[Retros] Baibikov, Caillaud... and Plaksin!!

[CAILLAUDM at aol.com]

Hello, 
 
In Nikita Plaksin's work, we can also find an example with a long walk  by 
the King motivated by a retroscreen. He used this matrix in several problems,  
but maybe the following is the best with an additional retroscreen on h  file.
 
Nikita Plaksin, problem 1979
NbRrqbk1/2ppppp1/1p6/2p5/2P2P2/1P6/P2PPPP1/rb3RK1
-1 & =
 
White retracts 0-0 and claims the draw!
 
Some remarks :
-This is also an example where retracting 0-0 is illegal under "Codex  Pula", 
but is OK under "Codex FIDE"; black didnt claim the draw before his last  
move : of course, he would have been a fool as he had a winning position! (why  
he didn't mate in one is another question...).
-The choice of this presentation rather than Ke1, Rh1 and stipulation  "Draw" 
with key 1.0-0 is presumably that the draw has to be claimed BEFORE the  move 
is played.
 
Best,
 Michel
 
Dans un e-mail daté du 24/12/2006 15:21:10 Europe de l'Ouest,  
Pastmaker at aol.com a écrit :


With  some trepidation I bring up the subject again, to correct an uninformed 
remark  I made earlier.

The Baibikov problem is referred to (Orbit, July 2004)  is certainly 
brilliant, but I was not entirely correct in saying that it was a  "new way" to 
demonstrate a 50-move draw.

Thanks to better-informed  colleagues, I have been apprised of a wonderful 
earlier problem by Michel  Caillaud (who else?) that appeared as R121 
Probleemblad 2001  [rb2k3/2p2p1K/1B6/1RPP1PP1/B1Prbrp1/1Prp1p2/2p2P2/N7  h#2  (12,13)].
This composition uses the technique of having one King screen for  the other 
King on each side of an exterior rank, with a lengthy journey around  a 
central blockade that requires enough moves for the 50-move rule.   (There are also 
some great retroscreens, which I, for some reason,  particularly enjoyed.)  
Michel's penchant for having units execute  lenghthy to and fro maneuvers should 
be well known: if you haven't seen them  yet, please see the "Tarzan of the 
apes" 1st prize composition from StrateGems  1999 and another 1st Prize from 
Strategems 2001, in which Michel indulges this  habit with spectacular results.

Baibikov's position, however,  demonstrates the maneuver without the help of 
another "helpful" rule involved  in Michel's composition and thus presents the 
50-move task in a purer  form.

Both are wonderful compositions.

Best wishes to  all,
Tom Volet




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