After the unecpected death of Mikhail Zinar, I wrote a memorial article in two parts about him. You can find it on ChessBase:
Most information in the articles is from a 2008 article by Sergey N. Tkachenko:
Sunday, April 4, 2021
Sunday, November 29, 2020
hhdbvi is published
Harold van der Heijden's sixth database is published now!
If you did receive a special invitation e-mail because you work for EG or are a friend of Harold, make sure to read the instructions there. Everyone else can order the database for 55 Euro:
If you have no previous version of the database, or if you are an endgame studies aficionado/enthusiast, I highly recommend it. But of course I am biased as I write for EG...
Saturday, November 28, 2020
Billy Mitchell's 3,338,420 Pac-Man record (modified machine)
Billy Mitchell set a record on Pac-Man on a modified machine yesterday.
Announced on November 25, 2020, the modified machine of Pac-Man allowed a tenth dot to spawn on the kill-screen, for a total of 3,338,420 points.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=112589253578886&story_fbid=209641133873697
Live performance, 27 November 2020: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/817371358
Friday, September 4, 2020
Cure for COVID-19 found?
Sometimes I must write about something that is unrelated to chess, and so also this time. Apparently a cure for the officially dubbed "COVID-19" virus has been found.
The supercomputer "Summit" analyzed all the data and found a theory on how the virus works and how it can be cured. The best news? There are already nearly a dozen different treatments available, which also can be combined.
Is this the breakthrough?
Readers should be aware that this is no vaccine. It won't prevent people from getting sick, but hopefully it will prevent sick people from dying, or worse.
Wednesday, September 2, 2020
Anda Fairy Planet by Petko Petkov
Bulgarian GM for composing Petko Petkov has created a new free magazine, "Anda Fairy Planet", where he presents new fairy chess ideas. Currently the layout is done by Geoff Foster.
The first two issues are available online, with him allowing also to re-host the second issue.
Google Drive links by Petko Petkov
Thursday, July 9, 2020
Announcement: 2nd TT FRME
Vidadi Zamanov sent two PDF files. Here is the other announcement. The original file contained also examples.
2nd TT FRME, 2020The Royal Moroccan Chess Federation (FRME) organizes the 2nd TT FREM, in four 7 sections:A) Twomovers (#2) Theme: One-phase-cycle of double defensive motifs against only one threat. (aAB/bBC/cCA;
aAB/bBC/cCD/dDA etc.). Two or more threats are not allowed.Judge: Karol Mlynka (Slovakia)Send to tournament director: Twomovers (#2) to Youness Ben Jelloun (Marocco) E-mail: ubenjelloun@outlook.frB) Threemovers (#3) Theme: At least two different white pieces play to the same square, on the 2nd and on the 3rdmoves.Judge: Alexander Melnichuk (Russia)C) Moremovers (#4-6) Theme: White active sacrifice of at least two pieces (not pawns!) in sequence and sacrifices
of pieces are accepted by black. The sacrifice on the first move is not thematic.Judge: Aleksandr Sygurov (Russia)D) Endgame studies Theme: Double Sacrifice. During the solution, a White minor piece (bishop or knight) moves
to a square where is can be captured by at least two of the opponents pieces.Judge: Steffen Slumstrup Nielsen (Denmark)E) Selfmates (S#3-5) Theme: Destruction of a black battery: In the initial position, there is a black X / Y battery,
where Y is the back piece of the battery. In at least one variant or threat, the figure X plays and gives a battery-mate
to the white king. After that, in at least one variant, the piece Y plays and destruct the battery giving mate to the
white king without battery.Judge: Petko Petkov (Bulgaria)
Send to tournament director: Threemovers (#3), Moremovers (#4-6), Endgame studies and Selfmates (#3-5)to Vidadi Zamanov (Azerbaijan) E-mail: vidadi_zamanov@mail.ruF) Helpmates (H#2) theme: “The solution must have a double check to the white king at least once.” Additives
any other theme are welcome. Multiple solutions, twins are acceptable. Fairy pieces and conditions are not allowed.Judge: Viktor Zaitsev(Belarus)G) Helpmates (H#3) theme: In set play, two or three black officers (not pawns) are captured. The same officers
are in the solution used to block the squares around the black king. Twins are allowed, but there must be a set play
and solution for each twin. All forms of twins are allowed.Judge: Ladislav Packa (Slovakia)Send to tournament director: H#2 and H#3 to HJamal M Elbaz (Morocco) E-mail: allamjamal2@gmail.com
Prizes, honourable mentions and commendations will be awarded. Send problems in format PDF.
Closing date: 15. 08. 2020. The award – 2020
All received problems will be presented to the judge in anonymous form.
Award will be published on the website: http://frme.cf/
Announcement: 6th FRME Composing Tourney
Vidadi Zamanov sent two PDF files. Here is one announcement.
6th Composing Tourney of FRME, 2020The Royal Moroccan Chess Federation (FRME) organizes the 6th Composing Tourney in four 8
sections:Twomovers (#2) Judge: Mikhail Khramcevich (Belarus)
Send to tournament director: Youness Ben Jelloun (Marocco) E-mail: ubenjelloun@outlook.frThreemovers (#3) Judge: Oleg Efrosinin (Russia)Moremovers (#N) Judge: Valery Kirillov (Russia)
Send to tournament director: Vidadi Zamanov (Azerbaijan) E-mail: vidadi_zamanov@mail.ru
Studies (+;=) Judge: Yochanan Afek (Israel)Judge: Valery Kopyl (Ukraine) Selfmates (S#)
Helpmates H#2 Judge: Ladislav Packa (Slovakia)
Helpmates H#2.5-3 Judge: Kenneth Solja (Finland)
Helpmates H#3.5-N Judge: Hans Gruber (Germany)
Send to tournament director: Jamal M Elbaz (Morocco)
E-mail: jamalelbaz3@gmail.com
Prizes, honourable mentions and commendations will be awarded.
Send problems and studies in format PDF.
Closing date: 30. 09. 2020. The award – 2020
All received problems will be presented to the judge in anonymous form.
Award will be published on the website: http://frme.cf/
Please reprint ……. Please reprint …….. Please reprint
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