2nd Romanian Tzuica Tourney
Judges: Ion Murarasu & Vlaicu Crisan (Romania)

Theme
Help-selfmates (hs#n) or help-selfstalemates (hs=n) in "n" moves (n>2) with at least one promotion during the solution(s). All fairy conditions and pieces are allowed.

Definition
In a help-selfmate problem in "n" moves (denoted hs#n), White starts and Black collaborates with White in order to reach a position of s#1 (selfmate in one move) at move "n" (the last move). The same definition applies also to stalemate.

Prizes in bottles of Tzuica.

You can participate with either of the two following ways:

  1. Send your entries via e-mail to Ion Murarasu by 29th of August at the latest.
  2. Hand over your compositions to any of the Romanian participants during the congress by Wednesday night, 8th of September, 10.00 PM.
Dinu-Ioan Nicula
Vlaicu Crisan
Eric Huber
Original

 

1...e1=T 2.b8=D Th1 3.De8 Th6 and now 4.Dg6+ Txg6#

1...e1=L 2.b8=S Lec3 3.Sd7 Lcg7 and now 4.Sf6+ Lxf6#

Bicolour AUW

The example is in 3½ moves, which means that here Black plays first, and not White, as the usual case is.
HS#3½
 2 solutions (2+7)  

[Webmaster's note] This fairy condition appears in the FIDE Album as "help-compel-mate", where White moves first and is mated. Black helps until his final move, which must be forced, as in a selfmate.

We find the opportunity to reproduce a very fine hs#3 from the FIDE Album 1992-94 (not thematic, of course, since no promotions occur.)

bernd ellinghoven
Hans-Peter Rehm
feenschach 1994
To the memory of P. Kniest

 

1.Ld6 Da5 2.Te4 Dc7 and now 3.Lxg3+ Dxg3#

1.Te6 Dc5 2.Lf4 De7 and now 3.Txe2+ Dxe2#

Pericritical Rehm manoeuvres in excellent orthogonal / diagonal echo
HS#3
211111
(10+11)
  

A record number of 33 problems have taken part in this tourney. This success seems to be own to the popularity of pawns promotions. The judging criteria were mainly the number of promotions, how artistic they were presented and also the technical quality of the problem. The level of the tourney proved rather high (many authors showed 4 promotions or more), which explains why a fair proportion of the entries can be found in this award.

[Webmaster's note] The 3rd Prize of Joost de Heer appearing in the bulletin was cooked after the congress; the composer managed to correct it (computer-tested!) and the judges decided that this should retain its place in the award.

Petko Petkov
1 Pr Tzuica Ty
Halkidiki 2004		 A. Bulavka & V. Zaitsev
2 Pr Tzuica Ty
Halkidiki 2004
 
HS#3
Super-Circe
Eiffel Chess
(4+4)
    
HS#4
b) bpd5<=>wSf2
(12+7)
  

1st Prize: Petko Petkov (Bulgaria)
1.cxd8=T (e1=T)+ Txe5 (b8=L) 2.Ke3 cxd1=D (f8=T) and now 3.Txf7 (f1=D)! Kxb8 (Lc8)#
This pawns problem in only 3 moves and a single line of play surprisingly features 6 promotions (3 for White and 3 for Black), thanks to the inspired combination of Eiffel and SuperCirce conditions. Economy is maximal, play is dynamic and ends with Black in an amazing zugzwang, the mate position being original. A super-class problem!

2nd Prize: Aleksandr Bulavka & Viktor Zaitsev (Belarus)
a) 1.Lg3 g1=T 2.Lg2+ hxg2 3.Kf4 h1=D and now 4.Lh2 Dxh2#
b) 1.Kxe4 g1=L 2.Lf3 h1=S 3.Le5 h2 and now 4.Tf4 Sg3#
The best problem without fairy pieces or conditions. It is the first time that a black AUW is achieved in a hs#4 with Black in zugzwang in two phases. Construction difficulties were immense, but the authors solved them by using an ingenious twin (interchanging two pieces of different colours). The wK is given two pure mates on different squares.

Joost de Heer
3 Pr Tzuica Ty (v)
Halkidiki 2004		 Petko Petkov
4 Pr Tzuica Ty
Halkidiki 2004
 
HS#4½
Circe
(2+2+5)
    
HS#3
b) +bph5
Eiffel Chess
(5+7)
  

3rd Prize (v): Joost de Heer (Netherlands)
1...g1=nD 2.nDxg4 (+nPg7) c1=nD 3.gxf8=nD (+bSb8) nDfxf4 (+nPf2) 4.nDxa4 (+nPa7) fxe1=nD and now 5.axb8=nD+ Kxb8 (+nDd1)#
Five neutral Queen promotions in a single line of play with Circe condition. Economical enough and impressive final position.

4th Prize: Petko Petkov (Bulgaria)
a) 1.d8=T e1=L (e1=S?) 2.Txd4 c1=D (c1=T?) and now 3.Th4+ Lxg3#
b) 1.d8=L e1=S (e1=L?) 2.Lxe7 c1=T (c1=D?) and now 3.Lg5+ Sf3#
Another task: this time 6 promotions, black AUW and two added white minor promotions. Petko uses his own "AUW mechanism for battery creation", in order to show a subtle dual-avoidance effect based on white captures on d4 and e7 and the subsequent white line openings.

Menachem Witztum
Emanuel Navon
 Sp HM Tzuica Ty
Halkidiki 2004
H. Gruber, T. Maeder,
b. ellinghoven, H-P. Rehm
 1 HM Tzuica Ty
Halkidiki 2004
Petko Petkov
 2 HM Tzuica Ty
Halkidiki 2004
HS#3
b) bSd1
(6+9)
HS#3½
b) wTg7
(7+10)
HS#4
Isardam
(1+1+4)

Special Honourable Mention: Menachem Witztum & Emanuel Navon (Israel)
a) 1.Dc5! (1.Dc4?) Ld2! (Lf6?) 2.Sc3 hxg1=L! (hxg1=S?) and now 3.Sxe2+ Lxe2#
b) 1.Dc4! (1.Dc5?) Lf6! (Ld2?) 2.Ld4 hxg1=S! (hxg1=L?) and now 3.Le3+ Sxe3#
Only two promotions, but we could not ignore the originality of the authors' idea. Whether it is indeed a triple dual-avoidance or a single one scattered in 3 moves, remains disputable. Still it is a noticeable achievement and a deep white first move.

1st Hon. Mention: Hans Gruber, Thomas Maeder, bernd ellinghoven & Hans-Peter Rehm
a) 1...h1=VAO (h1=L?) 2.dxe8=PAO VAOc6 3.PAOe4 Ke7 and now 4.Se6+ VAOe5#
b) 1...h1=PAO (h1=T/D?) 2.dxe8=VAO PAOh7 3.VAOh5 Ke8 and now 4.Tf7+ PAOg6#
Four reciprocal fairy promotions in this spectacular orthogonal-diagonal transformation featuring chinese pieces. Two anti-batteries are built by the promoted Paos and Vaos in each solution after critical moves by the black promoted piece. The solutions end with cross-checks: nice echo.

2nd Honourable Mention: Petko Petkov (Bulgaria)
1.c8=nL g1=nL 2.nLh3 nLh2+ 3.b8=nL nLf4 and now 4.a8=nL+ Kg2#
Once again economy is optimal in this 4 neutral Bishop promotions problem. Isardam condition is masterly used by its own inventor.

František Sabol
 3 HM Tzuica Ty
Halkidiki 2004
Bjørn Enemark
 Comm Tzuica Ty
Halkidiki 2004
Unto Heinonen
 Comm Tzuica Ty
Halkidiki 2004
HS#3
211111
Mars-Circe
(6+8)
HS#6
(4+3)
HS#4
(7+5)

3rd Honourable Mention: František Sabol (Czech Republic)
i) 1.c8=S (1.a8=S?) Lg4 2.Sxd2 Lc8 and now 3.a8=D+ Sd1# [4.Dg8?]
ii) 1.c8=L (1.a8=L?) Lh2 2.Lxg2 Lb8 and now 3.a8=T+ Sh1# [4.Tg8?]
White AUW. Mars-Circe condition allows attractive artistic effects.

Commendation: Bjørn Enemark (Denmark)
1.Kf4 Kd5 2.Kg5 Tc8 3.Kh6 Th8 4.f8=L Ke6 5.e8=D+ Kf6 and now 6.Dg6+ hxg6#

Commendation: Unto Heinonen (Finland)
1.b8=T a1=L 2.Tf8+ Lf6 3.c8=S e1=D and now 4.Se7+ Dxe7#

Kohey Yamada
 Comm Tzuica Ty
Halkidiki 2004
Aleksandr Miholap
 Comm Tzuica Ty
Halkidiki 2004
Yuji Kikuta
 Comm Tzuica Ty
Halkidiki 2004
HS=3
b) pf7=>f6
(3+3)
HS#3
b) Ka1=>h2
(5+7)
HS#5
(4+4)

Commendation: Kohey Yamada (Japan)
a) 1.f8=T d1=L 2.Tf2 Lb3 and now 3.Ta2+ Lxa2=
b) 1.fxg7 d1=S 2.g8=D Sxc3 and now 3.Db3+ Kxb3=

Commendation: Aleksandr Miholap (Belarus)
a) 1.fxe8=L (1.fxg8=L?, 1.fxe8=D?) c1=L 2.Lb5 Lb2 and now 3.Ta3+ Lxa3#
b) 1.fxg8=L (1.fxe8=L?, 1.fxg8=D?) Tb6 2.Ld5 g1=L+ and now 3.Tf2+ Lxf2#

Commendation: Yuji Kikuta (Japan)
1.g8=L f3 2.h8=T f2 3.Th7 f1=S 4.Ld5 c1=D and now 5.Lc6+ Dxc6#