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MatPlus.Net Forum General Stavrinides
 
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(1) Posted by Steven Dowd [Sunday, Feb 8, 2009 20:44]

Stavrinides


Can someone tell me what this theme entails? I saw it in a database but with no description.

Thanks all!
 
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(2) Posted by Michael McDowell [Sunday, Feb 8, 2009 21:37]

Stavrinides is cyclic occupation of squares:

M.Stošić
Arbeijder Skak 1970
(= 13+9 )


Mate in 2

1.Ke7 (>2.Rc7)

1…b4 2.d4
1…d4 2.Bf4
1…Bf4 2.b4
 
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(3) Posted by Juraj Lörinc [Sunday, Feb 8, 2009 21:45]

Basic Stavrinides theme is a one-phase formal theme in variations, combining both white and black moves with the same notation in the cycle, according to the formula 1.K!, 1...A 2.B#, 1...B 2.C#, 1...C 2.A#.

As an example, the following example might be taken:

Jozef Taraba
Europe Echecs 1975
(= 9+7 )

#2

1.Qa8! th. 2.Qf3#
1...Sd5 A 2.e4# B
1...e4 B 2.g4# C
1...g4 C 2.Sd5# A

There are various variations to multiphase forms, e.g. key Stavrinides in tries 1.A? B!, 1.B? C!, 1.C? A! etc.
 
 
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(4) Posted by Geoff Foster [Monday, Feb 9, 2009 07:38]

Here is another example.

Dragan Stojnic
Sachische Zeitung 2001
(= 12+11 )

1.Bf5! (2.Sd4)
1...Sc4 2.d4
1...d4 2.Qe4
1...Qe4 2.Sc4
 
   
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(5) Posted by Steven Dowd [Monday, Feb 9, 2009 13:54]; edited by Steven Dowd [09-02-09]

Thanks all.
 
 
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(6) Posted by Hauke Reddmann [Monday, Feb 9, 2009 14:02]

Note added in proof:
Before you run to the good old construction board like I did way then -
it is even possible all moves happen on the same field!

W. Piltschenko, Themes 64, Jan.-März 1981
(= 12+4 )


Another interesting extension: can you do a cycle longer than 4 fields
(which Stavrinides already did manage himself)? I have one with 5 but
it's thematically very unclean and so I never published it.

Hauke
 
   
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(7) Posted by Steven Dowd [Tuesday, Feb 10, 2009 00:24]

By fields do you mean:

1...Sd5 A 2.e4# B
1...e4 B 2.g4# C
1...g4 C 2.Sd5# A

as Juraj gave, this being "3 fields"?

This may seem like a silly question, but would a series of Zilahis disqualify a Stavrinides? I'll ask only that much so as not to prejudice the answer.
 
   
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(8) Posted by Hauke Reddmann [Tuesday, Feb 10, 2009 11:57]

See PM.
Think of replacing "Sd5" by "Qd5" in your example and you see what I mean.

Hauke
 
   
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(9) Posted by Paz Einat [Tuesday, Feb 10, 2009 13:31]

One of the best renderings I know

V Pilchenko Theme-64 1981
(= 12+4 )

2#
1.Qg5! (2.Qe7#)
1...S:e4 2.R:e4#
1...R:e4 2.B:e4#
1...B:e4 2.S:e4#
 
   
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(10) Posted by Frank Richter [Tuesday, Feb 10, 2009 17:47]

Really a good setting, but already posted above (see post 6).
 
   
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(11) Posted by Paz Einat [Tuesday, Feb 10, 2009 18:59]

Well...between the time I read the postings and the time I posted...I was anticipated!!
 
   
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(12) Posted by Marjan Kovačević [Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 02:09]; edited by Marjan Kovačević [09-02-11]

Those who still wonder where the name of the theme came from, may enjoy this brilliant Meredith:

A. Stavrinides
Probleemblad 1969
(= 6+5 )
#2 1.Qh8!
As with many other themes, this early example remained one of the best.
The theme promises Paradox, Difficulty and Harmony. However, the Paradox is often reduced by 1) battery-mates and 2) pawn-moves, while Harmony is often spoiled with irregular mixtures of direct-mates and battery-mates, dual-defences and symmetry in most fourfold mechanisms.
When you go through the hundreds of examples you see the same or very similar mechanisms repeated many times. On the other hand, I haven't seen a single example free of all the possible drawbacks listed above. Two variations could be easily produced, but the third one, to close the cycle, makes all the troubles.
This was probably the reason, together with the constant Difficulty, that the time of the Stavrinides theme didn't last too long. However, the theme helped composers to recognize some elements of it as an aesthetical principle that adds to expressiveness of the content. There were several experiments with 2 instead of 3 mates, combined with other complex ideas. Although general interest of composers for such direction wasn't great, I find it quite inspiring, especially the following example:

V. Pilchenko & V. Shavirin
3. Pr. "64" 1999
(= 9+11 )
#2 1.Sg2!

There are five attractive variations with dual-avoidance. In the central two pairs, both rooks and both bishops come to e5. The Stavrinides patern is broken here and two thirds of it are rearranged, with play focused on a single square. The authors suggested to call this "the change of colour mechanism".
 
 
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(13) Posted by Jan Hein Verduin [Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 19:00]

I used to collect problems with this theme, until my previous computer crashed and the collection was lost.... I still have some references on paper, whence this one comes. A cycle of seven, albeit fairy and a bit schematic:

Vaclav Kotesovec
1st HM Probleemblad 2002-3

(= 7+9 )

±2
 
 
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(14) Posted by Hauke Reddmann [Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 12:35]

@Paz: be happy you were only anticipated by the posting.
I "reconstructed" the whole problem unbeknowingly :-O
(Hypothesis: Much more annoying than the anticipation
itself is the fact that some other dude was as ****ing
brilliant as yourself :-)

Hauke
 
 
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MatPlus.Net Forum General Stavrinides