[Retros] Probleemblad 1-2009

[Pastmaker at aol.com]

Dear friends,

The progenitor of these compositions, I think, is the extraordianry 1922 
Breyer composition (the original 50-move draw composition), a Rubik's Cube-like 
position of such complexity that it was erroneously thought sound for decades, 
was recognized to be unsound as a 50-move position in the 1960s, and needed 
computer work by Gerd Wilts in the 1990s (amended yet again by further computer 
work by Pascal Wassong, if I remember correctly) to finally be adjusted to 
soundness, all with only very small modifications to the original presentation.  
In other words, the computer-corrected position looks a whole lot like the 
original 1922 position.

For those even slightlyh familiar with the Uncle Remus stories retold by Joel 
Chandler Harris, the phrase "Breyer Patch" (from Chandle's "briar patch") is 
almost irresistible as a description of these problems.

There are wonderful examples by Wassong (the magnificent "Dedicated to 
Babette" problem, which, with a little modification by Wilts that probably exalts 
the task to the detriment of artistic merit in the original), represented for 
some time (and may still represent, I don't know) a record for determined last 
moves, and by Borodatov (1995, I think, with 50-move draw effect).  Goldsteen's 
(and Rol's?, forgive me Guus for not remembering clearly) well-known "New 
Beehive" is a superb example as well. 

Regards to all,
Tom Volet


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