5th January 2024
The two studies presented here deal with the same material.
The first study is my very first study ever. It was first submitted to the FIDE World Cup 2023, where it ended in Group D of "good, quality studies, but still not included in the Award" together with 8 other studies.
White to move and draw.
Thomas Niessen 2023
4th c. "For the Triumph of International Law 2024"
When I decided to take part in the World Cup, I needed a study very quickly as the deadline was only a few days away. Nevertheless, I am still very satisfied with the content of the study.
Let's see the mainline.
The tension in the starting position is due to the placement of the kings rather than the asymmetrical material. White's knight is attacked and it seems that the fork 1. Ne3? is forced. But that's a seduction: After 1.. Ke2 2. Nxd5 c5 White is lost, e.g. 3. g4 Kd2 4. Nb6 Kxc2 or 3. Nc7 g4.
But what else can White play? 1. Nf4! A nice key is always fine. 1..
c5. Black' reply is by no means obvious. We know already that White
cannot take on d5. 2. Nd3.
And now what is really special: The queenside is in balance!
Both sides don't like to change it for several moves.
2.. g4. If 2.. Ke2 3. Nxc5 Kd2?, then Black is even lost after 4. Na6!.
3. Kg7! If 4. Nxc5? Kf2 and White's knight loses against the pawns.
So, the play continues on the kingside:
3.. Kg2 4. Kf6 Kxg3 5. Ke5.
Both sides have made enormous progress. White's king attacking the queenside pawns forces a decision.
5.. b3! Black cannot hope for a win with the g-pawn alone.
6. cxb3 c4! 7. bxc4 dxc4.
At least Black can no longer lose.
8. Nb2! Usually it is a bad idea to attack a pawn with a knight in this way.
8.. Kf2. The line after c3 is worth seeing (8... c3 9. Nd3 c2 10. Kd4 Kh2 11. Kc3 g3 12. Kxc2 g2 13. Ne1 g1=Q 14. Nf3+ =) , but Black can play even better.
9. Ke4! I like this move very much. You might assume that it is a Réti, but for White it is more important that the square f4 remains for the knight, see position (X) below. 9. Kf4? g3 10. Nd1+ Ke1 11. Ne3 Ke2 -+.
9.. g3 10. Nd1+ Ke1 11. Ne3 Ke1.
Here 11.. Ke2 12. Nd5 g2 13. Nf4+ draws (X).
The rest of the mainline: 12. Nd1+ Ke2 13. Nc3+ Kd2 14. Nb1+ Kc1 15. Nc3 g2 16. Kf3 Kc2 17. Ne2 Kd2 18. Kf2 g1=Q+ 19. Nxg1 1/2-1/2
I have left out many nice lines throughout the text. You can find these in the award (please be sure to take a look at the wonderful 1st prize!).
A few additional remarks.
First and foremost I would like to thank the both tournament directors and both judges!
The knight endgame from White's 8th move onwards was found through something I call systematic endgame search, and I've been doing this for a number of years. When I needed a study for the World Cup, I took two endgames from my collection and tried to create nice introductions. First, the other one was my favourite, but this was definitely a case of chess blindness.
Is a 4th commendation a fair result? I like this one a lot, but its tender beauty is different from the mainstreams. Maybe it was even luckily included into the award because of the agile knight. Seemingly none of the judges has emphasized what I found remarkable beyond that.
The NPP vs PPP material suggests more of a win study. So some time after the World Cup study I tried it again.
White to move and win.
Thomas Niessen
Problem Paradise. Issue 104 (Oct-Dec 2023), volume 26.
The study takes part in the annual tourney of the magazine, but I don't expect it to be in the award. It's maybe too technical. But compared to the one above it is at lerast a logical study.
The endgame editor Ryo Shiomi wrote: "A natural setup, but very hard to solve." Absolutely
correct.
Let's discuss the start position. White's g-pawn will be lost and so the b-pawn must win the day. Therefore White has to remove Black's c-pawn and stop the two black kingside pawns with the knight. Definitely another clear endgame task.
Black needs three move to capture on g2. How should White use this time? Is capturing on c7 an option?
Or has the knight's position to be improved first?
1. Kb5. White needs both options: Nc6 and Nc4. 1.. Ke3. Usually one would expect Ke4-f4-g3 in order to prevent g4. But here g4 is no threat while Ke3 prevents Nc4 (see below).
2. Nc6.
Try: 2. Nc4+? Kf2 3. g4 Kf3 4. Kc6 Kxg4 5. Kxc7 h5
6. Ne3+ Kf3 7. b4 Kxe3 =. And 2. Kc6? h5 3. Kxc7 Kf2 4. Nc6 Kxg2 5. Ne7 h4 6. Ng6 h3 7. Nf4+ Kg3 8. Nxh3 Kxh3 =.
2.. Kf2 3. Ne7! Kxg2 4. Nd5!.
(4. Kc6? h5 5. Ng6 Kg3 6. Kxc7 h4 7. Nxh4 Kxh4 =.)
4... f5 5. Kc6.
(5. b4? Kf3 6. Nf6 f4 7. Kc6 Ke2 8. Kxc7 f3 9. Ng4 h5 10. Nh2 f2 11. b5 f1=Q 12. Nxf1 Kxf1 =)
5... Kf3.
6. Nf6!.
This is what White was aiming for: this murky knight position ensures control of the f- and h-pawn! Neither 6.. h6 nor 6.. f4 make sense now (please check). So, Black can resign,
right?
6.. Ke2!
Not yet. There is a hidden option for Black.
7. Nxh7
If 7. Nh5? is a reasonable alternative, then 7.. Ke3 8. b4 f4 9. Kxc7 f3 10. b5 f2 11. Ng3 h5 12. b6 h4 13. Nf1+ Ke2 = is a full try.
7.. Ke3!. Again Black is in no hurry.
8. b3!.
Festina lente. And hence there is a try based on zugzwang: 8. b4? f4 (or first 8... Kd4) 9. Ng5 Kd4 10. b5 Kc4 11. Nf3 Kb4 =.
8... Ke4 9. Kc5! f4 10. Ng5+ Kf5 11. Nh3
(11. Nf3 Ke4 12. Ng5+ Kf5 is waste of time.)
11... Kg4 12. Nf2+ Kf3 13. Nd3 Ke4 14. Kc4 Ke3 15. b4 f3 16.
b5 f2 17. Nxf2 1-0
Ryo Shiomi: "The position after 7.. Ke3 could be an independent study, I suppose."
The position after Black's seventh offers definitely interesting play, but since it is a 6-men zz position it cannot be a study on its own within a tourney. This position was not taken from the well-known file with all zugzwang positions up to six men. I found it again by
systematic endgame search, where festina lente moves and forced play are highlighted automatically.
Both studies represent my early work as a composer, and although only a few months have passed since then, I can say that my style is somehow changing.
Addendum 17th June 2024. The second study received a HM. My sincere thanks go to the tournament director Ryo Shiomi and the judge Mario G. Garcia.