Awarded Problems
From the initial award published in the Congress Bulletin, some comments have been changed (for more completion and clarity, it is hoped!) Also, some changes have been done in the award due to cooks found: 4th Prize was cooked; initial 5th, 6th Prize and 1st HM become 4th, 5th, 6th Prize and initial 4th Prize with half a move less becomes 1st HM 3rd HM was cooked; initial 4h, 5th, 6th HM become 3rd, 4th, 5th HM one of 3 5th-7th Commendations was cooked, what leaves 2 5th-6th Commendations. Now, there are left only 2 non computer-tested problems (by the same composer!) for the cook hunters in the award (3rd, initially 4th, HM was by mistake indicated C+ in the Congress Bulletin).
This tourney attracted 47 entries by 27 composers. 18 were submitted by e-mail and the remaining 29 at the Congress.
Unfortunately, an important part of the judging time was devoted to prove unsoundness of problems "obviously cooked" but not obvious to cook. To avoid this in the future, the participation will be limited to 1 non computer-tested (testable) problem per composer...
11 problems were cooked and the level of the remaining 36 is very high: no less than 13 of them showed the theme more than once!
Unfortunately no fairy game stays in the award, as 5 of them were cooked and in the last one, the condition was used to avoid cooks in an orthodox game.
As was the case in Messigny, delivering an award for such a large amount of entries in a short time was quite a challenge and the result may well be imperfect. I had to make some short cuts : 1. elimination of only once the theme with nothing more connected to the theme (with exception for shortest realization (1st Com.) and "beauty prize" for the most beautiful position (5th HM)) 2 : elimination of twice the theme with promoted force apparent on the board (with notable exception of series 1!!) 3 : separating the entries in "series", then classifying problems in a series; comparing problems between 2 series once they were established would have been too long a judging process...
Great thanks are due to Kostas Prentos in particular for allowing me to include so many problems in the award, though it gave him additional work in producing the Congress Bulletin!!
1 - Rustam Ubaidullaev (Russia) Champagne Tourney 2004 Special Prize
11+12. Shortest proof game in 21,5 moves (C+)
[8/p1ppkpB1/2pb2b1/4p1b1/3q4/3PBP2/PPPQPrP1/2K5]
Solution
2 - Reto Aschwanden (Switzerland) Champagne Tourney 2004 1st Price
12+15. Shortest proof game in 23,0 moves (C+)
[1n2b1n1/1P3pp1/1Bkp2q1/b1p1p1p1/2B1P3/1N1P1P2/1PPQr3/r1N3Kq]
3 - Noam D. Elkies (Israël) Champagne Tourney 2004 2nd Prize
10+15. Shortest proof game in 19,0 moves (C+)
[rn1qk2r/p1p1pN1p/3p3b/5p2/7P/2P2KQq/1P1PPPP1/1b4n1]
4 - Göran Wicklund (Sweden) Champagne Tourney 2004 3rd Prize
10+15. Shortest proof game in 17,0 moves (C+)
[rn1qk1n1/pp3pp1/3p1n2/3Q4/8/3PP1R1/PP2PPP1/R1B1K1r1]
5 - Andreï Frolkin (Ukraine) & Kostas Prentos (Greece) Champagne Tourney 2004 4th Prize
12+13. Shortest proof game in 16,0 moves (C+)
[r2qk1n1/pppn1p2/Bq6/2R5/3q4/4P2b/PPPP2P1/R1BQK1r1]
6 - Unto Heinonen (Finland) Champagne Tourney 2004 5th Prize
13+12. Shortest proof game in 20,0 moves (C+)
[r2qkbnQ/p1pppp2/p1n5/P7/7p/1P1P1P2/N2RPP2/2BBK1NR]
7 - Göran Wicklund (Sweden) Champagne Tourney 2004 6th Prize
13+11. Shortest proof game in 16,5 moves (C+)
[7r/qkppp2p/2q2p1r/3n4/P7/5N2/1PPPPP2/1NBQKB1R]
8 - Göran Wicklund (Sweden) Champagne Tourney 2004 1st Honourable Mention
11+12. Shortest proof game in 17,5 moves (C+)
[1n1q2r1/4np1p/2q1p1r1/3b1k2/1b6/8/1PPPPP2/1NBQKBNR]
9 - Gianni Donati (USA) Champagne Tourney 2004 2nd Honourable Mention
13+12. Shortest proof game in 15,5 moves (C+)
[1Rbqkb2/1ppp1pp1/1p1Qp1p1/4P3/8/5PR1/1PPNNPPP/6K1]
10 - Eric Pichouron (France) Champagne Tourney 2004 3rd Honourable Mention
12+14. Shortest proof game in 24,5 moves
[b1k5/3ppp2/1p1p1n2/p2Np3/1bBnP1p1/q1PP1P2/P1P1NP2/3QK3 ]
11 - Eric Pichouron (France) Champagne Tourney 2004 4th Honourable Mention
15+11. Shortest proof game in 23,5 moves
[3qkB2/pppRpp2/1P1pb1p1/6P1/6B1/2P2r1P/P1P1PR2/1N2QKN1]
12 - Gligor Denkovski (Macedonia) Champagne Tourney 2004 5th Honourable Mention
15+9. Shortest proof game in 10,0 moves (C+)
[3qk3/1ppp1ppp/4p3/8/8/8/PPPPP1PP/RNBQKBNR]
13 - Hitochi Yanami (Japan) Champagne Tourney 2004 1st Commendation
13+12. Shortest proof game in 7,0 moves (C+)
[r1bq2R1/pppkppp1/3p4/8/8/8/PPPPPP2/RNBQKBNr]
14 - Ivan Denkovski (Macedonia) Champagne Tourney 2004 2nd Commendation
15+11. Shortest proof game in 10,5 moves (C+)
[1nbq2nR/1ppp1pk1/1p2P3/8/8/4b3/PPP1PPP1/RNBQKBN1]
15 - Alexandre & Valery Semenenko (Ukraine) Champagne Tourney 2004 3rd Commendation
10+12. Shortest proof game in 10,0 moves (C+)
[rnb1k3/pppp1p2/4p2n/8/P7/8/1PP1PPP1/2BQKRr1]
16 - Kostas Prentos (Greece) & Andrei¨Frolkin (Ukraine) Champagne Tourney 2004 4th Commendation
11+12. Shortest proof game in 19,5 moves (C+)
[8/ppkpppp1/1qp2N2/n5Kp/3N4/1QP5/1PrPPPPP/8]
17 - Andrei Frolkin (Ukraine) & Kostas Prentos (Greece) Champagne Tourney 2004 5th-6th Commendation e.a.
16+9. Shortest proof game in 12,5 moves (C+)
[2k3R1/ppp1qBP1/4p3/3prb2/8/P3P3/PBPP1PP1/RN1QK1N1]
18 - Mario Parrinello (Italy) Champagne Tourney 2004 5th-6th Commendation e.a.
14+11. Shortest proof game in 13,5 moves (C+)
[2k4R/pppqppp1/4b3/P2p4/6P1/1N5r/1PP1PPBP/2B2KNR]
