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#Post#: 19--------------------------------------------------
Problems for Solving
DIR By: James
Date: November 28, 2021, 9:39 am
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The "Problems for Solving" section will contain a manageable
number of problems for casual solvers to savour. Problems will
come with hidden hints but no solutions. People may submit
solutions and comments if they like, and selected comments will
appear with the solutions when the pdf issue appears. All
expected types of problems will be represented, whether by
originals or by quotes.
Here are some guidelines I propose for how the column could be
edited.
We can have a "theme" for the problems in the issue. This is
something quite generally applicable, e.g. "50 years ago",
"Grimshaw", "dual avoidance". Readers will not be told the theme
but should be able to figure it out.
(For the first theme, to make it easy for ourselves, why not
"problems published from 2010-2019" - with the exception of
originals?)
The "types" could be subdivided into (brackets indicate
quantity):
Orthodox:
Directmates, all lengths (2-4)
Helpmates, all lengths (2-4)
Selfmates, all lengths (2-4)
Studies - keep these simple! (1-2)
Total for orthodox: (say) 10
Fairies:
Basically Orthodox (2-3)
Fairy pieces and/or conditions, common types preferred (4-6)
Fairy Retro (1)
Total: (say) 10
Retros:
Proof game - should show genuine "retro" content (1-2)
Classical retro (1-2)
Retractors, etc (1-2)
Dead Position - our speciality (1-2)
Total: (say) 7
Jokes:
Standard jokes (1-2)
Rule-benders (1-2)
Total: (say) 2
Comments:
There is no solving ladder, and no commitment for a tourney for
judging problems. But there could be recognition in some form
for active solvers.
Submissions (originals or quotes) could be received from anyone
by invitation. The problems appearing in this column should over
time contain a broad distribution of composers and types. Some
composers may receive slightly preferential treatment, but this
should not be overdone.
The total number for each section should stay roughly the same.
One type could be increased slightly at the expense of another.
Solvers of studies and classical retros will receive feedback on
their explanations.
We should be thinking of promoting other types rather than
orthodox like everyone else. Since we have no chance of doing
justice to orthodox problems, we should compensate by
concentrating on our strengths.
#Post#: 21--------------------------------------------------
Re: Problems for Solving
DIR By: Laska
Date: November 28, 2021, 10:53 pm
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Hi James - I agree with most of what you write. Where I beg to
differ currently is:
I think we ought to be "data-driven". That means we should look
at the problems we are being sent and that readers request (we
should solicit feedback on this) to determine volumes and ratios
of different types, rather than having fixed values in a plan.
That will (1) make things easier for us and (2) maximize reader
enjoyment. Magazines are perfectly viable which specialize in
certain areas. Certainly for our start.
I do not want to have a discussion with anyone here where they
say "but we've already got our 1 fairy retro for this issue". If
we get 5 good ones from 5 different people, then let's publish
all of them.
That's one of the great things about an e-zine, we are not stuck
to a fixed number of pages.
If we are promoting solver interest, then certainly we can have
some directmates, selfmates etc. For directmates specifically,
if we haven't received them, then we can ask Steven Dowd, who
generates them by the ton. For others similarly. If we need
reprints then only do we need a theme.
I think fairy retro is huge, and is also conceptually
interesting as one looks to combine these two paradigms (e.g.
Retro Strategy for Circe Chess960, which Michel has just
composed for us.) Classic retros are in decline, and good new
ones are hard to come by. I personally have an interest in
retro-active problems which combine forward and backward play.
Dead Reckoning is fine very occasionally, but I don't want to
push it.
Giving solvers feedback on their explanations is potentially a
huge time sink. I think we should just post and allow other
solvers to debug.
Back to work now.
#Post#: 22--------------------------------------------------
Re: Problems for Solving
DIR By: James
Date: November 29, 2021, 3:33 am
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We should have a reasonable number for the total number of
problems. Not too many, so that we don't do too much work, and
solvers have a better chance of completing the set. Not too few,
or we would not do justice to the spectrum of chess composition.
This total should really be constant, and the distribution of
types of problems should remain roughly the same. 30 seems a
fair estimate. The upper limit should be 36 (4 pages with 9
diagrams per page).
Space is generally speaking interchangeable. 1 more #2 means 1
less #3/#n. 1 more directmate means 1 less
helpmate/selfmate/study. 1 more orthodox means 1 less "orthodox
fairy". 1 more fairy retro means 1 less regular fairy or regular
retro. But no drastic imbalances should arise. Just because more
people compose helpmates, this does not mean 80% of orthodox
problems should be helpmates.
Our current thinking is that fairy retros would be desirable. We
guarantee at least one, even if there are no originals
available. If it turns out that there really should be more,
then this can be arranged.
All retro types should be represented over time. Maybe no Dead
Reckoning every time, but it could make an appearance once every
two or three issues. But there should be a minimum of one
classical retro or proof game per issue. And perhaps at least
one retractor too. The allocation for retros should be enough to
cover all aspects of this genre eventually. Our readers and us
are likely to be more inclined towards retros anyway, so this
area needs to be given special attention.
We should by now have a clear idea on what to focus on, and what
to allow but not actively encourage. The Hopper will only be
worthwhile if it differs significantly from all other magazines
or websites. It will not attract the pure chess traditionalist,
and we are probably bored with too much normal chess anyway. No
harm even in taking a moderately selfish point of view and
concentrating on stuff we like. There should still be enough of
an audience.
P.S.
The offering of Michel (Retro Strategy for Circe Chess960)
sounds like it should be in an article, and not for solving.
Even if the article contains only this single problem, that's
OK.
#Post#: 23--------------------------------------------------
Re: Problems for Solving
DIR By: Laska
Date: November 29, 2021, 8:27 pm
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Hi James,
Are you saying that there are:
(1) problems for solving that people can try out (generally a
fixed number and balance of types)
(2) other originals (not so constrained)
(3) articles (containing whatever
By the way, I agree that Michel's problem should be an article
by itself.
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