Study of the Month: Dancing bishops

Dancing bishops

By Siegfried Hornecker

A free association on dancing would reach through all spectrums of life, from religious experiences (trance inducing dances) over all styles of music (including as song themes in The Dancer, Lord of the Dance, Music Box Dancer) to the boundaries that spring life (dancing a waltz with your beloved) and death (Danse Macabre). Dancing might be as old as humanity, and a small dance of pieces happens even on the chessboard every once in a while.

Today, we will look at three such dances performed by bishops, ranging from the old masters to a modern own production. The second example should be seen more as a schema of rather humorous quality. The first composition is to be seen as the main study this month, the others as a small dessert.

Mark Liburkin (1910-1953) was a Soviet economist, decorated with a medal for Socialist work, as well as a honorary citizenship (where?). He created over 110 studies, rich in clarity, idea and economics. [Source: German Wikipedia, based on Kofman’s Russian “Selected Studies of Liburkin and Kaminer”]

Georgy Afanasiev (1910-1971) was a Belarussian Soviet construction engineer who served in the Army “from the outset of the war” (probably World War II is meant, i.e. around 1940) until 1957. Of his around 110 studies, more than 60 were created together with Evgeny Dvizov. [Source: Obituary in EG 26]

Evgeny Dvizov (1937-2012) was a Soviet/Belarussian teacher and chess coach. He became one of the main sources about studies composition in Belarus. Coincidentially, he also composed around 110 studies. [Source: ARVES website]

For the full solution to our third study please check the article on the Informator 50 Jubilee Tourney presentation.

In case you haven't seen it, a short explanation is in order. White has to defend against the mate threats at first, so he plays for stalemate, sacrificing his rook and bishop. Black tries to avoid checks by the queen so he sacrifices his own rook on d7 and afterwards refuses to capture the bishop as far as possible, but eventually reaches the h-file. After the check on g4, his queen can take and Black seems to remain a rook up as White has no good checks. But then the surprise 7.Qe3!! creates a situation where Black can’t escape, in contrast to the “Bristol” theme 7.Qc5+? Qg5 8.Qf2 Rg4!! - no matter what, White reaches a stalemate or an otherwise drawn endgame.

Martin Minski (*1969) is teacher in a school. He composed a few studies early but experienced a second spring in the mid-2000s, after which he became one of the best German composers. Yours truly would describe Martin as a true inamorato of chess studies, passionate and enthusiastic as only an artist can be. He has more than 210 studies in the latest database of Harold van der Heijden (October 2015), but composed many more in the meantime, making the real number probably between 230 and 240.

Incidentally, Martin Minski’s birthday is 23rd of August, the same day as the legend Zoltán Sárosy, pictured at the top of this article. Sarosy is a Canadian chess master who was born in Budapest and immigrated to Toronto in the early 1950s. Minski is 48, Sárosy somewhat older: last August he became a supercentenarian, when he reached the age of 110 years. He is the oldest living man and fourth oldest living person in Canada.

Last year, we ran an article on him to celebrate his incredible longevity.

You might enjoy this video interview with him. When asked what he atributed his longevity to Sárosy replies: "I don't know. If I would know I wouldn't tell you – I would get myself a patent for it."

Addendum

In reaction to our Informator 50 Jubilee Tourney article we got a message from world famous composer (and assiduous ChessBase contributor) Pal Benko, who sent us "an old and not too original endgame." We give it to you to solve (White to play and win!), with the help of a chess engine on our JavaScript replay board. The solution will be added here in a week or so.

Pal Benko (also known as Pál Benkö, *1928 in France) is a Hungarian-American former world-class player who was qualified for the Interzonal in 1970 but gave this place to hie countryman Bobby Fischer, leading to the now legendary 1972 World Championship in Reykjavik. Benko holds the title of Grandmaster since 1956, but also besides many successes in practical play, such as winning or tying for first place in the U.S. Open eight times and winning the Canadian championship in 1964, made a name as an expert and coinnosseur of endgame studies, where he composed (versions and twins included) at least 140 published works. Many of them are new interpretations of old themes, breathing new life into classics.

About the author Siegfried Hornecker (*1986) is a German chess composer and member of the World Federation for Chess Composition, subcommitee for endgame studies. His autobiographical book "Weltenfern" (in English only) can be found on the ARVES website. He will present an interesting endgame study with detailed explanation each month.