Tata Steel Problem Solving Competition

By Israeli IM and problem expert Yochanan Afek:

Tata Steel Tournament, arguably the most prestigious contemporary chess event celebrated its 75th edition this year, and among other festivities a special composing tourney was announced by its organizing committee with a generous prize fund. I was expecting a great happening and indeed my colleague composers did live to the expectations in regards to both quantity and quality. I am grateful to each and every one of them for their much appreciated efforts. received 89 entries from our devoted tournament director Harold van der Heijden in anonymous files (one with the full solutions and another one with just the artistic lines) as well as a detailed report specifying correctness and originality of all entries. The general standard was one of the highest I have witnessed for years and decision making turned to be a rather tough job. As we are celebrating an over-the-board major event I tried to pay a special attention to human and player friendly entries. I sincerely hope that the following selection would achieve this aim. It certainly is a combative one with a clear majority of winning studies over the more peaceful ones notably among the prize winners.

1st-2nd Prize:

Yuri Bazlov (Russia)

This outstanding entry was initially the outright winner of this tourney thanks to its rich tactical play highlighted by an amazing position of two newborn queens actively hanging in the open at the very same moment.

1. d7 Bc7 2. Rd6+ Ke1 (2... Bxd6 3. d8=Q h1=Q 4. Bg5 Qf3+ 5. Kxg6 Qd3+ 6. Kh6+-) 3. Rc6 Ne5 (3... Nf8 4. Bf4 Nxd7+ 5. Kf5 Kf1 6. Rc1+ Kg2 7. Rc2+ Kg1 8. Be3+ Kf1 9. Rxc7 +-) 4. Nxe5 (4. Rxc7 $2 Nxd7+=) 4... Bd8+ (4... Bxe5+ 5. Kxe5 h1=Q 6. Bd2+ Ke2 7. Rd6+-) 5. Kg7 h1=Q 6. Bg5 Bxg5 (6... Qd5 7. Bxd8 Qxe5+ 8. Bf6+-) 7. d8=Q Qxc6 $1 8. Qa5+ Bd2 9. Qa1+ Qc1 10. Nd3+ Kd1 11. Qa4+ (11. Nxc1 $2 Bc3+ {Stalemate} 12. Qxc3) 11... Qc2 12. Qg4# 1-0

1st-2nd Prize:

 Oleg Pervakov & Karen Sumbatyan (Russia)

A breathtaking queen duel ends up in mutual neat royal sacrifices clearing the podium to a second phase: two minor pieces dominating a single rook with a subtle zugzwang following 11.Bg8!!

1. Qg7! (1. Qh8? Qg4!=) 1... Rf4! (1... Qxb7 2. Qxd4+ Kb1 3. Qxd3+ +-) 2. Qg2! (2. Qg1+? Bf1 3. Qh2  Rf3+ 4. Bb3 Rxb3+-+) 2... Be2! 3. Qxe2 Qa4+! 4. Kxa4 d3+ 5. Qe4! Rxe4+ 6. Kb3 d2 7. Kc2 (7. Bh5? Kb1 8. Kc3 Re5! =) 7... Rb4! (7... Rd4 8. Bh5 Ka2 9. Bd1! Ka3 10. Kc3 Rd5 11. Kc4+-) 8. Na5! (8. Nc5? d1=Q+ 9. Kxd1 Rd4+ 10. Kc1 Rc4+! 11. Kd2 (11. Bxc4 {Stalemate}) 11... Rd4+ ! 12. Kc2 Rxd6 13. Nb3+ Ka2 14. Nd4+ Ka1 !=) 8... d1=Q+ 9. Kxd1 Rd4+ 10. Kc1! Rd3! 11. Bg8! zz (11. Bc4? Rxd6 12. Nb3+ Ka2 13. Nd4+ Ka3! 14. Nb5+ Kb4 15. Nxd6 Kc5=) 11... Rxd6 12. Nb3+ Ka2 13. Nd4+ Ka3 (13...    Ka1 14. Nc2#) 14. Nb5+ Kb4 15. Nxd6 1-0

3rd Prize: 

Daniel Keith (France) & Martin Minski (Germany)

One of the best miniatures I have seen lately. A lengthy and tense struggle to secure promotion evolves a wealth of artistic elements: Stalemates, switchback, sacrifices and mates all in a flowing sequence of events. Black's heroic counter-play against the white monarch along rank and file intensifies the thrill.

1. Bf5! Rf3!{threatens Rf1 mate/Rxf5.} (1... Rxb4 2. e7 Rb8 3. Bg6+-) 2. Bd3 Kf2 3. Kh2 Rf6! 4. Bf5!{switchback} Rxf5 (4... Rh6+ 5. Bh3) 5. Nd3+ Ke2! 6. Ngf4+! (6. e7? Rh5+ 7. Kg1 Rh8=) (6. Ndf4+? Kd2 7. e7 Re5=) 6... Kf1! 7. e7 Rf8! 8. Nh5! (8. exf8=Q? stalemate) (8. Ne2? Rh8+!= (8... Re8 $2 9. Ng3#)) 8... Rh8 9. e8=Q! Rxe8 ({2nd main line:} 9... Rxh5+ 10. Kg3+ (10. Qxh5? ideal stalemate) 10. Ng3# 1-0