Jan Timman's birthday study tournament

by Yochanan Afek
2/7/2018 – Jan Timman turned 66 years old on December 14th, 2017, and received an unusual gift from his friend of 50 years, IM Hans Bohm: a study competition launched in his honour. 66 composers from around the world competed for a 2000 euro prize fund. Noted study expert Yochanan Afek brings us the highlights — pull up a chair, settle in, and enjoy. | Pictured (clockwise from left): The jury: Jan Timman, Hans Böhm, Yochanan Afek, Harold van der Heijden | Photo: Dorette van der Heijden
If you want to play successful chess you must pay great attention to the endgame. On this DVD, Rustam Kasimdzhanov analyses the type of practical endgames which tournament players encounter on a daily basis. He explains what has to be known in order to make the correct strategic decisions and to find the correct plan in such endings. Kasimdzhanov’s outstanding and easily understandable explanations will certainly help you to substantially improve your own performance in the endgame.

A gesture to a close friend

It is not that common in our community that a chess master bestows a valuable present to a life long friend and colleague. At least not like this!

Jan Timman, the Dutch world class grandmaster and arguably the most prolific contemporary study composer, and IM Hans Bohm, the Dutch “Mister Chess”, a well known presenter, writer and promoter, have been close friends for more than 50 years. In the late sixties of the last century they played together in the Dutch junior championships, and travelled around the globe to take part in numerous tournaments. Then for two decades Hans accompanied Jan as a journalist and supporter, reporting on his heroic attempts in several cycles for the world championship title.

Timman and Bohm as juniors

Timman and Bohm in Biel, Switzerland, 1969 | Photo: HansBohm.com 

Both men have always been great enthusiasts for the art of the endgame study as well. To celebrate 50 years of their friendship and Jan’s 65th anniversary Hans decided to surprise his great friend with a precious gift: organizing and sponsoring two study composing tourneys: One was without a set theme — a first ever of its kind — to be judged by Hans and myself, and was aimed at stimulating titled over-the-board players from FM to GM to send in their composing efforts. The second, an open thematic one, to be judged jointly by Jan and Hans, required either a bishop mate or playing against a bishop mate.

A total of 108 entries by 66 composers competed for a 2000 euro prize fund. The tournament director, Harold van der Heijden, a well known study expert and the man behind the largest study database (with some 85,000 items in total!) checked all entries for soundness and originality and anonymized their diagrams to secure maximal objectivity of the judgement process.

Four money prizes and four honourable mentions were awarded in each section. Each awarded composer also received Timman’s award-winning book Timman’s Titans with a dedication of the jubilant.

Let us enjoy the awarded entries:

Section A — For over-the-board titled players 
 
New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
An amazing presentation of mutual Prokes moves ( 2.Ne8!! and 3...Re1!!) with additional variety of other tactical zwischenzugs on both back ranks . The battle to secure promotion ends up eventually in favour of white who manages a narrow victory thanks to his extra knight. This knight is promoted after both initial white knights have been given away and then plays an active role in the ensuing endgame. This makes the study also a remarkable contribution to the phoenix theme. A truly impressive artistic and thematic achievement ! 1.Nd7+ Nxd7 2.Ne8! 2.e7? Kxc7 3.e8Q Rxe8 4.Nxe8+ Kc6 Black has enough counterplay with Sc5 coming up. For example: 5.Rg6 Nc5 6.Nxd6 Nb3 7.Nf5+ Kc5 8.Rg1 c1Q+ 9.Rxc1 Nxc1 10.Kxc1 b5 draws 2...Rxe8 3.exd7 Diagram # Re1‼ Black's Prokes Zwischenzug! 4.c8N+! 4.Rxe1? Kxc7 5.Re7 Kd8 6.Rh7 b5 7.Kc1 Kc7 8.Kd2 Kd8 draws. White's king must stay close to Black's passed pawns, and the rook alone cannot do more than exchange b5 for d7: 9.Kc1 Kc7 10.d8Q+ Kxd8 11.Rb7 Kc8 12.Rxb5 Kc7 13.Rb4 d5 and White can make no progress. 4...Kc7 5.Rxe1 d2 6.d8Q+! Kxd8 Diagram # 7.Re8+! White's Prokes Zwischenzug! Kxe8 8.Kxc2 Kd7 9.Na7! The c4 pawn is poisoned: 9.Nb6+? Kc6 10.Nxc4 d1Q+! 11.Kxd1 Kc5 draws. Black follows up with b5 or d5 and will be able to exchange White's last pawn. For example: 12.Na3 12.Nb2 d5! 13.Kc2 d4 14.c4 b5 draws. 12...b5 13.Nc2 Kc4 14.Kd2 d5 15.Ne3+ Kc5 16.Kd3 b4 draws. 9...Kc7 10.Nb5+ Kc6 11.Na3 11.Nd4+? Kd5 12.Kxd2 Ke4 leaves Black too active, for example: 13.Nb5 d5 14.Nd6+ Ke5 15.Nxb7 d4 draws 11...b5 11...Kc5 e.g. 12.Kxd2 Kd5 13.Ke3 Kc5 14.Nc2 Kd5 15.Nb4+ Ke5 16.Kf3 Kf5 17.Nd5 Ke5 18.Nb6 d5 19.Ke3 wins 12.Kxd2 Kc5 13.Nc2 wins, e.g. Kd5 14.Kc1 Ke4 14...Kc5 15.Kb2 Kd5 16.Ka3 Kc5 17.Ne3 d5 18.Nc2 Kc6 19.Kb4 Kb6 20.Nd4 15.Na3! Kd3 16.Nxb5 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
IM Geir Sune Tallaksen Ostmoe-Norway-1–02017First prize1
IM Igor Yarmonov-Ukraine-1–02017Second prize1
GM John Nunn-United Kingdom-1–02017Third Prize 1
FM Amatzia Avni (Israel)--½–½ Fourth Prize
GM Victor Mikhalevski-Israel-1–020171st Hon Mention1
GM Michael Prusikin-Germany-1–020172nd Hon. Mention 1
FM Ulrich Zenker-Germany-½–½20173rd Hon. Mention 1
GM Miguel Illescas-Spain-½–½2017special Hon. Mention (Debute)1
GM Miguel Illescas-Spain-1–02017special Hon. Mention (debute) 1
IM Alexander Alexikov -Ukraine -1–02017special Hon. Mention (debute)1
Martin Minski Steffen Slumstrup David Gurgenidze

(Left) Martin Minski and David Gurgenidze, (right) Steffen Slumstrup and Minski | Photos: Martin Minski 

Section B — For everyone with a bishop mate
 
New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
This is an impressive study where, in a game-like position, white improves his position gradually with little moves, continously taking squares from the black king; thereby weaving a mating net. The final rook sacrifice is absolutely stunning. 1.Kg2! Taking future flights from the black king. 1.Kh2? Qh4+ 2.Kg2 Qg5+ 3.Kh3 Qh4+ 4.Kg2 Qg5+= 1...Qe8! 1...Qc4 2.Rf5+ Kh4 3.Ng6# 2.Bd5 Nc2 3.Kh3! 3.Rf5+? Kh4 4.Rf4+ Kg5= 3.Kg3? Nd4!= 3.f4? Kh4!= 3...Ne3 3...Nd4 4.f4 Qd7+ 5.Rf5+! 5.Nf5? Qb5! 6.Rf6 Qf1+ 7.Bg2 Qxf4= 5...Qxf5+ 6.Nxf5 Nxf5 7.Bf7# 4.f4 Qd7+ 4...Nxd5 5.Rf5# 5.Nf5! 5.Rf5+? Qxf5+ 6.Nxf5 Nxd5!= 6...Nxf5? 7.Bf7# 5...Qc8! Keeping the white knight pinned. 5...Qb5 6.Nxe3 Qe2 7.Re7+- 5...Nxd5 6.Rxd7+- 6.Rf6! Qxf5+ 6...Nxd5 7.Rxh6# 6...Nxf5 7.Bf7# /Bf3# 7.Rxf5+ Kg6! Diagram # 8.Rh5‼ 8.Rf8? Nxd5= 8...Kxh5 9.Bf7# A model mate by the bishop. 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
David Gurgenidze (Georgia),M-& Steffen S. Nielsen (Denmark)-1–02017First Prize 2
Yuri Bazlov-(Russia)-1–02017Second Prize 2
Oleg Pervakov-(Russia)-1–02017Third- Fourth prize 2
Martin Minski & GuntherSonntag-(Germany)-1–02017Third- Fourth Prize 2
Oleg Pervakov-(Russia)-1–020171st-2nd Hon. mention 2
Oleg Pervakov-(Russia)-1–020171st-2nd Hon Mention 2
Steffen S.Nielsen {Denmark)-& Daniel Keith (France)-1–020173rd Hon. Mention 2
Sergey Didukh (Ukraine)--1–020174th Hon. Mention 2

Correction February 8: In the Amatzia Avni study (section A, fourth prize) the pawn on c2 was initially placed on e2 by mistake.

Links:

 

Yochanan was born (1952) and grew up in Tel-Aviv, and now lives in Amsterdam. He has been involved in nearly every aspect of chess, both as a professional and a volunteer, for the last 50 years, and remains an active player, composer, writer, organizer, trainer and commentator. He is an International Master and International Arbiter for chess as well as International Grandmaster for chess composition, and the author of Extreme Chess Tactics (Gambit 2017) and Practical Chess Beauty (Quality Chess 2018).

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register

We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.