Concerns about the future of WFCC

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Gens una sumus

Due to recent events, I will this time not speak on behalf of the WFCC, but on behalf of my own, my personal opinion. The Canadian/American TV show "The Outer Limits" showed us wonderful, mysterious, and outright thought-provoking stories. The 1995 reboot ended one episode with the following words that fit into the current day: "Sleep soundly in the knowledge that the dawn will come. Rest assured that our leaders are watching over us. But beware. For it is only their vigilance that stands between our restful slumber... and the end of the world."

While the episode dealt with the possibility of an invasion, in secret, by extraterrestrial forces, it is not far-fetched to apply it to the never-ending possibility of global war. In the new issue of "EG", the specialized endgame studies magazine, I write about a checkmate picture from a tourney in 1962. And I would like to speak about the spirit of said tourney today.

"I am become Death, Destroyer of Worlds!" J. Robert Oppenheimer was astonished and in fear of the monster he had created. The era of conventional warfare had come to an end with the defeat of Adolf Hitler, and the final blow of the war saw the use of two never-seen-before weapons that in the blink of an eye could eradicate entire cities and kill hundreds of thousands of people. The simple message that was sent to Hirohito equaled to "Get out of the war or be destroyed", as the band "Wishful Thinking" would describe it in their song "Hiroshima", named after one of the two cities that were hit by this newly created horror.

Seventeen years passed. The United States and the Soviet Union, or rather the NATO and the Warsaw Pact, opposed each other in a Cold War. Both sides had upgraded the monstrous horror, made it fit into intercontinental ballistic missiles. Franz Alt later would write: "Bisher kannten die Menschen nur den individuellen Tod. Der atomare Holocaust wäre aber auch der Tod jeder Geburt und der Tod jedes Todes. Es gäbe erstmals in der Geschichte keine Erinnerung an frühere Generationen und keine Hoffnung auf zukünftige mehr. Wir würden die Toten nochmals töten und unseren eigenen Kindern die Waffe an den Kopf halten."
Roughly this translates to: "Until now, humans only knew individual death. Atomic Holocaust however would also be the death of all birth and the death of all death. For the first time in history there would be no memories of past generations and no hope for future ones. We would kill the deceased again and hold the gun to the head of our own children."
The word "holocaust", from Greek for "burning sacrifice" or "completely burnt", here refers to the Earth being completely inhabitable, "burnt", after such a war.
Both sides were ready to use their weapons, but none was ready to use it first. One mistake, one computer chip burning through, could have meant the end of the world. In 1962 the tensions escalated in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Humanity was as close to its own destruction as it got.

A few months prior, the first "Friendship Team Tourney" was held by chess composers. In endgame studies, the first section was won by Genrikh Kasparyan. The second section was won by the duo Alexey Kopnin and Vladimir Korolkov, the latter whom also won the third section as a duo with Vitaly Chekhover. The first issue of a newlyfounded quarterly named "EG" printed the studies, and the second issue explained:
International Friendship Match. This is a team composing event to be organised every 3 years. A
team represents a country. A FIDE composers' congress in Moscow in 1961 determined the basic
details, such as classes of composition - [Mate in 2, Mate in 3, Mate in 4 or more], studies, self- and help-mates. Three themes would be set in each class. The study themes and judges were, for the 1962 results announced this year:
1. Mate, with at least two black self-blocks. H.M. Lommer (England).
2. Twin positions (or more than two). Only a single discriminant allowed, though the stipulation
may vary. R. Voia (Rumania).
3. A white ambush (battery) created by a quiet move of the masked piece (R or B). Win or draw.
The late A. Gurvitch (USSR).
(Information obtained from Shakhmaty v SSSR (9/62 and 11/62).

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Friendship in times of war

While I write this column (starting on 25 February 2022, when Russia attacked Ukraine), the threat of a global war has increased tremendously. Humanity once more faces its extinction because of people playing dangerous political games, with no regard for other people. History never repeats, but it certainly rhymes, as a 20th century proverb of unknown origin says.

60 years ago, some British enthusiasts founded a small magazine about some niche hobby that, as you will have to admit, is shared by you as well. The Cuban Missile Crisis was about to happen. An "International Friendship Team Tourney" had been held.

Six years ago, I met one of the founders of that magazine. We talked about World War 2, and he told personal stories that I believe he wouldn't want me to share. I only was able to talk about Vera Menchik, the Women World Chess Champion, who died in 1944.

Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan sang "We forgave the Germans, and then we were friends. Though they murdered six million, in the ovens they fried. The Germans now too have God on their side." His thought-provoking lyrics at this point start to get personal to me, and in another verse he manages to question all of humanity. "Through many dark hours, I've been thinking about this: That Jesus Christ was betrayed by a kiss. Now I can't think for you, you'll have to decide whether Judas Iscariot had God on his side." After demonstrating the cruelty, the horrors of war, demonstrating how everyone falsely claims that they have God on their side, he closes with the hope that "if God's on our side, he'll stop the next war." This song, "With God on our side", was published in 1964.

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To close this issue, I would like to recall some wise words from the past: "Gens una sumus!"
We are one family! In chess composition, this always was even more true. Let us put our own political differences aside and continue to coexist and thrive - and if you need help, don't be afraid to reach out to others! The last time I needed help, Martin Minski and Klaus Rubin visited me in Güstrow, you saw one of the photos from that meeting a few issues ago in EG. For many of us, life is a constant struggle, we know your pain very well, so if the war affects you, or anything else that requires help, reach out to friends, family, or if you don't have anyone, it is also fine to reach out to us.