Award

• The British Chess Magazine 2022-2023
• Award by Hans Gruber (D–Regensburg),
• International Judge of the FIDE

See Award The British Chess Magazine 2020-2021

List of participating problems

I/2022 Lipton, Jones, Cook, Ugren [4]. II/2022 Shire, Michelet, Lozek, McDowell [4]. III/2022 Moen, Lyubashevsky & Makaronez, Jonsson, Ugren [4]. IV/2022 Shankar Ram, Cook, Jones, Ugren [4]. V/2022 Moen, Shire, Rice (Anticipation), Hudak [4]. VI/2022 Rice, Shire, Kapros, Ugren [4]. VII/2022 Shire, Lipton, Lipton, Jonsson [4]. VIII/2022 — [0]. IX/2022 Lipton, Makaronez, Ramaswamy, Milewski [4]. X/2022 Lozek & Svitek, Jonsson & Kapros, Jones, Onkoud [4]. XI/2022 Moen, Makaronez, Onkoud, Ugren [4]. XII/2022 Lipton, Shire, Dowd, Ugren [4]. I/2023 Jonsson, Onkoud, Jones, Ugren [4]. II/2023 Lyubashevsky & Makaronez, Onkoud, McDowell, Ugren [4]. III/2023 Moen, Kalotay, Hudak, Ramaswamy [4]. IV/2023 Pereira & Tarnawiecki & Moen, Dowd, Gavryliv, Keller (stipulation: H=4, see V/2023) [4]. V/2023 Tarnawiecki & Moen, Lyubashevsky & Makaronez, Gavryliv, Ugren [4]. VI/2023 Lyubashevsky & Makaronez, Nesek, Onkoud, Kalotay [4]. VII/2023 Shire, Kalotay, Bilokin, Ugren [4]. VIII/2023 Dowd, Lyubashevsky & Makaronez, Hudak, Bilokin [4]. IX/2023 Moen, Onkoud, Lyubashevsky & Makaronez, Ugren [4]. X/2023 Dowd & Echemendia, Jones, Hudak, Ugren [4]. XI/2023 Lyubashevsky & Makaronez, Michelet, Hudak, Bilokin [4]. XII/2023 Michelet, Michelet (Dual; correction see below), Hudak (Anticipation), Bilokin [4].

A fine number 92 problems had to be judged. As in previous tournaments, the problem editor Christopher Jones attracted many composers to submit originals to The British Chess Magazine. The Problem World continues being a very successful column. The majority of the participating problems naturally were two-movers, three-movers and helpmates, and in addition seven more-movers, two helpstalemates and one reflexmate. Thanks to Wieland Bruch who checked the two-movers for originality; he found that John Rice’s problem from May 2022 is almost identically anticipated by Halvar Hermanson, Schweizer Arbeiter-Schach, IX-X 1952 (only the white king on a different square). I found that Stanislav Hudak’s helpmate from December 2023 is completely anticipated by Peter Kniest, Schachmatt, IV 1950. Paul Michelet’s 11-mover from December 2023 had duals (9.Ba3! etc.; 6.Bh4! 7.Be1 etc.), but could be saved by adding WPa2 and BPa3. 

• 5th Prize: Abdelaziz Onkoud
• 1.Ra5 Ng6 2.R×c5 Q×c5+ 3.Kf3 Bd5#,
• 1.Ra6 Bg6 2.R×f6 Q×f6+ 3.Ke3 Nd5#
• Reciprocally changed functions of the white bishop and the white knight with play on the square g6 in move 1 and d5 in move 3. The author must be praised for his daringness to use of white queen.

Sutarto mato trim ėjimais poskyris (h # 3) – 2022

Sachmatija N°4  , 2023

I prizas: 4949 – Abdelazizas Onkoudas (Abdelaziz Onkoud), Prancūzija. 1...Sb2 2.Kd4 Rf3 3.Re4 Sa4#, 1...Sf2+ 2.Kf4 Bd4 3.Qe4 Sh3#, 1...Bb2 2.Bd4 Sc5+ 3.Ke3 Bc1#, 1...Sf4 2.Kf5 Sxg6+ 3.Ke6 Sf8#, 1...Bd4 2.Qe6 Rf4+ 3.Kd5 Sb4#, 1...Rf5 2.Sf4 Se1 3.Qxe5+ Rxe5#. Labai įspūdingas uždavinys. Šeši sprendiniai be dvynių nekasdienis reiškinys. Regis šis kūrinys atveria langą į dar tolimesnę ateitį. Atrodo visai neseniai atsirado HOTF (Helpmate of the future) – dvi sprendinių poros su panašiomis idėjomis. O čia jau turime tris poras po du sprendinius. Toks kūrinys nusipelno aukščiausiojo įvertinimo. Įdomi žaidimo į laukelius d4 ir f4 idėja. Pirmoje poroje į šiuos laukelius žaidžia juodųjų karalius, antroje poroje – juodųjų rikis ir žirgas, trečioje poroje atitinkamai baltųjų rikis ir žirgas. Here is an interesting idea of playing to the squares d4 and f4. In the first pair, black's king plays into these squares, in the second pair, black's rook and knight, and in the third pair, respectively, white's rook and knight.

• Award Probleemblad 2020.
• Section mats en 3 coups.
• Juge: Jorg Kuhlmann
• Nombre de problèmes retenus :  6 ( 2 prix , 2 MH et 2 recommandés)
• Source : Probleemblad Janvier/Mars 2024.

• La clé 1.Dh1! est un blocus
• 1…Ra5 2.Da1+ Rb5 3.Da4‡
• 1…Ra6 2.Dç6 Ra5 3.Da4‡
• 1…a5 2.Da8 a4 3.D×a4‡

• Schach 2020
• Juge Torsten Linss

2. EE: 19.295 (10/2020) Abdelaziz Onkoud

Strategisch interessantes Hinstellungs- und Opferspiel -für die perfekte orthogonal-diagonale Korrespondenz
sollte die schwarze Dame aber auf b6 stehen. Leider ist esdem Autor nicht gelungen, den dritten weißen Zug in das
thematische Spiel zu integrieren. Etwa zeitgleich – nurwenige Wochen früher – erschien eine fast identische
Aufgabe von Kolesnik und Salokotski (P1384427 in der PDB). Da lag die 19.295 aber schon beim Sachbearbeiter.
Auch diesen beiden Autoren ist es nicht gelungen, dem dritten weißen Zug strategische Bedeutung zuzuweisen

Solutions:

• 1.Db1 Té1 2.D×g6+ F×g6 3.d4 Fé4‡
• 1.Dg1 Fé1 2.D×g6+ T×g6 3.h3 Tg3‡

Hilfsmattentscheid 2019 Im Jahre 2019 wurden 64 Hilfsmatts in ,,Schach“ veröffentlicht. Diese kamen von 36 Autoren aus 11 Ländern. 4 Aufgaben entpuppten sich schon in der Lösungsbesprechung als vorweggenommen. Das Niveau der Aufgaben reichte von banal über solide (Großteil) bis sehr gut. Da vor allem das h#2 thematisch abgegrast ist, bieten einige Autoren mehr als zwei Lösungen an, was den Löser erfreuen mag, den Preisrichter aber nicht beeindrucken muss. Auch Mustermatts werten einen unthematischen Mattbilderbau nur geringfügig auf. Unter diesem Aspekt fanden keine Erwähnung: 18.913, 18.914, 18.929, 18.932, 18.998, 19.014, 19.074, 19.076, 19.077, 19.095 und 19.120

Dank an Franz Pachl für die Gelegenheit, mich erstmals als Preisrichter betätigen zu dürfen. Besonderen Dank an Manfred Rittirsch, ohne dessen Hilfe ich bei der Suche nach Vorgängern keine seriöse Einschätzung hätte abgeben können.

• November 2023
• Bert Kölske

Preis: 19.093 (11/2019) Abdelaziz Onkoud

• I) 1. Td3 Cf4+ 2. R:d4 Ce2 matt;
• II) 1. Fc6 Ce6+ 2. R:d5 Cc7 matt;
• III) 1. C:f3 Th3 2. C:d4 T:c3 matt;
• IV) 1. T:d7 De8 2. T:d5 D:b5 matt

Schon bei der ersten Sichtung war klar, dass ich hier den unangefochtenen 1. Platz vor mir habe, welcher später auch die Vorgänger-Prüfung überstand. Ein HOFT erster Güte, das zwei Lösungspaare mit Tiefgang zeigt.

• Problem Paradise Informal Tourney
• Award Fairies 2022
• Judge: N. Shankar Ram
• Source : Problem Paradise N°104 , décembre 2023

Israel Ring Tourney: Helpmates 2016

Judge: Dr. Paz Einat, International Judge, Nes Ziona, Israel  ( Variantim N° 91 , december 2023)

The designated judge could not fulfil his task so I took it upon myself, with my sole problem in that
period (Var.2843 with Tomer Tal) moving to the 2018 judge. Of a total of 36 problems, there were
18 helpmates in 2, 13 in 2.5 or 3 and 5 in more moves. I decided not to divide the award. The overall
level was good and I was happy with the originality shown by the top problems.

1st Prize: Var.2846 Abdelaziz Onkoud The two pairs are connected by the
captures on e3 & e4 by the knights in one pair and by the king in the other.
Different pieces play in each pair: the knights in the first and rooks + wB in the
second. The role of the white knight is of interest: it builds and fires the batteries
in the first pair and supports the mating squares in the other pair.

• Source : Best Problems Janvier 2022.
• Section : Mats en 3 coups.
• Année : 2020
• Juge : Antonio Garofalo

• The British Chess Magazine 2020-2021
• Award by Hans Gruber (D–Regensburg),
• International Judge of the FIDE

List of participating problems

I/2020 Russ, Rice, Rice, Keller [4]. II/2020 Lipton, Makaronez, Cefle, McDowell (black pawn e5, not white) [4]. III/2020 Moen, Lyubashevsky & Makaronez (anticipated), Cook, Ugren [4]. IV/2020 Akimov, Keller, Michelet, Moen [4]. V/2020 Michelet, Pitkanen, Jones, Ugren (H#5 3 solutions, not H#3) [4]. VI/2020 Moen, Keller, Onkoud, Onkoud [4]. VII/2020 Rice, Moen, Barnes, Onkoud [4]. VIII/2020 Moen, Shire, McDowell, Pitkanen [4]. IX/2020 — (Award 2018/2019). X/2020 Barnes, Shire, Makaronez, Keller [4] XI/2020 Lipton, Onkoud, Michelet, Moen [4] XII/2020 Moen, Shire, Lipton, Dowd & Wiehagen [4] I/2021 Shire, Makaronez & Volchek, Jonsson, Ugren [4] II/2021 Russ, Keller, Michelet, Ugren [4] III/2021 Moen, Shire, Rice & Lipton, Jonsson [4] IV/2021 Dowd, Lyubashevsky & Makaronez, Onkoud, Ugren [4] V/2021 Moen, Barnes, Onkoud, Jones [4] VI/2021 Shire, Akimov, Dowd, Ugren [4] VII/2021 Shire, Keller & Jones, Michelet, Ugren [4] VIII/2021 Lipton, Makaronez, Ložek, Zamanov & Jones [4] IX/2021 Makaronez, Michelet, Jones, Jones [4] X/2021 Akimov, Moen, Dowd & Prentos, Ugren [4] XI/2021 Moen, Lipton, Onkoud, Makaronez [4] XII/2021 Michelet, Marks, Jones, Ugren [4]

It is a pleasure to observe the continuous stream of good original problems being published in this traditional magazine which is devoted to all parts of the game of chess. Certainly a merit of the problem chess editor, Christopher Jones! Although I am afraid that composers may believe that I am already part of the inventory of this journal (who remembers who else last acted as a judge and when?), I am still enjoying studying the problems. (By the way, I searched my archives to find out when I lastly published in the BCM: In fact it was only one problem, a joint H#4 with the late Denis Blondel and with Hilmar Ebert, in January 1986!) In this tournament, a total of 92 problems (of which one was anticipated) had to be considered, four problems every month except IX/2020, when the previous award was published. As in previous tournaments, I am grateful to Wieland Bruch who checked the originality of the twomovers, and to Ulrich Ring with whom I had inspiring conversations about some of the helpmates.

• 1st Prize: Abdelaziz Onkoud, BCM V/2021
• 1.Rd3 [2.Qe6 [3.Q×f5#] Rd4/Rf4 3.R×d4/N×g3#]
• 1.– Rb4 2.Re3+ B×e3 3.Nd×c3#
• 1.– Bc1 2.Rd4+ R×d4 3.Ne×c3#
• 1.– Nf1 2.Ne×c3+ R×c3,B×c3 3.Bf3#
• 1.– c5 2.Nd×c3+ R×c3,B×c3 3.Qd5#

The good key activates an excellent quiet threat. In the two main variations, Black’s defences are threatening a check, but Black loses one of two controls of the square c3. This is utilised by a white sacrifice which removes the second control and provides a black self-block so that a knight (the right one!) can mate on c3. In the other variations, again care is required in selecting which knight captures at c3, but now in the second white move! This is a highly intricate scheme with thematic action both in the second and third white moves. This saves the top place in the tournament, although Rf6 and Bd1 are not much used.