Our cover problem is the 30th Paha Pähkinä (A Hard Nut To Crack).
The column edited by Neal Turner, celebrates an anniversary of a kind. We are
very happy to have non-selfish contributors producing columns like this one.
Not surprisingly, the solution of the cover problem is left for the reader to
find out - you have time until the next ST issue...
The eagerly awaited FIDE-album 1998-2000 has appeared. Every problemist knows
the importance of this publication, presenting the best problems of this three-year
period. In addition to the problems, there are interesting graphs and indexes.
The Rhodes PCCC meeting was, once again, a possibility to compete, meet fellow
problemists, participate in more or less heated discussions etc. In short, it
was business as usual in a very nice climate and surroundings. The organisation
was in the capable hands of Harry Fougiaxis and his team.
From the Finnish point of view the team solving resulted in a bitter disappointment:
8th place is our worst ever result. Two of our team solvers fulfilled the expectations,
the writer of these lines did not.
The next congress will take place in Jurmala, Latvia, in September. It will
be a pleasure to visit a Baltic country hosting a PCCC meeting for the first
time ever!
Before Jurmala PCCC it is possible to participate in an international event,
as the European Solving Championship (ECSC) will be held in Antalya, Turkey,
in the end of March. In addition to the solving competition, there will be competitions
in composing, too. The details are to be announced.
A global solving competition, International Solving Competition (ISC) will be
held for the fourth time, on 27th of January. At the same time around the world
solvers will concentrate on the same problems - an unique possibility! Both
the ECSC and ISC are quite recent events on the solving events calendar.
There is still one solving event to be mentioned: the Finnish Quick Solving
Championship is held on February 23, directed by Neal Turner.
Inspired by the Rhodes solving competitions, Harri Hurme discusses in English
the question of how to write the solution of a study.
In ST 3/2007, we published the problem by Sampsa Lahtonen showing, we believed,
a new record for discovered checks in a legal position with promoted men. Meanwhile
it was found out that the information on which the composition was based was
outdated - the recordholder is W. Frangen.
Joose Norri has researched Työväen Shakki, a Finnish chess magazine
published in 1934-1938. The magazine had an excellent problem and study column.
Those were the good old days of our hobby!
In the fairies section of Jan Hannelius MT the judge considered no problem to
be worthy of a distinction.
The originals columns miss the selfmate and fairy originals but we hope for
this situation to change to the better.
Kari Valtonen continues his article series on basic problem chess terminology.
Now it is time to deal with the Grimshaw interference, part II. Plenty of food
for thought in this high-class article.
Finally, we publish the latest international rating list of solvers. As you
may know, one Finnish solver made an unofficial world record in Rhodes by losing
more rating points than anyone ever in WCSC!
The next ST issue is due to appear in the first months of 2008. Happy New Year
to all our readers!
Published 31st December 2007