www.arves.org - 8th YCCC 2024

Studies awarded for the 8th Youth Chess Composing Challenge 2024 - Section B Studies.

[Event "3.. place 8th YCCC"] [Site ""] [Date "2024"] [Round ""] [White "Itay Richardson, Israel"] [Black "BTM"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "B7/8/1q2k3/8/5P2/5Pp1/4P3/K3Q3 b - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "28"] [EventDate "2024"] 
 1... g2 (1... Qb8) 2. f5+ $1 (2. e3 $2 Qa7+ 3. Kb1 Qb8+ 4. Kc2 Qxa8 $19 {with Qxf3, promotion is unstoppable.}) 2... Kxf5 (2... Kf7 3. Bd5+ Kf8 4. e3 Qb5 5. Qg3 $10 {perpetual check is unavoidable}) 3. Be4+ (3. e3 $2 Qa7+ 4. Kb1 Qb8+ 5. Kc2 Qxa8 6. e4+ Ke6 7. Qg1 Qa2+ 8. Kc3 Kf7 $1 $19 (8... Qe2 $2 9. Qb6+ $10)) 3... Ke6 4. e3 Qa7+ 5. Kb1 Qb8+ $1 6. Ka2 $1 {other moves would block the queen and not allow her to give checks later} Qh2 7. Bf5+ $1 ({Try:} 7. Bd5+ $2 Kd7 8. Bc6+ Kc8 9. Bb7+ Kb8 $19 {escaping all checks}) 7... Kf7 8. Bg6+ $1 Kg8 9. Bh7+ $1 Kf7 (9... Kxh7 10. Qb1+ Kh8 (10... Kh6 11. Qb6+ $10) 11. Qb2+ Kg8 12. Qb3+ $10) (9... Qxh7 10. Qg3+ Qg7 11. Qb8+ Qf8 12. Qg3+ Qg7 13. Qb8+ Kh7 14. Qh2+ $10) (9... Kh8 {hiding behind the bishop doesn't work here due to} 10. Qa1+ $10 {or c3}) 10. Bg6+ Kf6 (10... Ke6 11. Bf5+ Ke7 12. Qb4+ $10) 11. Qc3+ Qe5 12. Qc1 $1 (12. Qc6+ $2 Qe6+ $19) 12... Qd5+ (12... Kxg6 13. Qc2+ $10) 13. Ka3 (13. Kb2 $2 Qxf3 14. Bd3 Qf2+ $19) 13... Qa8+ 14. Kb4 (14. Kb3 $2 Qg8+ $19) 14... Qxf3 15. Bh5 $1 $10 {stopping Qg4 and ready to check perpetually GC + SN: A difficult and accurate study with an analytic flavor. The four bishop sacrifices add some welcome paradox.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "4.-6. place 8th YCCC"] [Site ""] [Date "2024"] [Round ""] [White "William Dolmer, Canada"] [Black ""] [Result "1-0"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "8/p1pK4/p1R1p3/k3Np1P/1q6/7p/1P2P2P/8 w - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "43"] [EventDate "2024"] 
 1. Rc5+ Kb6 2. Kc8 a5 3. Nd7+ Ka6 4. Nb8+ Kb6 5. h6 Qxb2 6. Re5 Qb4 7. Nd7+ Kc6 8. Rxe6+ Kb5 9. e4 Qc4 10. Nf8 a4 11. h7 Qd4 12. Ng6 a3 13. exf5 (13. Re5+ $2 c5 14. h8=Q a2 15. Qe8+ Kb4 16. Ne7 Qc4 17. Nd5+ Kb3 18. Re7 Qa6+ 19. Rb7+ Kc2 20. Nc7 Qxb7+ 21. Kxb7 a1=Q 22. e5 Qh1+ 23. Kc8 Qxh2 24. Qa4+ Kb2 25. Qb5+ Ka2 26. Nd5 Qd2 27. Qc4+ Ka3 28. Qxc5+ Kb3 29. Qb5+ Ka3 30. e6 h2 $11) 13... a2 14. Re1 a1=Q 15. Rxa1 Qxa1 16. h8=Q Qa6+ 17. Kb8 ( 17. Kxc7 $2 Qc6+ 18. Kd8 Qd5+ 19. Ke8 Qxf5 20. Ne7 Qe4 21. Qxh3 a5 $11) 17... Qb6+ 18. Ka8 Qc6+ 19. Kxa7 Qb6+ 20. Ka8 Qa6+ 21. Kb8 Qb6+ 22. Kc8 $18 {GC: White requires 22 moves to win, including placing his rook en prise several times. SN: Surprising and unusual domination of the queen. The first half of the study is much better than the latter. Some lines are very difficult.} 1-0

[Event "4.-6. place 8th YCCC"] [Site ""] [Date "2024"] [Round ""] [White "Andrii Sergiienko, Ukraine"] [Black "BTM"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "r6k/p4Ppb/P6N/K3b3/5pQ1/Pp6/2P5/8 b - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "32"] [EventDate "2024"] 
 1... Bc3+ (1... Bc7+ 2. Ka4 (2. Kb5 $2 b2 3. f8=Q+ Rxf8 4. Nf7+ Rxf7 5. Qc8+ Rf8 6. Qxf8+ Bg8 7. Qb4 Be5 8. Ka4 Bd5 9. c3 Bc6+ $19) 2... Bxc2 3. Qe2 gxh6 (3... Rf8 4. Qh2 f3 5. Qxc7 $11) 4. Qe8+ Kh7 5. f8=N+ Kg8 6. Qe6+ Kxf8 7. Qf6+ $11 {(1st perpetual)}) 2. Kb5 (2. Ka4 Bxc2 (2... bxc2 3. Qf3 $18) 3. Qg2 f3 4. Qh2 Be5 $19) 2... b2 3. f8=Q+ Rxf8 4. Nf7+ Kg8 5. Nh6+ Kh8 6. Nf7+ $11 {(2nd perpetual)} Rxf7 7. Qc8+ Bg8 8. Qh3+ Bh7 9. Qc8+ $11 {(3rd perpetual)} Rf8 10. Qxf8+ Bg8 11. Ka4 Bd2 (11... b1=Q 12. Qxg8+ (12. Qxg7+ $4 Bxg7) 12... Kxg8) 12. Qb8 Bc1 13. Qa8 f3 14. Qxf3 b1=Q 15. Qh1+ Bh7 16. Qa8+ Bg8 17. Qh1+ {(4th perpetual) GC: 4 perpetual checks. The author managed good black counterplay which improves the study. SN: Perpetuals are generally boring (because the game ends with them), so it is brave to attempt to make a study based on this idea. It is an original idea that is well executed.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "10.-13. place 8th YCCC"] [Site ""] [Date "2024"] [Round ""] [White "Anirudh Daga, India, Singapore"] [Black "BTM"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "4r3/Q4pk1/1Pb2pp1/8/8/1Rnq4/1B1N1PPP/5RK1 b - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "26"] [EventDate "2024"] 
 {Black to move. White draws? Being almost a rook up after the trades, one may think as to where the Black's counterplay exists ...} 1... Qh3 $1 2. Ne4 $3 (2. gxh3 Ne2#) (2. f3 $2 Ne2+ 3. Kh1 (3. Kf2 Qh4+ 4. g3 Qxh2+) 3... Qxh2+ $1 4. Kxh2 Rh8#) 2... Bxe4 (2... Rxe4 3. Bxc3 (3. gxh3 Rg4+ 4. hxg4 Ne2#)) 3. f3 Ne2+ 4. Kf2 Qh4+ $1 5. Kxe2 {White is a rook up but with his king stuck in the centre, Black generate a lot of counterplay} Bc6+ (5... Bd5+ 6. Re3 $1) 6. Kd3 $1 (6. Kd2 Qg5+ 7. Kc2 Qxg2+ 8. Kb1 Qxf1+ {The king is too exposed to be able to salvage a draw.}) (6. Re3 $2 Bb5+ 7. Kd2 Qb4+ 8. Bc3 Qd6+ 9. Kc2 Rxe3 $1 {Black wins back the rook and probably wins the game too.}) 6... Rd8+ (6... Bd5 $2 7. Bd4 $1 Bxb3 8. Qd7 $1 {White may even win this, with the central bishop guarding the wK.}) 7. Ke3 $1 (7. Ke2 {runs into} Qc4+ 8. Kf2 Rd2+ 9. Kg1 Qxb3) 7... Qg5+ 8. Kf2 Rd2+ (8... Qc5+ 9. Kg3 $1 {and the best Black can do is repeat the position.}) 9. Ke1 Rxg2 (9... Rxb2 $6 10. Rxb2 Qc1+ 11. Kf2 Qc5+ {again a repetition, followed by a draw - neither sides can do anything.}) (9... Rc2 10. Rf2 $1 Rc1+ $1 {Black must play this to salvage a draw.} 11. Bxc1 Qxc1+ 12. Ke2 Qc2+) 10. f4 $1 (10. Rf2 $2 Rg1+ 11. Rf1 Qh4+ $1) 10... Qf5 $1 (10... Qh4+ 11. Kd1 Qh5+ 12. Kc1 Qc5+ 13. Kb1 $1 {White tucks himself into the queenside, where most of his cavalry is present}) 11. Bxf6+ $3 Qxf6 (11... Kxf6 $2 12. Qa1+ Ke6 13. Re3+ {And suddenly, Black's king is under fire!}) 12. Qa5 (12. b7 $4 Ba4 $1 {[%csl Gd1]} (12... Qe6+ 13. Re3) 13. Qxa4 Qe6+) (12. Qa3 $2 Qd4 13. Qc1 Bb5 $1) 12... Bb5 $1 (12... Qe6+ 13. Qe5+) 13. Qc3 $1 (13. Rxb5 Qe6+) 13... Qxc3+ 14. Rxc3 $10 {GC: After a spectacular start and exciting attack, the play peters out to a draw. The study would be memorable if there was a stronger conclusion. SN: The first moves are very promising with a middlegame position and Novotny on e4. But after that the play becomes less interesting.} 1/2-1/2