(My two kids... I have tried to <NOT> get them involved in chess.)

But one day my daughter was going out, to the Oxford Street area.

I said to my daughter, "Are you going near the chess shop on Baker Street?"

She was happy to to that. As usual, I gave her £40 for the book, and £10 for the errand.

She bought the book about Rubinstein (£40).

My daughter was <really> dressed up and <made-up>. She is very modern in a good way.

My daughter said that the two guys in the chess shop looked surprised that she chose a book within 2 minutes, paid, and left SO quickly. She nicked nuffink!

Tonight is her "Prom" night. That is a modern fad.

(BTW spent a day with Robert Bellin in a bar, I still recall the hangover. I did not know we shared a birthday - Happy Birthday Robert.)

<offramp>
I kept my daughter away from chess players. I did not want one of you bunch weirdos as a son-in-law.

Actually she more than any other here should be a chess player. She was born in what is now the analysis room at the Edinburgh Chess Club.
Not even Capa the Blanca can beat that.
We had that many false alarms we thought it was another. I was playing chess with Johnny Marr (he does not have a page here...I must put that right.) when her waters broke. He telephoned an ambulance they arrived at the same time as my daughter.
We never finished that game.

I still in the huff with this lot for not having my name up with the rest of the 30th of Juners. (I had no idea there so many of us.)

Wife gave me a card with £10.00 inside saying 'Buy Viagra!!!' I've no idea what that is, is it for verrucas?

I met my daughters train from London to get my Donner book. Opened page at random (59), a beautiful study by A. Kovalenko but as Donner writes it is cooked (unsound).

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White to play and win.

1. b7 h3 2. Bg1 hxg2+ ( 2...h2 wins for Black) 3. Kg7 d5 (Going for stalemate. 4. b8=B! (Threatening Bc7 Mate.) 4... Kb6 5. Bbh2

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And White wins the ending.

Geoff Chandler (kibitz #270)

I was going to make an article out of it for CHESS.
Some of the articles I have written for CHESS in the past started out as posts on here.
In fact in my next article for CHESS I mention this and say I sent it to CHESS 'because it is far too good for likes of them.' (them being this lot here) It should be in the August issue.

I tried to keep as much of the Kovalenko position and idea as possible.

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1.b7 hxg3+

If 2.Kg8 Qh3 3. b8=Q Qxd3+ and 4...Qxb3 allows the Black King to take on a4 and Black is winning.
2. Kg8 Qh3 3.d5 stops that but after...

2. Kg7 ....
The win is simple - provided you see the idea.

2 ... d5
The only option is the stalemate try.
If Black allows 3.b8=Q it is mate in a few moves.

3.b8=B!
Threatening 4. Bc7 mate.

3...Kb6 4.Bh2

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It is still a bit loose, 2. Kg8 and 3.d5 should win in the long run but as 2.Kg7 narrows the path to only moves and I still have the bones of the original position and remember in the original solution Black actually wins, I'm leaving it as that.

With the bishop on g1 to start with, half the cage is already in place - it's a weakness from the artistic point of view just as is the capturing of the stationary knight in the original Kovalenko.

Yes it is crude, not as polished as I would like it. This is the simplified Kovalenko.

I did have a working model featuring Bg1 but it started to differ drastically from the original - I wanted to use as much of the original as possible. Allowing a hxg discovered check and keeping the BQ on h8 is a challenge.

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From a 15 year old Smyslov. (if it was just V. Smyslov and due to the age you could be tricked into thinking it was Smyslov's father who for a while studied chess along with Chigorin. )

I too in my first attempt had the King going to the 4th of 5th rank (on the g-file) with pawns on h6 and h7 or h5 and h6 keeping the Queen boxed in on h1.
I was meeting Qxg1 and Queen checks. I struggled trying stop to them and keep the B8-h2 clear for Bishop to trap the Queen and keeping d5 available for Black stalemate.

Smyslov uses the Knight. I never thought of that, I was giving the Knight up as in the Kovalenko study.

I found a four minute vid of the study and apparently Timman has found a small improvement. The chappie giving the vid does not explain what that is.

And why not, it is a charming concept.

I'll get back to the Kovalenko study and use Smyslov's idea of a Knight on e2. (though I'd prefer to sac it)