ChessProblems.ca TT3

Introduction

Nicolas Dupont, Dan Meinking and Cornel Pacurar organize a 3-months thematic series-movers online tournament. It is similar in nature with previous such tournaments, but the theme, mostly related to the new Anti-Parry Series fairy condition (invented by Nicolas), is very different.

Schedule

Start date and time: March 25^th, 2012, at 00:00 GMT
End date and time: June 24^th, 2012, at 23:59 GMT

The Theme and the Rules

1	The tournament is open for compositions with the condition Vogtlaender (a side is in check only if it threatens to capture the opposing King), and one of the following two stipulations: pser-a=>b and phser-a=>b (parry-series or parry-help-series from an initial position to a final position).
2	There are two sections: Section 1 for pser-a=>b Vogtlaender entries, and Section 2 for phser-a=>b Vogtlaender entries.
3	Only compositions with black pieces (including the King) and the white King alone, the total number N of pieces ranging from 3 to 17, are allowed.
4	The main goal of the tournament is to find, for each such N, the largest M so that one of the following stipulation/condition is sound: pser-a=>bM Vogtlaender (Section 1) or phser-a=>bM Vogtlaender (Section 2). Such a composition is denoted P(N,M) or PH(N,M), respectively.
5	At the end of the tournament, the combined number of "per-unit" records for Sections 1 and 2 will be tabulated for all participants. However, to enter this ranking a minimum of 4 records (out of the theoretical maximum of 30 records) is needed.
6	In addition to the records for the different numbers of total force and their related rankings, another ranking will be based on the best move-length records found by each tourney participant (individual or team). For each Section the participants can submit their best overall record if it is equal to or exceeds 40 moves for Section 1 and 60 moves for Section 2, respectively.
7	In Section 1, while black variants are allowed only entries with a unique white series are accepted. However, please note that within the framework of this tournament, for Section 1 we consider that two white moves are identical if their starting and ending squares are the same, regardless of the fact that one may be a checking move and the other a non-checking move, or that one may be a capturing move and the other a non-capturing move, or if the captured unit is of different type. In Section 2, only entries with a unique solution are accepted (no duals are allowed). Moreover, each entry must incorporate at least one Vogtlaender check-and-parry move.
8	Only normal 8x8 board and orthodox pieces are accepted. No other (fairy) conditions are accepted.
9	Visible promotions are allowed but the initial position, white on-move, has to be legal in the orthodox sense.
10	The last move must be made by white, and can be a Vogtlaender checking or even a Vogtlaender checkmating move, hence the white King can be, orthodoxly speaking, in check in the final position. But the white King cannot be in check (from the orthodox point of view) in the initial position, as it would be Vogtlaender illegal.
11	Joint compositions are accepted, as long the co-authors do not also participate independently.
12	The tournament is "helped" - the best bounds found by the participants will be regularly indicated in the "News" and "Standings" pages, with author’s names, but without their corresponding matrices. The site Administrator, Cornel, and the tournament Director, Dan, will not participate. Nicolas will perhaps participate, but will only submit new entries starting April 25th, in order to reduce the potential impact of having known the theme before the start of the tournament.

Computer implications

Popeye v.4.55 supports this stipulation/condition (and is much faster than the buggy v4.59). The option "Noshortvariations" should be used (but please see below) to check entries in Section 1 (if each solution shows the same white series, the entry is considered C+). Each composition must be C+ or, if too long to be fully checked, must be partially computer verified ("C+ by parts"). For example a P(10,80) is most likely out of Popeye’s scope, but it may be checked that the first 40-moves part is sound, as well as the second 40-moves part.

While the option "Noshortvariations" is very helpful, as Popeye will then only detect solutions with best black defenses, it has been noted that Popeye (v4.55, specifically) may crash when using this option. In such situations please use Popeye without the "Noshortvariations" option, and start by verifying the length of the first "solution" provided by Popeye. If the length is the intended one, then verify the lack of white duals in the solutions tree. If no duals are found, the problem is correct. If the tree is too big and the complete visual inspection is not possible, please indicate in your message "C+ modulo possible duals".

Submission of entries

Before sending an entry, the author(s) must ensure that it at least equalizes a previous record, as per the up-to-date "Standings" and "News" pages. At the beginning of the tournament, those records, found by Nicolas, are the following:

P(3,15)
P(4,25)
PH(3,22)
PH(4,37)

Please send your entries to the tournament Director at:

tt3 /A/T/ chessproblems \DOT\ ca

Be sure to replace the /A/T/ and \DOT\ as appropriate.

Emails must contain an attached plain-text file (*.txt) with the composer name(s), the name of the record, the Forsythe notations for the initial and final positions, and Popeye’s solution (only one of them in case of black duals in Section 1).

Here is how the submitted entry would look for a P(4,18) example:

Examples

For general Parry-Series definition and examples please see the Parry-Series and Zug-Family Hub.

For Vogtlaender examples please see PDB, for instance: P1189672, P1205707, P1209330.




TT3 examples:

1.Ke8-d8 2.Kd8-c8 3.Kc8-b8 4.Kb8-a7 + Sb5-d4 5.Ka7-a6 6.Ka6-a5 7.Ka5-b4 8.Kb4-c3 9.Kc3-c2 + Sd4-e2 10.Kc2-d3 11.Kd3-e4 12.Ke4-e5 13.Ke5-e6 14.Ke6-e7 15.Ke7-d8 16.Kd8-c8 17.Kc8-b8 18.Kb8-a8 a=>b

Popeye input:




1.Kh5-g4 2.Kg4-f3 3.Kf3-e2 4.Ke2-d1 5.Kd1-c1 6.Kc1-b1 7.Kb1-a2 8.Ka2-a3 9.Ka3-a4 + b5-b4 10.Ka4-a3 + b4-b3 11.Ka3-a2 + b3-b2 12.Ka2-a1 + b2-b1=S 13.Ka1-a2 14.Ka2-a3 + Sb1-d2 15.Ka3-a4 16.Ka4-a5 + b6-b5 17.Ka5-a4 + b5-b4 18.Ka4-a3 + b4-b3 19.Ka3-a2 + b3-b2 20.Ka2-b1 + Sd2-c4 21.Kb1-c1 + b2-b1=S 22.Kc1-d1 23.Kd1-e2 24.Ke2-e3 + Sc4-b2 25.Ke3-e4 26.Ke4-d5 27.Kd5-c6 28.Kc6-b7 29.Kb7-a8 a=>b

Popeye input: