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MatPlus.Net Forum General Gosman-Seneca theme
 
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(1) Posted by Eugene Rosner [Friday, May 9, 2014 23:00]

Gosman-Seneca theme


Hi All!
Has anyone ever heard of the above theme and can anyone supply a definition? Thanks in advance!
 
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(2) Posted by Cornel Pacurar [Saturday, May 10, 2014 01:39]

Eugene, here is the full story of the Gosman-Seneca theme as presented by Valeriu Petrovici in "Componist" Nr. 1, 2012, in his article dedicated to Gosman's centenary:

On January 10 1952, the Romanian composer Gheorghe Gosman (23.02.1912, Dumbravita - 03.01.1976, Brasov) published in Parallele 50 the following composition:

White Bg8 Ra7 Bb6 Pc6 Sh6 Pb5 Rg5 Kh4 Sb3
Black Rd8 Se8 Pe7 Kd6 Bb4 Pc4 Sc3 Be2
#2

After the thematic checking tries 1.Sh6-f7+? / 1.Sh6-f5+?, black obtains and uses a flight square: 1...Kd6-e6! / 1...Kd6-e5! After the key 1.Sb3-a5! (threat: 2.Sa5-b7#), the black defences self-block those squares, allowing the try-mates: 1...e7-e5 2.Sh6-f5#, 1...e7-e6 2.Sh6-f7#.

Later in 1952, for the France-Romania composition match, Camil Seneca (an ex-Romanian living in Paris since 1924) and the French team propose for the #2 section the exact same thematic complex, without any examples but claiming (with or without knowledge) this as novelty under the "Seneca Theme" label. Of course, shortly thereafter the Romanian team informs the French team not only about Gosman's predecessor, but also that there was an even older composition employing the same 'theme' (A. Mari & L. Malpas, L'Echiquier 1926). Still, a compromise was made, and the theme was entered in the official nomenclature as the "Gosman-Seneca Theme"!


Apparently, around 1965 exponents of the Modern School stated (for good reasons!) that "this thematic scheme is extremely limitative, with a rigid and dry mechanism that allows only little freedom, without much variation", being practically exhausted. 25 years later I managed to show that it was still well alive and kicking: I composed two Gosman-Seneca twomovers for the Bucharest Cup and the Romanian Chess Federation Cup in 1989 and 1990 and (to my surprise) got 3rd Place - you can see those at http://www.chessproblems.ca/pdf/gosman-seneca.pdf


I shared the above details with a Canadian composer about two weeks ago - have you received an original?!
 
 
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(3) Posted by Eugene Rosner [Saturday, May 10, 2014 02:49]

Cornel-
indeed I have! You are like totally on top of this and your guess is correct! Many thanks! This helps a lot.
 
   
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(4) Posted by Rauf Aliovsadzade [Saturday, May 10, 2014 21:58]

Eugene,
The right definition (more to the point,so to speak) for this idea is:
In tries,White self-interferes his piece,giving the bK one or more flight
squares.In solution defenses,Black self-blocks the potential flights,
allowing white interference mates.
By the way,all three examples given are not quite good,for solution variations being present in set.
 
   
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(5) Posted by Jacques Rotenberg [Sunday, May 11, 2014 04:19]; edited by Jacques Rotenberg [14-05-11]

It is the first time I can see this name "Gosman-Seneca".
In France it was never used,as far as I know, it was named "Seneca Theme".
I don't know its exact definition, but it seems to me that battery mates were requested.
 
   
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(6) Posted by Sarah Hornecker [Sunday, May 11, 2014 07:23]

This is not really relevant for the thread, but I look for biographical information about Camil Seneca, so it would be nice if someone can post it. :-)
 
   
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(7) Posted by Jan Hein Verduin [Sunday, May 11, 2014 11:16]; edited by Jan Hein Verduin [14-05-11]

From Le guide des échecs (Alain Biénabe):

Sénéca, Camil (1903-1977). Joueur et problémiste roumain-français. Directeur de la revue Thèmes 64, il fut rédacteur dans toutes les revues françaises du milieu du siècle. Auteur de plus de 700 problèmes, il fut le créateur de la rubrique hebdomadaire du journal Le Figaro (en septembre 1951) qui a publié plus de 1400 problèmes. Il fut nommé juge international pour la composition en 1959. Il a écrit différents ouvrages: 200 Problèmes d'échecs et 150 Problèmes d'échecs qui sont des recueils de problèmes internationaux, ou Le Championnat du monde 1948 dans le domain de la partie. Enfin, il a laissé son nom à un thème de 2 coups.

I hope your french is good.
 
 
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(8) Posted by Rauf Aliovsadzade [Sunday, May 11, 2014 14:42]

The definition I posted yesterday is from Encyclopedia of Chess Problems by Velimirovic&Valtonen (2012).
The theme is entered as Seneca theme, and below the authors add:Alias:Gosman-Seneca.
No solution mates format in set is possible (this might be the only way) if the tries get the bK more than one flght.
 
   
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(9) Posted by Cornel Pacurar [Sunday, May 11, 2014 16:04]

From "Sahul Artistic”, by Anatole F. Ianovcic (2nd Edition, Bucuresti, 1979):


"Tema Gosman-Seneca

Aceasta tema, descoperita de Gh. Gosman in anul 1951, a fost propusa concomitent la Paris si de C. Seneca.
In pozitia initiala, exista doua incercari tematice, insotite de “sah” si produse de aceeasi figura alba, insa de fiecare data apare cite un cimp de refugiu in urma interferentierii figurilor albe. In aparare, negrul isi autoblocheaza cimpurile respective astfel ca in solutie incercarile devin mature reale."


Hope your Romanian is good too! :)

And the winner of the 1952-1954 Romania-France match:

J. Levrier
(= 11+5 )

 
   
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(10) Posted by Rauf Aliovsadzade [Sunday, May 11, 2014 16:22]

This example is in Encyclopedia by Milan&Karl,too.Not a good example.Again,solution variations are present in set.
I have this book by A.F.Janovcic,by the way.He (God bless his soul!)sent it to me right after the book was out.
 
   
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(11) Posted by Cornel Pacurar [Sunday, May 11, 2014 18:29]

Rauf, it would be good if you could please post one or two 'good' examples. They, obviously, don't need to be pioneer or award-winning compositions, like Gosman and Levrier's I had posted! Also, if anyone is aware of a composition employing this theme composed by Camil Seneca, it would be great to see that too. Thanks!
 
   
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(12) Posted by Rauf Aliovsadzade [Sunday, May 11, 2014 20:01]

Cornel,
I got an original with this theme and cannot post it here.
So send me (at bakili97@netzero.com)your email address,and I'll sent it to you.
 
 
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(13) Posted by Jan Hein Verduin [Sunday, May 11, 2014 23:02]

Well, the aforementioned Guide des Échecs gives this:

C. Sénéca
Bulletin ouvrier des échecs
1952 (!)

(= 5+6 )

±2

1.Bd4+?
1.Bd2+?
1.Qf8!

Here too the thematic mates are already set.
 
   
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(14) Posted by Cornel Pacurar [Sunday, May 11, 2014 23:58]

Rauf: Thank you, I sent you an email!
Jan Hein: Thank you - I just found the same in the WinChloe database!
 
   
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(15) Posted by Cornel Pacurar [Monday, May 12, 2014 07:12]

Rauf,

First, as per my email, there seem to be some differences between the theme's definition as given by Ianovcic and the one in the Encyclopedia (as it was quoted above).

Ianovcic's definition specifically asks for the self-interference in the thematic tries to be induced by the same white unit, it seems that the one from the Encyclopedia does not. Moreover (and more import in our specific context), if Encyclopedia's definition mentions "one or more flight squares" in the thematic tries, Ianovcic's definition asks for exactly "one" ("un cimp de refugiu" = "one flight square"). Furthermore, the Encyclopedia seems to be more liberal when it comes to the solution defences, asking for Black to self-block the "potential flights", while Ianovcic's definition asks for the self-block of the exact same flight squares ("negrul isi autoblocheaza cimpurile respective"), not some of them.

This makes a difference - I understand your concerns regarding the mates being already set, but with just one flight square in each try I fail to see how the set play can be avoided, this could be a challenge for two-mover experts - I am certainly not one of those!

Finally, in your private example, the thematic tries are also refuted in each case by more than one black defence - I really prefer tries that fail to a single black defence! :)
 
   
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(16) Posted by Jacques Rotenberg [Monday, May 12, 2014 08:36]; edited by Jacques Rotenberg [14-05-12]

Alain Bienabe kindly sent me a scan copy of the announcement of the France-Roumanie Match published in the Bulletin Ouvrier des Echecs (BOE) -worker's bulletin of chess-

The above example by Seneca is given as model and as original.
The request is as follows :

- it is named "Seneca theme"

A] the thematic tries -done by one single white unit- create in each case a (unique) flight by interception of a white piece.
B] the key creates a threat, the thematic defences are played by a single black unit and self-block in turn each of the thematic flights.
C] the tries become mates in the solution.

Edit : typo corrected
 
   
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(17) Posted by Arno Tungler [Monday, May 12, 2014 09:22]

@Jacques: In point 2 above it should be "single black unit," not white.

A simple way to avoid that the mates are already set could be introduced in the Seneca scheme as follows.

(= 8+6 )

 
   
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(18) Posted by Jacques Rotenberg [Monday, May 12, 2014 09:29]; edited by Jacques Rotenberg [14-05-12]

Thank you Arno, corrected.
Your example is nice, also with black correction.

As written the theme stipulation does not imply
a) that the key tries should be checks
b) that the key tries are mates after the self-blocks.
 
   
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(19) Posted by Jacques Rotenberg [Monday, May 12, 2014 22:41]

a way to show the Seneca theme with non checking tries :

(= 13+5 )

2#

1.Se6+? Ke3!

1.Sf5+? Kc5!

1.Se4? [2.Sf5‡] B×e4 2.R×e4‡ 1…Ke3!

1.Sd5? [2.Se6‡] B×d5 2.R×d5‡ 1…Kc5!

1.Sh7? [2.Se8‡]
1…Qe3 2.Se6‡
1…Qc5 2.Sf5‡
1…Be4 2.R×e4‡
1…Bd5 2.R×d5‡
1…S×d7!

1.Sge8! [2.Sh7‡]
1…Qe3 2.Se4‡
1…Qc5 2.Sd5‡
1…S×d7 2.S×d7‡
1…Be4 2.R×e4‡
1…Bd5 2.R×d5‡

Seneca twice and changed mates
 
   
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(20) Posted by Arno Tungler [Tuesday, May 13, 2014 04:00]

Very nice, Jacques. You just made it with exactly the scheme that I was also trying!!
It demonstrates also well the downsides of the idea with the non-checking tries - normally you would like to have (even the threatening) mates provided for the flights and another defense. If I understand right the definition that you gave, this even would still be "thematic". However, it might not be possible in that matrix with the double-check threats...
 
   
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MatPlus.Net Forum General Gosman-Seneca theme