Larry Evans: Chess
March 8, 2009
Composed problems are an acquired taste. These wild flights of fancy exemplify art for the sake of art.
White, always the hero, must mate in two or more moves using esoteric themes. Even the jargon is strange; terms such as blocks, cooks, duals, etc., are not used in actual play. Some serious players shun puzzles which look so contrived.
Endgame studies, by contrast, have broad appeal. They offer a natural beauty coupled with a disarming simplicity found over the board. Above all, these valuable lessons can be applied to our own games.
A study stipulates that one side must win or draw, and any deviation in move order is fatal. This art was known to be popular 1,000 years ago in the great days of Islamic chess but languished until the 19th century.
These studies seem so real it’s hard to believe they were invented. Often the composer was inspired by an actual game which he altered to highlight a central theme. The Magic Square by Richard Reti is a famous example.
Reti was a Czech who became a chess professional after studying physics and math in Vienna. In 1925, he played 29 blindfold games at once, a record that stood for years. Today, he is mostly remembered for two books: Modern Ideas in Chess; Masters of the Chessboard.
Here is the full article.
Evans should be writing for the NY Times. I like him.
Maybe you can work out the REti position as it’s not in the article.
It’s KP-KP and obvious where the pawns are.