Judge Vladislav Tarasiuk: “A total of 14 authors from 10 countries participated with 14 endgame studies. When preparing the award, I focused in the first place on novelty of play, followed by the technical implementation of the concept. The entries presented a variety of styles, but a majority demonstrated already familiar ideas. Therefore, I paid special attention to how the authors expressed their concepts and how technically skillful they were in doing so”.
Sachova Skladba 2021
Like the judge, I like Steffen’s study best. Clear lines, amusing play with the batteries, and a touch of logic. Solvers should like this, too.
Pasman’s second prize does not convince me too much. Sure, the play is clean and the domination of the knight is amusing, but the pawn ending is known and it is unclear to me which idea is supposed to be expressed.
I do not think that the new introduction improves Polasek’s 2016 study significantly. The sacrifices are straightforward, and to use one of Oleg’s favorite terms, devoid of mystery. Of course, if somebody prefers the new version, fair enough, it may be just a matter of taste. But in any case, this is just a version of the old study (starting with Ne6+) and at most a (special) commendation.
In spite of the exchange of h4, I think the study by Arestov and Nielsen is actually the second-best tournament entry. The long-range pieces and their movements leave a good impression. Also the other honorable mention by Minski and Hornecker is not bad, although it is is just a small idea.
Of course my study is a little too static with the kings already in position.
In fact I thought this study would complete my “research” on mutual unpins (piece A unpins piece B and on the very next move piece B unpins piece A).
I thought I had succeeded in showing every possible configuration of unpinning pieces. Here is the list of studies (some of them with Martin)
Rook/Rook
https://eg.org.ua/chessgame/slumstrup-nielsens-minskim-0441-53h1h8/
Rook/knight
https://eg.org.ua/chessgame/minskim-slumstrup-nielsens-4434-23e7a5
and
https://eg.org.ua/chessgame/slumstrup-nielsens-0143-33h4f8
Rook/Pawn
https://eg.org.ua/chessgame/slumstrup-nielsens-0440-33h7h5
and
https://eg.org.ua/chessgame/nielsens-0450-24g7a6
Bishop/knight
https://eg.org.ua/chessgame/slumstrup-nielsens-4061-10a3g8
and
https://eg.org.ua/chessgame/slumstrup-nielsens-0341-14f5a1
Bishop/bishop
https://eg.org.ua/chessgame/slumstrup-nielsens-minskim-0443-44h5f8-u1-u2
Bishop/pawn (special case only partial unpin of bishop)
https://eg.org.ua/chessgame/nielsens-0444-44a4c1/
Knight/knight
https://eg.org.ua/chessgame/slumstrup-nielsens-0237-54a1a3-tt/
Knight/pawn
https://eg.org.ua/chessgame/slumstrup-nielsens-4313-32f6h8/
But apparently I have yet to do Rook/bishop and this is not at all easy since it will be the unpinning of partially pinned pieces. I will be something like this:
But then why not just capturing the pinning piece with 2…Rxh6+