Studies with Stephenson
By Brian Stephenson

The Belgrade Conference that I have written about twice already was not just about solving. The yearly meeting of the World Federation for Chess Composition also took place. While the solvers solved and the delegates debated, the many chess composers present weren’t idle. They took part in one or more of the wide range of composing tourneys that these events always include. This year, for the first time, the Azerbaijanis ran a study composing tourney. First prize was won by Danish composer Steffen Slumstrup Nielsen, whom readers will remember from a couple of issues ago, with this accessible and sacrificial study.
Steffen Slumstrup Nielsen, 1st Prize, Azerbaijan Ty., 2016

White to play and win
Click for the solution
1.Nd6 1.-- Qc8# 1.-- Qf7+ 1...Qe5 1...Qg5 2.Nf7 Qa5 2...Qf6 3.Nh8+ Kf5 4.hxg4+ Kxg4 5.Qg2+ Kf4 6.Bg3+ Ke3 7.Qxc2 Qg5+ 8.Qg6+- 3.Nh8+ Kf6 4.Bh4+ Kf5 5.Qc4 Nxh4 6.hxg4+ Kf6 7.Qd4+ Ke7 8.Qg7+ Kd6 9.Nf7+ Kc5 10.Qe5+ Kb6 11.Qb2+ Ka7 12.Qxc2 Nf3 13.Qf2+ Kb8 14.Qxf3 Qxa2 15.Qc6 2.Bf7+ Kh6 3.Nf5+! Bxf5 3...Qxf5 4.Be3+ Qg5+ 5.Bxg5+ Kxg5 6.Qc1+ 3...Kg5 4.Qc1+ Kxf5 5.Qxc2+ Kf4 6.Qc1+ Ke4 7.Qe3+ Kf5 8.hxg4+ Kxg4 9.Be6+ Kh5 10.Qxf3+ 4.Qa6+ Kg5 5.h4+! Nxh4 5...Kf4 6.Qh6+ Ng5 7.Qxg5+ Kf3 8.Bd4 6.Qf6+! Qxf6 6...Kxf6 7.Bxh4# 6...Kf4 7.Bg3+ Kxg3 8.Qxe5++- 7.Be3# 1–0
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That first prize was awarded by Ilham Aliyev, himself a distinguished endgame study composer. Here, for you to solve, is one of his own creations, published in a Czech chess composition magazine.
Ilham Aliyev Sachova Skladba, 2002

White to play and win
To enter email matt@chess.co.uk or send your name and address, with the main variations, to Chess & Bridge, 44 Baker Street, London, W1U 7RT, postmarked no later than 1st January. There is a £25 voucher for the first correct entry drawn.
The above article appeared in the November 2016 issue of the British magazine CHESS

CHESS Magazine was established in 1935 by B.H. Wood who ran it for over fifty years. It is published each month by the London Chess Centre and is edited by IM Richard Palliser and Matt Read. The Executive Editor is Malcolm Pein, who organises the London Chess Classic.

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Elisabeth Pähtz: How to Exchange Pieces
ChessBase PC-DVD, running time: 4 hours, 35 minutes RRP £24.95 SUBSCRIBERS £22.45
Knowing which pieces to exchange and when is a tough call for almost all chess players. The likes of Capablanca and Karpov had an innate feeling for knowing when and what to exchange, and by looking at their games, as well as some of her own, Pähtz aims to develop that feeling within the viewer. Handy tips are given to consider whenever one is weighing up an exchange in this DVD aimed squarely at the club player.
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John Nunn: Solving in Style
In this book, John Nunn, a top-class grandmaster who is also one of the worlds finest solvers, explains the methods by which chess problems and studies are solved. The logical and creative methods advocated, while targeted at the solving of composed positions, may also help players find startling tactical solutions in their games. Solving in Style also constitutes an entertaining and insightful introduction to the world of problems and studies. There are chapters on series problems and other unorthodox stipulations, and also a discussion of specific themes such as the Novotny interference. This classic text is one of few on this important subject, and is now available again, having been difficult to obtain for a decade.
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Mark Dvoretsky, Oleg Pervakov: Studies for Practical Players
Nowadays, chessplayers spend almost all their free time preparing openings, and rarely spend the time necessary to perfect the vitally important technique of calculating. Regular training in solving and playing out endgame studies is a good recipe for eliminating that shortcoming. This training is directed at developing resourcefulness, fantasy (in chess, these qualities are called "combinative acuity"), and the readiness to sacrifice material, in pursuit of the goal - winning! How do we develop good habits of winning endgame play? There are lots of manuals, but this may be the first in which a famous practical player, a trainer with a world-renowned name, and a study composer who has earned the title of International Grandmaster of Composition, share their views in one and the same book.
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