2008 FMJD Composition World Championship (Miniatures)

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Recently I finished 2nd in ther FMJD Composition World Championship, Miniatures, got silver medal, diploma, $200 and classification points. There were 356 positions in contest composed by 50 authors from 10 countries.

Positions with solutions are here: http://fmjd.org/downloads/PWCP_II_diagrams.pdf

Final standings are here: http://fmjd.org/news.php?nid=419

I hope fans and lovers of 10x10 game enjoy them. This contest collected alot of fine works by top World composers. My hot congratulations to winner - grandmaster from Russia Vladimir Matus. Great victory. Three of his commpositions took 1st place and two - 2nd place in different categories.

It was my first serious experience in 10x10 composition after long delay, more than 17 years. Last time I did this before I left Soviet Union, in october 1991

Regards,

Alex

[william]

Hi Alex

Thanks for that fantastic link!

The only problem for which I recieved a title " prijsprobleem " was the following ; and it wasn't really a composition.

I had only been playing 10x10 for 2 or 3 years and had started to play mail games to improve my game.
The position literally jumped out of the board at me while I was analysisng a line in one of the games.
I believe that if I had been looking for this sort of thing ,then I would not have found it!!
White to play and win , I will post the solution in a few days , but do not worry if you don't find it as Agafanov and Luc Guinard could not find it either at 92 paris international!!


Greetings

William Docherty

[Alex_Moiseyev]

William, good practical shot, I like it !

29-24 (or 37-31 first), 37-31, 27-22, 39-33, 34x43, 38-33 etc.

I am glad you like and enjoy this link. It was a tough competition.

[liam stephens]

Nice demonstration, William, of the prominence of the shot in actual play.

Also, have a look at a standard opening - 32-28, 18-23:



Now if white plays the natural 37-32? it loses by the shot. Instead White plays the the anti positional looking
38-32 (akin to 7-11 in checkers), showing, I think, the precedence of shots and strokes over positional play.

[Lisle Cormier]

Yes, I played 37-32 in my first online game without thinking much about it and discovered quickly that openings in straight checkers do not translate to other styles. How embarrassing!

[john reade]

I lost a correspondence game this way back in 1996 against Theo van der Hoek. I published it in the Lancashire newsletter for October 1996. It is the Fool's Mate of 10x10.

The corresonding opening in checkers is the Waterloo where the shot is not available.

The cross choice is OK in 10x10. But not in Frisian draughts!

[william]

I am glad that you all enjoyed the position

Liam ; you spoke about "anti-positional " play.

Here is a opening sequence , that probably could have been classified as a cook . A few years ago Georgiev ( I may be wrong , If I am I'm sure Alex will be able to help me with player's name ) introduced this new devellopment and scored many wins against master players



And was formed by the following " anti-positional" moves ... I LOVE IT !!!

32-28 19-23 28x19 13x24 !! 34-30 9-13 30x19 13x24 !!!

Greetings
WILLIAM

[liam stephens]

Hmm... reminds me of one of Oldbury's C line attacks. Objectively those holes on 9, 13 and 19 do not look good, but after 14-19, 10.14 and 8-13, I suppose Black can build a nice pyramid formation (as well as clearing his single corner).

[Alex_Moiseyev]

14-19, 10.14 and 8-13,

Yes, and also 4-9 and 2-8. This finally allows black to build a standard opening formation with just different order of moves. But what is more important, this would take out of published play Mr. Georgiyev opponents - his main target.

In Anglo-American Draughts such pyramids are OK sometimes, but not in all cases. It works only if front columns keep trade in hands. Otherwise pyramid mibility can be limited and make damage to position.

As far as I remember, Derek mentioned that pyramids can be used with caution.

Regards,

Alex

[john reade]

The vicar used to call them chopping blocks.

[liam stephens]

It is with the "pyramid builder" that the expert player has vast opportunities for those "pyrotechnical displays,"
those shots and strokes, which so astonish the newcomer.

Hugh Egan - In Melbourne Weekly Times (see Boland's Famous Positions page 94)