www.arves.org - 9th YCCC 2025

Studies awarded for the 9th YCCC 2025 tournament where composers not older than 23 may compete,

[Event "1st place (8 points)"] [Site ""] [Date "2025"] [Round ""] [White "Stefan-Constantin Harnagea"] [Black ""] [Result "1-0"] [FEN "R7/4ppp1/P7/3Pk3/6p1/4P1P1/6PK/3r4 w - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [PlyCount "9"] 
 {2025 YCCC Endgame Studies award 
 by Steffen Slumstrup Nielsen and Gady Costeff 
 Twenty-one studies took part in the tourney, the youngest composer was 10 and the oldest, per the regulations, 23. The general level has improved compared to previous years and the first four studies are excellent. Five studies were disqualified on account of analytical errors.} 1.a7 $1 ( 1.Re8 Ra1 2.Rxe7+ Kxd5  3.Rxf7 Rxa6 4.Rxg7 Ra4 $14 ) 1...Ra1 2.d6 $1 Ke6 ( 2...Kxd6 3.Rd8+ $18 ) (  2...exd6 3.Re8+ $18 ) 3.e4 $1 ( 3.dxe7 Kxe7 4.e4 Kf6 $1 5.e5+ Kg5 $10 ) 3...Kd7  4.dxe7 ( 4.e5 Ke6 $1 5.dxe7 Kxe7 {This reaches the same reciprocal zugzwang as in the solution, but with White to move! That enables Black to draw.} 6.e6 Kf6  $10 ) 4...Kxe7 5.e5 {This is a position of reciprocal zugzwang, but, unlike the 4.e5? variation, Black is to move! His rook can neither leave the first rank, because White's king would join with a decisive effect, neither the a-file, because the pawn would promote. So, Black is forced to weaken his seventh rank.} 1-0

[Event "2nd-3rd place (7.5 points)"] [Site ""] [Date "2025"] [Round ""] [White "Lim Bin Yang"] [Black ""] [Result "1-0"] [FEN "4N3/7p/7k/4p2P/1P3p1K/2r1b3/1p2B1RP/8 w - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [PlyCount "19"] 
 1.Bd3 ( 1.Nd6 Bf2+ $12 ) 1...Rxd3 ( 1...f3 2.Nd6 fxg2 3.Nf5# ) 2.Rc2 Bc5 (  2...Bf2+ 3.Kg4 $18 ) 3.Rxc5 Rd6 ( 3...Rh3+ 4.Kg4 $18 ) 4.Nxd6 b1=Q ( 4...Kg7  5.Rc7+ Kf8 6.Kg5 b1=Q 7.Kf6 ) 5.Rc1 Qd3 6.Rd1 Qc2 7.Rd2 Qb1 8.Rg2 {Rook travels back to its original starting square (g2-c2-c5-c1-d1-d2-g2)} ( 8.Rd1 Qc2  {Repeating position} ) 8...Qe1+ 9.Rg3 fxg3 10.Nf5# {A tour de force with an enviable storyline. There is not a single moment where one loses interest. Rather, after each move, one asks: "How will Black defend now?" or "How will White find new attacking resources?" The long rundlauf to g2—rightly noted by the composer—is amusing, but even without it, the spectator or solver should be pleased by the rhythmic unfolding of the events on the board. 
 Both kings remain static throughout the solution, but somehow the dynamic battle between the three remaining pieces— after the echo sacrifices of the bishops—more than compensates. 
 Did you notice the purpose of Black’s 2…Bc5!? It allows the black queen access to f5. Excellent!} 1-0

[Event "4th place (7 points)"] [Site ""] [Date "2025"] [Round ""] [White "Dylan Shenker"] [Black ""] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [FEN "3R2K1/8/2n1P2P/8/6p1/2p5/8/1b5k b - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [PlyCount "36"] 
 1...Bh7+ 2.Kxh7 c2 3.e7 Nxe7 4.Ra8 c1=R 5.Ra5 g3 6.Kg7 Rc7 7.Rh5+ Kg2 8.h7 Nd5+  9.Kf8 Nf4 10.Rh6 Ng6+ 11.Kg8 Ne7+ 12.Kf8 Ng6+ 13.Kg8 Rc8+ 14.Kg7 {White has formed a fortress. Once it has advanced to g2, the pawn can be stopped by giving checks on the fifth rank. When the Black king arrives on g4, White can sacrifice the rook on g5 with check, and the rook cannot be captured due to stalemate. For example:} 14...Nh8 15.Rh5 Ra8 16.Rf5 Kh3 17.Rh5+ Kg4 18.Rc5 g2 19.Rg5+ {Adding meaningful play after an underpromotion is typically difficult. The composer has done an excellent job here: 15 (!) good moves after 4…c1=R. Of course, it is unfortunate that the final stalemate can only be shown in a "sample line", but I believe nothing more can be done in this regard. 
 Similarly, having Black to move is always a bit of a shame, but I can offer no improvement here, so I find it acceptable.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "5th place (6 points)"] [Site ""] [Date "2025"] [Round ""] [White "Shang Riye"] [Black ""] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [FEN "3K4/PPPP4/1Pr1k3/8/r7/8/pP6/8 b - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [PlyCount "36"] 
 1...a1=Q 2.Kc8 $1 ( 2.b8=Q Rh4 ) ( 2.c8=Q Qh1 $1 ) 2...Rxa7 $1 ( 2...Rxc7+  3.bxc7 Rxa7 4.d8=N+ $1 Kd6 5.Kb8 Rxb7+ 6.Nxb7+ ) 3.d8=N+ $1 ( 3.bxa7 Rxc7+  4.Kxc7 Qa5+ 5.Kc8 Qc5+ 6.Kb8 Qf8+ ) 3...Kd6 4.Nxc6 ( 4.Nf7+ Ke7 $1 5.bxa7 Rxc7+  $1 6.Kxc7 Qxa7 7.Nd8 Qa5+ ) 4...Kxc6 5.bxa7 Qa5 $1 ( 5...Qxa7 6.b8=Q ) (  5...Qxb2 6.b8=N+ $1 Kd6 7.a8=Q Qh8+ 8.Kb7 ) 6.a8=N $1 ( 6.b8=Q Qf5+ ) ( 6.b8=N+  Kd6 7.a8=N Qxa8 ) 6...Qa6 ( 6...Qb4 7.b8=N+ $1 ) ( 6...Qf5+ 7.Kb8 ) 7.Kd8 $1 (  7.b4 Qxb7+ 8.Kd8 Kd6 $1 9.c8=N+ Ke5 $1 10.Nc7 Qxb4 ) 7...Qd3+ 8.Kc8 Qb5 (  8...Qb3 9.b8=N+ $1 Kd6 10.Nd7 $1 Qe6 11.Kb8 $1 ) 9.b8=N+ $1 Kd6 10.Kd8 $1 Qg5+  ( 10...Qa5 11.b4 $1 Qd5 ( 11...Qb5 12.c8=N+ $1 ) 12.c8=N+ $1 Ke6+ 13.Kc7 ) (  10...Qd5 11.c8=N+ $1 Ke6+ 12.Kc7 ) ( 10...Qxb2 11.c8=N+ $1 ) 11.Kc8 Qd5 (  11...Qg2 12.Nb6 Qc2 13.Na8 Qe4 14.Nb6 Qe6+ 15.Kb7 Qe4+ 16.Kc8 Qc2 17.Na8 Qxb2  18.Nd7 Kc6 19.Nb8+ ) 12.Nb6 Qc5 13.Na8 Qa7 14.Kd8 Qxa8 15.c8=N+ $1 ( 15.c8=Q  Qa5+ 16.Ke8 Qh5+ 17.Kf8 Qh8+ 18.Kf7 Qxc8 ) 15...Kc5 $1 ( 15...Ke6 16.Kc7 $1 )  16.b4+ $3 ( 16.Kc7 Qa5+ ) 16...Kb5 $5 ( 16...Kxb4 17.Kc7 Kc5 18.Nd7+ Kb5  19.Nd6+ ) 17.Kc7 $1 Kxb4 18.Nd7 $1 Kb5 19.Nd6+ {This is an ambitious task. Achieving four knight promotions is no small feat. The composer deserves praise for managing a minimalist finish with only the necessary material remaining. Considering the packed starting position, this is truly remarkable. Still, the cluttered and unnatural starting setup works against the composer, especially the mass of pawns already near promotion (necessitating seven captures in the retro-play). Starting with 5. a8=N would have been more elegant, but then we have a significant predecessor with 3 knight promotions and similar play by Becker, Special prize Chess Star, 2010. The additional play and fourth knight promotion make the study original.} 1/2-1/2