Unofficial World Championship Checker Ptoblem Composing Contest 40

[Bill Salot]

Good, practical, original, unpublished 3x3s are relatively difficult to compose. The small number of pieces limits the number of possible new ideas.

Nevertheless, six composers are defying the odds by entering 3x3 problems, 3 draws and 3 wins, in Contest 40. One of the problems is the famous George H. Slocum. Only four of the previous 39 contests involved that many competing composers. Take advantage of the opportunity to see some new twists here.

3x3s are difficult to judge. We need your votes in order to determine the best composition and its Unofficial World Champion Checker Problem Composer. Votes will also determine the best problem evaluators via the ladder of Judges. Just solve the problems or play out the animations, and vote for the 3x3 that impressed you most.

If you wish, you can climb onto the evaluator ladder before the contest closes. You are also welcome to try your hand at competitive problem composing against some of the world's best. Just e-mail your vote or your original, unpublished problem to the address below the diagrams.

[Bill Salot]

I am sorry to report that the solution to Contest 40, Problem 2 (Rainbow's End), as just published in ACF Bulletin Number 394, August 2018, Page 8, was botched in three places. I take full responsibility for creating the editing errors and for not correcting them before Jim Loy's deadline. The errors were the first move of the Trunk, the first move of Note A , and the double parentheses in Note D.

Fortunately, the solution and animation on the contest page are correct, so the contest is good to go.

I would like to point out that Contest 40 features a couple of Masterpieces that may rival the best in all the contests so far. I wish I had composed them, and I hope all of our top Masters and Grandmasters give one of them a much deserved vote.

[Alex_Moiseyev]

"More Modern" problem has alternative solution:

23-19, 3-7, 20-16, 4-8, 7-10, 8-12 (instead 8-3) White Wins

AM

[Bill Salot]

No, Alex, you have to take this game more seriously.

First restore the move that you deleted, making the trunk solution go:
*23 19, 3-7, *19 23, 20-16, *4 8, 7-10. Now your 8 12, 16-20, 12 8, wastes time. If you don't play 8 3 sooner or later, you can't win. Your 8 12 just comes back to the trunk win. It is not an alternate win.

We are very glad you looked at these problems. Now we would be even more happy if you voted for one.

[Alex_Moiseyev]

No, Alex, you have to take this game more seriously.

First restore the move that you deleted, making the trunk solution go:
*23 19, 3-7, *19 23, 20-16, *4 8, 7-10. Now your 8 12, 16-20, 12 8, wastes time. If you don't play 8 3 sooner or later, you can't win. Your 8 12 just comes back to the trunk win. It is not an alternate win.

We are very glad you looked at these problems. Now we would be even more happy if you voted for one.

Bill, if I said it's alternative solution - so be it!

After *23 19, 3-7, *19 23, 20-16, *4 8, 7-10, 8 12, 16-20 I don't have to go back 12-8, but also can win by 22-18+. As FMJD Problematic grandmaster (GMIP) and Composition World Champion (2015-2018) in 10x10 field I can tell you - this is very serious defect and composition should get zero evaluation in competition.

[Bill Salot]

Sorry, Alex, I agree, you win again.

Did the other entries survive your gaze?

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Sorry, Alex, I agree, you win again.

Did the other entries survive your gaze?

Yes, I think so. Even if I usually don't vote, I always follow all positions posted in Unofficial World Contest in this forum and mostly enjoy them. Sometimes ideas are very valuable and useful in real play.

Thanks for running these events, this is fantastic!

AM

[Bill Salot]

Results

August is a good month. Since Contest 34 in August 2017, no contest attracted more votes than this one.

The winner was 61-move Rainbow's End, by Bill Salot. It gathered 10 of the 21 votes from among 259 visitors. Lloyd Gordon, Slava Gorin (Russia), George Hay and Kathy Wirthwein voted for it.

An ingenious retreating move brought 7 votes and 2nd place to Candy Out of Nothing, by first-timer, Igor Martynov (multiple times Champion of Germany). Gary Ellison and Wilma Wolverton voted for it.

Third, with 3 votes was More Modern, by Jim Loy, a subtle correction of a 48-year old setting by old master, S. J. Pickering. Non-voter Alex Moiseyev found a dual solution at the 7th move, and said the problem should be disqualified. It will not be disqualified because the correction occurred before the 7th move and deserves to be recognized. Liam Stephens (Ireland) voted for it, breaking his 7-Contest streak of correct winner-picking.

Ocean View, by the famous G. H. Slocum (1855-1914), got 4th place, with one vote. It was by Gene Ellison. The problem title honors the weekly newspaper, Chicago Inter Ocean, in which the problem appeared on 4/29/1900, the one and only time the problem was published, until this contest. The problem is disqualified by that prior publication, and Slocum continues to come up empty.

In a rare switch, our two most accomplished active composers, and winners of the last 3 contests, trailed. Last minute entries, Last Chance, by Roy Little, and Just Off the Press, by Ed Atkinson, each received zero votes. You can bet it won't happen again.

Taking over 1st place on the active Problem Evaluation Ladder is Lloyd Gordon (Russia) with 3 winners picked in 3 tries (100%); falling to 2nd is Liam Stephens (Ireland) with 7 winners in 8 tries (87%); still 3rd is Gene Ellison with 4 winners in 7 tries (57%). All others are at 50% or less.

[Bill Salot]

CORRECTION:

Taking over 1st place on the active Problem Evaluation Ladder is Lloyd Gordon (Canada) with 3 winners picked in 3 tries (100%); falling to 2nd is Liam Stephens (Ireland) with 7 winners in 8 tries (87%); rising to 3rd is Kathy Wirthwein with 3 winners in 5 tries (60%); falling to 4th is Gene Ellison with 4 winners in 7 tries (57%). 15 others are at 50% or less.

[George Hay]

Congratulation to Bill Salot for winning Contest 40 with Rainbow's End, an epic journey like Dorthy following the Yellow Brick Road!
It is hard to believe that 40 contests have gone by, and great problems with interesting themes are still being composed!

--George Hay