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Mat Plus Informal Tourney: Twomovers 1997
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Milan Velimirovic 1st Prize Mat Plus 1997
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Victor Chepizhny 2nd Prize Mat Plus 1997
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Marjan Kovacevic 3rd Prize Mat Plus 1997
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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
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Milan R. Vukcevich 5th Prize Mat Plus 1997
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Miodrag Mladenovic 1st HM Mat Plus 1997
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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
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Aaron Hirschenson 3rd HM Mat Plus 1997
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Zoran Nikolic 1st Com Mat Plus 1997
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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
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Miodrag Radomirovic (after H. Bartolovic) 3rd Com Mat Plus 1997
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Dragan Stojnic 4th Com Mat Plus 1997
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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