Award Tehtäväniekka 2023 /

Studies
The annual competition Tehtäväniekka -
2023 was attended by 14 composers from 2.Kd8 Qf6+ 3.Kc8 Qc6+=; Thematic try:
8 countries: Argentina, Austria, Finland, 1.Bc3? Nxc3 2.Qd4!? Qxd4 3.Rg3+ Kf6!
Germany, Israel, Italy, Slovakia, Ukraine (3.-
and Germany. The authors sent 17 studies. Kh7? 4.b8Q Qa4+ 5.Ke7 Qxh4+ 6.Kxf7+-)
Preference was given to compositions with 4.b8Q Qa4+! (4.- b1Q?? 5.Qd6+ Kf5
the presence of internal playing 6.Rg5#)
connections that form a clear and 5.Kd8 Qa5+ 6.Ke8 Qb5+ 7.Qxb5 Nxb5
interesting plot. 8.Rg1 Nc3= 1.- Kf6 2.b8Q! Qxb8 2.- Qe6+
There are comments on two studies that 3.Kd8 Qe7+ 4.Kc8 Qe6+ 5.Kb7+- 3.Bc3+!
were not marked: Nxc3 4.Qd4+ Qe5 5.Rg7!! 5.Qb6+? /or
Amatzia Avni (e4-e1) - White's path to Qxe5+ 5.- Qe6+ 6.Qxe6+ fxe6= main A: 5.-
salvation is not without subtleties, but Kxg7 6.Qxe5+ f6! 7.Qg3+!
there is a predecessor V. Evreinov, M. 7.Qe7+? Kxh8 8.Qxf6+ Kg8 9.Qxc3 b1Q=
Havel MT, 1975, 2 hm. in which the final 7.- Kh7 7.- Kxh8 8.Qb8+! Kh7 9.Qxb2+-
attractive position is created entirely in the 8.Ng6! b1Q 9.Ne7 and after Qb5+ etc. the
course of play; white king will hide on f7.
Rainer Staudte & Michael Schlosser main B: 5.- Qxd4 6.Rxf7+ Ke5 7.Ng6#
(h1-c8) - the authors indicated that the Despite White's material advantage, the
etude is based on Peter Schmidt, Vandiest- choice on the first move is important - their
80 JT, 2000, 1hm. but the final is known, king in mate danger. In the solution,
e.g. A. Frolkin & V. Samilo, sacrificing a pawn-queen and a knight in
Československý šach, 2017, 1 Pr. turn, and then the spectacularly and
unexpectedly rook 5.Rg7!!, White himself,
1st Prize in the final move, weave a mat net for the
Jan Sprenger black king.

2nd Prize
Peter Krug

Voitto / Win (+) 8+6

1st Prize Jan Sprenger (GER/ITA) (5601,

TN 4/2023) Voitto / Win (+) 5+5
1.Rg3+ Thematic try: 1.b8Q? Qe6+!

Tehtäväniekka 2/2024 1
2nd Prize Peter Krug (AUT) (5599, TN 3rd Prize Martin Minski (GER) (5598,
4/2023) TN 4/2023)
1.f6 1.Ng6? Re8+= 1.- Re8+ 2.Kh7! 1.Ra8! d2+! 1.- Bf4+! 2.Rxf4 d2+!
Try: 2.Kg7? Nxb3 3.f7 Rd8! 4.Ng6 3.Kxd2 Qxa8 4.Ra4+! Qxa4 5.h8Q++-
(4.Rg2+ 2.Kc2! Logical try: 2.Kd1?? Qxa8 3.d8Q
Kf3=; 4.Re2? h3 5.Re8 Rd7 6.Kf6 Rxf7+ Qxd8–+ position X with bPd2; 2.Kxd2?
7.Nxf7 h2 8.Ne5+ Kh3=) 4.- h3 5.Re2 Qxa8 /Ba5+= 2.- d1Q+! 2.- Qxa8 3.h8Q+!
Nc5 6.Re8 h2= 2.- Nxb3 2.- h3 3.f7 Rf8 Qxh8 4.Ra4# 3.Kxd1 Qxa8 4.d8Q!! the
4.b4 Nb3 5.Kg7 Rxf7+ 6.Nxf7 Kg3 7.Rb2 point 4.- Qxd8+ position X without bPd2
Nd4 8.Nd6 h2 9.Ne4++- 3.f7 3.Ng6? h3 4.- Bxd8 5.h8Q++-; 4.- Qxe4 5.h8Q++-
4.f7 Ra8= 3.- Rf8 3.- Rd8 4.Rg2+ Kf3 5.Kc2 Qa8 6.h8Q+! Qxh8 7.Ra4#
5.Rg8 Rd7 6.Kg6 Rxf7 7.Nxf7 h3 8.Ng5+ An uncomplicated but fun study on
Kg2 9.Kf5 h2 10.Ne4++- 4.Rxh4+! checkmate with a little logic and sacrifices
Kxh4 5.Ng6+ Kg5 6.Nxf8 Nc5 7.Kg8! on the eighth rank.
7.Kg7? Kf5 8.Kg8 b5 9.Ng6 Nd7 10.Ne7+ Sp. Prize
Kg5 11.Nc6 Kh6= 7.- Kf5 8.Ng6 Ne6 Michael Pasman
8.- Nd7 9.Kg7 b5 10.Ne7+ Ke4 11.Nc6
Kd5 12.Nb8+- 9.Ne7+ Ke5 10.Nc8 Kd5
11.Nb6+ Kd6 11.- Kd4 12.Na8! b5
13.Nc7+-
; 11.- Kc6 12.Na4 b5 13.Nc3 b4 14.Ne2 b3
15.Nd4++- 12.Nc4+ Kd5 13.Ne3+ Ke4
14.Nd1! Kd4 14.- b5 15.Nc3++- 15.Nf2 b5
16.Nh3 b4 17.Nf4! 17.Ng5? Nf8= 17.- b3
18.Nxe6+ win.
The fight unfolds around White's strong
passed pawn, which is rushing towards the Tasapeli / Draw (=) 4+5
promotion square. Attractive accurate play
of the king of white and unusual route of Sp. Prize Michael Pasman (ISR) (5597,
their knight to different edges of the board. TN 4/2023)
1.a4+! 1.Kxe6? c5–+; 1.Bg2? Ng4 1.-
3rd Prize Kxa4 1.- Kb6 2.a5+ Kxa5 3.Kxe6 c5 4.Kd6
Martin Minski 2.a3!! 2.Kxe6? c5 3.Kd6 (3.Kd5 Kb5) 3.-
c4–+; 2.Bxc6+? Nxc6 3.Kxc6 (3.Kxe6–+)
3.- Ng4 4.Kd6 e5–+; 2.Bg2? Ng4 3.Bh3
Nf6 4.Kxe6 Ne8 5.Ke7 Nc7 6.Kd6 Nca6
7.Bg2 c5–+ 2.- Ng4 2.- Kxa3 3.Bxc6 Nxc6
4.Kxe6=; 2.- Kb5 3.a4+! Kxa4 4.Bxc6+=
Nxc6 5.Kxe6=; 2.- Nf1 3.Bxc6+= 3.Kxe6
c5 4.Bf3 Nf2 5.Kd5 Kb5 6.a4+ Kb4 7.Be2
Nh3 8.Bb5! Ng5 9.Bd3! Nf3 10.a5 Nd4
11.a6 Nb5 12.Bxb5 Kxb5 13.a7
Nd7 14.a8N! 14.a8Q? Nb6+–+ 14.- Nf6+
Voitto / Win (+) 5+4 15.Kd6 c4 16.Nc7+ Ka4 17.Ne6 draw.
2 Tehtäväniekka 2/2024
 White achieves equality by accurate 2nd Hon. Mention
pawn play (excelsior) and subtle bishop Paavo Tikka
maneuvers. A successful development of
the study V. Vlasenko & S. Tolstoy, All-
Russian ty, 1969, 1 hm.
1st Hon. Mention
Ivan Maly

Voitto / Win (+) 8+7

2nd Hon. Mention Paavo Tikka (FIN)
(5446, TN 1/2023)
1.a7! Nb6! 2.a8Q! 2.Ka2? a3! 3.Kxa3
Nxc4+ 2.- Nxa8 3.Kxa4 Nb6+ 4.Kb5 Kg8
5.Ka6! Nxc4 5.- Nxd5 6.cxd5 c4 7.Kb7 c3
Voitto / Win (+) 4+3
8.Kxc7 c2 9.Kd7! (9.Kd8? c1Q 10.c7
Qxh6!=) 9.- c1Q 10.c7+- 6.Kb7 6.h7+?
1st Hon. Mention Ivan Maly (UKR)
Kxh7 7.Kb7 Na3! 8.Kxc7 Nb5+ 9.Kb6!
(5594, TN 4/2023)
Nc3!
1.Kb7! 1.Re4? Nf5 2.c5 Bxc5 3.Re5
10.Kc7! Nb5+ 6.- Nb6 7.h7+! Try: 7.Kxc7?
Bd4!= 1.- Kg6 2.Re4 Nf5 3.Kb6 3.Kc6?
Nxd5+ 8.Kxd6 Nxf6 9.Kxc5 Ne8 10.Kd5
Bf6 4.Kd7 Bxc3 5.c5 Nd4= 3.- Bd8+
Kh7! 11.Ke5 Kg8! 12.Kd5 Kh7 13.Kc5
3.- Bf6 4.c5 Bxc3 5.c6 Kf7 6.Rf4 Ke6
Kg8
7.Rxf5+-; 3.- Nd6 4.Rd4 Kf5 5.c5 Ne4
14.Kb6 f5! and draw e.g. 15.Kc5 f4 (15.-
6.Rd5+ Ke6 7.c4+- 4.Ka6! 4.Kc5? Ba5=
Kf7=) 16.Kd4 Kh7! 17.Ke4 (17.Kd3 Nc7
4.- Bf6 5.c5 Bxc3 6.c6 Kf6 7.c7 Nd6
18.Ke4 Ne6!) 17.- Kxh6! 18.g8Q (18.c7
8.Re8! win. 8.Rc4? Ba5!=.
Kxg7 19.c8Q Nd6+=) 18.- Nf6+ 19.Kxf4
To achieve a win, White must subtly
Nxg8
maneuver the king with 4.Ka6! and make
20.c7 Ne7= 7.- Kxh7 8.Kxc7 Nxd5+
the final touch 8.Re8!, crowning the
9.Kxd6 Nxf6 10.c7! 10.Ke7? Kxg7 11.c7
struggle of rook and pawns against minor
Nd5+–+
pieces. The final move was encountered
10.- Ne8+ 11.Ke7! Nxc7 12.Kxf7 win.
in the study I. Akobia & J. Mikitovics, V.
Step by step, White exploits the
Kozhakin JT, 2012, 1-2 Pr.
tightness of the black king on the edge of
the board and brings his king closer to the
g7 passed pawn. The center of the study is
the right choice of play on the seventh
move.

Tehtäväniekka 2/2024 3
 Sp. Hon. Mention 3.Nxd6+ Nxd6+ 4.Kc7 Ne4 5.Rxh5 Kb4
Yochanan Afek 6.Rh3 f4–+ 1.- Kb5 2.Nxd6+ Kc6 3.Rc4+!
3.Ra4? f4! 4.Nf5 Rxh1 5.Rc4+ Kd5! 6.Rxf4
(6.Rxc7 h4 7.Kb7 h3–+) 6.- Ke5 7.Rf2
Nd5! 8.Ng3 Ra1+ 9.Kb7 h4 10.Ne2 Rh1!–
+;
3.Ng3? Ra1+!–+ 3.- Kxd6 4.Ng3 Rf3 4.-
Rf2 5.Nxh5 Ra2+ 6.Kb7 Rb2+ 7.Kc8 Nd5
8.Rd4 Rh2 9.Ng3! f4 10.Nf1! Rf2 11.Nd2=
5.Nxh5 Ra3+! 6.Kb7! Try: 6.Kb8? Na6+!
7.Kc8 Nc5! 8.Rb4 Rh3 9.Rd4+ Ke7!
10.Ng7
Voitto / Win (+) 5+2 Rh8+ 11.Kc7 Ne6+! fork 12.Nxe6 Kxe6–
+; Try: 6.Kb6? Nd5+! 7.Kb5 Rb3+ 8.Ka5
Sp. Hon. Mention Yochanan Afek (ISR) Rh3! 9.Ng7 f4 10.Nf5+ Ke5 11.Nd4 Rd3!
(5490, TN 2/2023) 12.Nc6+ Kd6 13.Nd4 Ne3 14.Ra4 Nc4+!
1.Bf5+ 1.Kc5? Ra5+ 2.Kc4 Ke6= 1.- 15.Rxc4 Kd5 16.Kb5 Rxd4–+ 6.- Rb3+
Ke7 2.Kc5! 2.d5? Rf4! 3.d6+ Kd8 4.Bg6 7.Kc8! 7.Ka7? Kd7! 8.Nf6+ Kc8–+ 7.- Nd5
Kd7= 2.- Ra2 3.d5! 3.h3? Re2! 4.Bd3 8.Rd4 Rh3 9.Rxd5+ Kxd5 10.Nf4+ fork
Re1= 10.- Ke4 11.Nxh3 draw.
3.- Rxh2 4.d6+ Kd8 5.e6! Rh5 6.e7+ Ke8 Overcoming the dominance of black
7.Kd5! Rxf5+ 8.Ke6 Ra5 9.d7# A pretty pieces over white with the active play of all
miniature for the solution. Yes, pieces, including kings. The introduction
the mating picture has been met more than with logic motive (in the initial position
once, but it appears after the unexpected does not work 1.Ng3? Bxg3). In try 6.Kb8?
maneuvers 2.Kc5! and 7.Kd5! black wins with a knight fork. In the final
decides a little one combination with a rook
1st Comm. sacrifice and fork already a white knight.
Volodymyr Samilo (author)

2nd Comm.
Michal Hlinka & Ľuboš Kekely

Tasapeli / Draw (=) 4+6

1st Comm. Volodymyr Samilo (UKR)

(5447, TN 1/2023) Tasapeli / Draw (=) 5+5
1.Nc4+! 1.Kb7? Kb5! 2.Nc4 Ne8
4 Tehtäväniekka 2/2024
2nd Comm. Michal Hlinka & Ľuboš 1.- h5 1.- Rg8 2.Qf4 d2 (2.- Rg3+ 3.Qxg3+
Kekely (SVK) (5448, TN 1/2023) Ke3 4.Qe5++-) 3.Qxf3+ Kg1 4.Ng4+-
1.f5+! 1.Rxa4? Rb1+ 2.Ke2 Re1+ 3.Kf3 Rxg4
Rf1–+ 1.- Kf7 2.Ra7+ Kf8 2.- Ke8 (4.- Qa3 5.Qxa3 d1Q 6.Qe3+ Kh1 7.Qf3+
3.Rxa4= Kg1 8.Qg2#) 5.Qxg4+ Kf1 6.Qg2#; 1.-
3.Ra8+ Kf7 4.Ra7+ Kf6 5.Ra6+ Kxf5 Bxb4 /Ke3 2.Ng4# 2.Rxe1! 2.Qf4? Rf8!
6.Rxa4! Rb1+ 7.Ke2 7.Kg2? e2–+ 7.- 3.Qg3+ Ke3= 2.- Qa4! 2.- Rg8 3.Qh4+
Re1+ Ke3 4.Nf1# 3.Qxa4 Kxe1 4.Qb4+!
8.Kf3 8.Kd3? exf2–+ 8.- Rf1 9.Rf4+ Ke5 4.Qa5+? d2 5.Nxf3+ Kf2= 4.- d2 5.Nxf3+
9.- Kg5 10.Rg4+ Kh5 11.Rg2= 10.Re4+ 5.Qd4? Kd1 6.Qa4+ Kc1= 5.- Kf2 5.- Kd1
Kd5 10.- Kd6 11.Kg3 Rg1+ 12.Kf3 Rf1 6.Qxd2# 6.Qf4 d1Q 6.- Rf8 7.Qg3+ Ke3
13.Kg3 positional draw 11.c4+ Kc5 12.Kg3 8.Ne1+!
Rxf2 12.- Rg1+ 13.Kf3 Rf1 14.Kg3 (8.Ng1+? Ke4=) 8.- Kd4 9.Qd3+ Kc5
positional draw 13.Rxe3! Nxe3 14.Kxf2 10.Qc3+ Kd6 11.Qxd2++-; 6.- b1Q
draw. 7.Nxd2+ Ke1 8.Nxb1+- 7.Nh4+ Ke1 7.-
Pursuit of the black king by the white Kg1 8.Qg3+
rook vertically and horizontally with the /h2 8.- Kf1 9.Qg2+ Ke1 10.Nf3# 8.Ng2#
final denouement 13.Rxe3!
Unlucky position of the black king leads
3rd Comm. to a bouquet of different mates.
Peter Krug & Mario García
In conclusion, I would like to thank all the
authors of the annual contest, congratulate
the winners and wish everyone new
creative findings and sporting successes.

Vladislav Tarasiuk (Ukraine),

International Judge
January 9, 2024

Thank you, dear Vladislav, for the prompt

Voitto / Win (+) 4+11 award! Any claims should be submitted
3rd Comm. Peter Krug & Mario García within three months from the publication
(AUT/ARG) (5491, TN 2/2023) date of this issue to the originals editor of
1.Kh3! 1.Qxe1+?? Ke3 2.Nf1+ Ke4–+ studies, see the originals column.

Tehtäväniekka 2/2024 5