Unoffocial World Championship Checker Problem Composing Contest #40
2018-07-21 through 2018-08-31
So far 259 visitors have viewed this contest 678 times.

The ACF Website wishes a big congratulations to Bill Salot, Virginia, the composer of Rainbow's End , which was voted the winner of
Unoffocial World Championship Checker Problem Composing Contest #40.
Results

August is a good month. Since Contest 34 in August 2017, no contest attracted more votes than this one.

The winner was 61-move Rainbow's End, by Bill Salot. It gathered 10 of the 21 votes from among 259 visitors. Lloyd Gordon (Canada), Slava Gorin (Russia), George Hay and Kathy Wirthwein voted for it.

An ingenious retreating move brought 7 votes and 2nd place to Candy Out of Nothing, by first-timer, Igor Martynov (multiple times Champion of Germany). Gary Ellison and Wilma Wolverton voted for it.

Third, with 3 votes was More Modern, by Jim Loy, a subtle correction of a 48-year old setting by old master, S. J. Pickering. Non-voter Alex Moiseyev found a dual solution at the 7th move, and said the problem should be disqualified. It will not be disqualified because the correction occurred before the 7th move and deserves to be recognized. Liam Stephens (Ireland) voted for it, breaking his 7-Contest streak of correct winner-picking.

Ocean View, by the famous G. H. Slocum (1855-1914), got 4th place, with one vote. It was by Gene Ellison. The problem title honors the weekly newspaper, Chicago Inter Ocean, in which the problem appeared on 4/29/1900, the one and only time the problem was published, until this contest. The problem is disqualified by that prior publication, and Slocum continues to come up empty.

In a rare switch, our two most accomplished active composers, and winners of the last 3 contests, trailed. Last minute entries, Last Chance, by Roy Little, and Just Off the Press, by Ed Atkinson, each received zero votes. You can bet it won't happen again.

Taking over 1st place on the active Problem Evaluation Ladder is Lloyd Gordon (Canada) with 3 winners picked in 3 tries (100%); falling to 2nd is Liam Stephens (Ireland) with 7 winners in 8 tries (87%); rising to 3rd is Kathy Wirthwein with 3 winners in 5 tries (60%); falling to 4th is Gene Ellison with 4 winners in 7 tries (57%). 15 others are at 50% or less.



The contest was originally introduced as follows:

Good, practical, original, unpublished 3x3s are relatively difficult to compose. The small number of pieces limits the number of possible new ideas.

Nevertheless, six composers are defying the odds by entering 3x3 problems in Contest 40. One of them is the famous George H. Slocum. Only four of the previous 39 contests involved that many competing composers. Take advantage of the opportunity to see some new twists here.

3x3s are difficult to judge. We need your votes in order to determine the best composition and its Unofficial World Champion Composer. Votes will also determine the best problem evaluators via the ladder of Judges. Just solve the problems or play out the animations, and vote for the 3x3 that impressed you most.

If you wish, you can climb onto the evaluation ladder before the contest closes. You are also welcome to try your hand at competitive problem composing against some of the world's best. Just e-mail your vote or your original, unpublished problem to the address below the diagrams.
More Modern
Composed By: Jim Loy, Montana
Current Votes:
White to move. White Wins
View Animation
Trunk*23 19, 3-7, *19 23A, 20-16, *4 8, 7-10, 8 3, 16-11B, *23 19, 11-15, 19 16, 14-18, *16 11White Wins
ACorrects 4 8, *14-18, 22 15, *7-11, 15 10, *11-15, 19 23, *15-19, S. J. Pickering, Modern Magic 8A, 1970Draw
B10-15, *3 7 (not 3 8, *15-18, Draws), 15-19, 23 26 or 23 27White Wins
Rainbow's End
Composed By: Bill Salot, Virginia
Current Votes:
White to move. White Wins
View Animation
Trunk*14 9A, 15-19B, *27 24, 19-23, *22 26, 23-27, *26 31, 27-32, *24 20C, 30-25, *9 6, 25-22, *6 2, 22-18D, *31 26, 18-15, *26 23, 15-11E, *2 6, 11-15, 6 9F, 15-10, *9 13G, 10-15, 13 17, 15-11, 17 22, 11-15, 22 26, 15-11, 26 30, 11-15, 20 16, 15-10, 16 11, 10-15, 11 8, 15-11, 8 3, 11-16, 3 7, 16-20, *30 26, 20-24, *26 31, 24-20, 7 11, 20-24, 11 15, 24-20, 31 27H, 20-16, 15 19, 16-20, 19 24, 20-16, 27 31, 16-20, 23 19, 20-27, 31 24White Wins
ANot 14 10, *28-32Draw
B28-32, *22 26White Wins
CNot 24 19, *30-25, 9 6, *25-22, 6 2, *22-18, 2 7, *18-23Draw
D22-17, *2 7, 17-22 (17-14, *7 11, 14-10, *20 16, WW), *7 11 ((not 7 10, *22-18, 20 16, (31 26, *32-27, 26 23, *18 15, Draw) *18-23, 10 15, *32-27, 31 24, *23-19, Draw)), 22-18, *31 26, 32-27, *26 23White Wins
E15-10, *20 16, 10-15, *16 11, 15-8, *2 7, 8-12, *7 11White Wins
FNot 6 1, *15-10, 20 16, *10-15Draw
GNot 20 16, *10-15, 16 12, *15-11, 9 13, *11-16, 13 17, *16-20, 17 22, *20-24, 22 26, *24-27Draw
HThis wins quickest; a longer win is by 15 18, 20-16, 18 22, 16-20, 22 25, 20-24, 25 30, 24-20, 31 27, 20-16, 23 26, 32-23, 26 12White Wins
Just Off the Press
Composed By: Ed Atkinson, Pennsylvania
Current Votes:
White to move. Draw
View Animation
Trunk*25 22A, 9-14, *5 1, 30-26, *1 6, 26-17, *6 2, 14-18, *2 7Draw
ANot 5 1, 30-21, 1 6, *21-25, 6 13, 25-22, 13-9, *22-26, 9-14, *26-23 Red Wins
Ocean View
Composed By: G. H. Slocum (1855-1914)

DISQUALIFIED

Prior publication: Chicago Inter Ocean, 4/29/1900
Current Votes:
White to move. Draw
View Animation
Trunk*25 22, 11-16, *4 8, 16-12, *23 18, 14-23, *8 11, 15-19, *11 15, 19-24, *15 19Draw
Last Chance
Composed By: Roy Little, Oklahoma
Current Votes:
White to move. Draw
View Animation
Trunk*20 16, 28-32A, *16 11B, 32-28, *11 15B, 28 24, *15 18B, 24-19, *26 22, 19-23, *22 17C, 23-14D, 17 10, 27-23, *10 6, 23-18, *6 1Draw
A27-24, *26 22Draw
B(3 places) – Not 26 22, *27 23Red Wins
CNot 18 14, *27 24Red Wins
D13-22, 18 25, 23-18, *21 17Draw
Candy Out of Nothing
Composed By: Igor Martynov, Germany
Current Votes:
White to move. White Wins
View Animation
Trunk*3 8, 16-19, *8 11, 19-23, *9 5, 10-14, *13 9, 23-26, *11 15, 26-31, *15 10, 14-17, *9 6, 2-9, 5 21White Wins
Please enter your original, unpublished, dual-free problems in future contests by sending them at anytime to:
Bill Salot
1006 Elmwood Drive
Colonial Heights, VA 23834-2905

or at wjsalot@comcast.net.