!
1.Qd2! ~ 2.Qg5:#
1... Qc1,Ra6:,Se4,f6/Bd2:,Bf6 2.Qa5:,Qd5,g4,Se7,Qf4#

2nd Honorable Mention (No.308) Miodrag Mladenovic. An impressive 5-fold cycle of Black positive - negative defensive effects. The mechanism seems to rely initially on the defenses by the BS's with the addition of two other defenses to close the cycle. The use of the "escape from/exposure to WP capture" effect is a surprising addition to the scope of effects. The only weak point in this problem is the key, with WRd2 at d1 and WBe8 at g8 the key 1.Rd2! is much better.

3rd Honorable Mention (No.307) Aaron Hirschenson. A new twist into the LLP form of cyclic permutations (as classified by Milan Velimirovic) executed with grace and lightness. The complex mate interchange between the phases, complemented by the Grimshaw on c5, is refreshing and the problem can stand alongside other problems of its class.

1st Recommendation (No.260) Zoran D. Nikolic. The 5 changed mates featured in this problem involve the replacement of the 3 WQ try mates on e4, e5, and e6 by more interesting mates in the solution and a nice mate change on a5. Inherent duals exist after 1... Bf4/Be7 in the solution.

 
Dragan Stojnic
2nd Com Mat Plus 1997
27BP12P14kbK4Q






#2vvv 5+2
2nd Com: 1.Qg1? (~)
1... Ka2,Ba2 2.Qa7,Qd4#
1... Bd3!
1.Qh4? (~)
1... Ka2,Ba2 2.Qa4,Qd4#
1... Be4!
1.Qh8? (~)
1... Ka2,Ba2 2.Qa8,e6#
1... Bd3!
1.Qe1! (~)
1... Ka2,Ba2 2.Qa5,Qc3#
Miodrag Radomirovic
(after H. Bartolovic)
3rd Com Mat Plus 1997
1b9K2P4s4SpPk1p2QP1rR1B3Bps2SP3R1P7q






#2 13+9
1.Sc4! ~ 2.Rd4:#
1... Rc4:,Sec4:,Sdc4:,bc4 2.Re5,Sf4,Qa8,Qc6#
1... Re4:,fe4,Se4: 2.Sb6,Be6,g8Q/B#
1... Kc4:,Ke4:,Se~ 2.Qb3,Bf3,Sb6#
(1.Sc6? Re4:!)
 
Dragan Stojnic
4th Com Mat Plus 1997
40RB2pp2Q2PPk4S1b1RK






#2vv 8+4
1.Qa1? (~)
1... ed2,fe2 2.Qd4,Qf6#
1... Bd2:!
1.Qc2? (~)
1... ed2,fe2 2.Qc5,Qf5#
1... Bd2:!
1.Ra8? (~)
1... ed2,fe2 2.Qa7,Rf8#
1... Bd2:!
1.Bd5? (~)
1... ed2,fe2 2.Rf3:,Sd3#
1... Bd2:!
1.d4? ~ 2.Sd3#
1... fe2 2.Qe2:#
1... Bd2!
1.Bd1! ~ 2.Sd3#
1... ed2,fe2 2.Rf3:,Qf7#

2nd Recommendation ("U" pp107 No.15) Dragan Stojnic. I find this Zagoruiko miniature different enough from its two predecessors and worth a place in the award. The main difference stems from black-correction feature that is used also for the try refutations. In comparison, the Subotic problem (W: Kc1 Qg2 Pb6 c2 f6; B: Ka1 Bb1. 1.Qg7?/Qg5?Qg4? Bc2! 1.Qf3!) show a 4x2 Zagoruiko but with the same refutation for all tries and the Nestorescu problem (W: Ke5 Qh1 Bg8 Sd3; B: Ka1 Bb1 Sb3. 1.Kd6?/Qe1? Sd4!/Sd2! 1.Qg1!) uses a nice pin mate but do not have the black-correction feature.

3rd Recommendation (No.263) Miodrag Radomirovic. An attempt at a face lift for the Bartolovic task of 7 blocks on two flights. The superior key, mates on BK moves, and lighter position are worth of attention. However, the price is the abandonment of the more interesting battery mates and the unpleasant symmetry of play after the BP's and BSd6 defences.

4rd Recommendation ("P" pp107 No.15) Dragan Stojnic. The duet of Bristol tries: 1.Ra8? and 1.Bg8? earns this Meredith Zagoruiko problem a place in the award.

Paz Einat, Israel


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