43rd Azerbaijan Chess Solving Championship 2024 | 9th tournament of World Solving Cup 2023/2024: Participants: 44 | Winner: Misratdin Iskandarov (AZE – Azerbaijan champion!) ahead of Amil Abbasov (AZE) and Araz Almammadov (AZE) Average rating of top ten solvers: 2046.48 | WSC category: 13 Top 5 WSC Standings (unchanged): 1. Eddy Van Beers (BEL) 92 points, 2. Martynas Limontas (LTU) 50 points, 3. Vidmantas Satkus (LTU) 41 points, 4. David Hodge (GBR) 35 points, 5. Nikos Sidiropoulos (GRE) 32 points. More details published in Competitions→Solving→World Solving Cup @ Solving Portal
Solvers’ ratings as of April 1st 2024 produced by the Solving Tournament Manager are published on the WFCC Solving Portal. 8 tournaments of the 1st quarter 2024 are included: 20th International Solving Contest 2024 Cat 1, 20th International Solving Contest 2024 Cat 2, Winton British Chess Solving Championship 2024, 45th Finnish Chess Solving Championship 2024, 47th International Polish Championship 2024, 29th Dutch Open Chess Solving Championship 2024, 32nd Branko Atanackovic Memorial 2024, 20th Attica Region Chess Solving Tournament 2024. Ranking of the top ten solvers: 1. Danila Pavlov (FID) 2818.95, 2. Piotr Murdzia (POL) 2708.04, 3. Kacper Piorun (POL) 2654.08, 4. Ural Khasanov (FID) 2653.87, 5. John Nunn (GBR) 2638.24, 6. Eddy Van Beers (BEL) 2630.22, 7. Aleksey Popov (FID) 2577.85, 8. Marko Filipović (CRO) 2564.95, 9. Ulrich Voigt (GER) 2555.87, 10. Bojan Vučković (SRB) 2555.86. Largest five gains: Jakub Marciniszyn (POL) +54.54, Robert Włodarczyk (POL) +52.26, junior Alexandru Mihalcescu (ROU) +46.67, Valery Kopyl (UKR) +36.51, Andrey Selivanov (FID) +31.80
The same as the previous editions, the 8th YCCC will be open to the U23 generation (born no earlier than 01.01.2001) from all the countries, and to all different genres of chess composition. This time the special prizes for the best composers are prepared!
All young chess composers, and those who would like to try their hands in this kind of chess art for the first time, are invited to take part in three different sections (one of them with the set thematic conditions)!
The deadline for submission of the entries is June 10.
The results are planned to be announced on August 2 2024, during the Closing ceremony of the Jurmala WCCC.
29th Dutch Open Chess Solving Championship | 7th tournament of World Solving Cup 2023/2024: Participants: 20 | Winner: Eddy Van Beers (BEL) ahead of Michael Pfannkuche (GER) and Nikos Sidiropoulos (GRE). Dolf Wissmann (5th and Dutch Champion) ahead of Joost Michielsen (6th) and Hans Uitenbroek (8th-9th). Average rating of top ten solvers: 2391.19 | WSC category: 6 Top 5 WSC Standings: 1. Eddy Van Beers (BEL) 92 points (+23), 2. Martynas Limontas (LTU) 46 points (unchanged), 3. Vidmantas Satkus (LTU) 39 points (unchanged), 4. David Hodge (GBR) 35 points (+6). 5. Nikos Sidiropoulos (GRE) 32 points (+16). More details published in Competitions→Solving→World Solving Cup @ Solving Portal
47th International Polish Championship 2024 | 6th tournament of World Solving Cup 2023/2024: Participants: 23 | Winner: Piotr Murdzia (POL – Polish champion!) ahead of Jakub Marciniszyn (POL) and Martynas Limontas (LTU). Jakub Marciniszyn with 1st GM and 3rd IM norm – the first ever GM norm not achieved at ECSC/WCSC or any of their Open solving tournaments! Average rating of top ten solvers: 2425.90 | WSC category: 5 Top 5 WSC Standings: 1. Eddy Van Beers (BEL) 69 points (unchanged), 2. Martynas Limontas (LTU) 46 points (+19), 3. Vidmantas Satkus (LTU) 39 points (unchanged), 4. Roland Ott (SUI) 29 points (unchanged), 5. David Hodge (GBR) 29 points (unchanged). More details published in Competitions→Solving→World Solving Cup @ Solving Portal
Highlights of Challenge 1 were the success of the Kharitonov family (which featured three 100% scores) and the most welcome presence of World Champion Danila Pavlov who, in the Blitz round, rattled off 20 correct solutions in 7 minutes. Africa were well represented by solvers from Morocco and Nigeria; with Youssef Kozizi achieving a great score in the Blitz and Lovelyn Agbo so determined to complete the Blitz round that she went to the trouble of downloading a replacement browser in place of her mischievous Chrome version.
Technically, nearly everything went according to plan, with almost all obstacles overcome. The Blitz scoring system worked particularly well. The strength of the strongest was much higher than expected (with many at WCSC level), so problems in future challenges could be made a little tougher.
OSCY Challenge 2 will be held on Sunday 10/3/2024 at 12:30 (your Local time).
45th Finnish Chess Solving Championship 2024 | 5th tournament of World Solving Cup 2023/2024: Participants: 16 | Winner: Jorma Paavilainen (FIN – Finnish champion!) ahead of Kari Karhunen (FIN) and Paavo Tikka (FIN). Average rating of top ten solvers: 2120.16 | WSC category: 11 Top 5 WSC Standings (unchanged): 1. Eddy Van Beers (BEL) 69 points, 2. Vidmantas Satkus (LTU) 39 points, 3. Roland Ott (SUI) 29 points, 4. David Hodge (GBR) 29 points, 5. Martynas Limontas (LTU) 27 points. More details published in Competitions→Solving→World Solving Cup @ Solving Portal
Winton British Chess Solving Championship 2024 | 4th tournament of World Solving Cup 2023/2024: Participants: 31 | Winner: Eddy Van Beers (BEL) ahead of Vidmantas Satkus (LTU) and Abdelaziz Onkoud (FRA – 3rd IM norm). British Champion, again David Hodge (4th Place) before Jonathan Mestel (5th Place). Average rating of top ten solvers: 2447.89 | WSC category: 5 Top 5 WSC Standings: 1. Eddy Van Beers (BEL) 69 points (+27), 2. Vidmantas Satkus (LTU) 39 points (+23), 3. Roland Ott (SUI) 29 points (+10), 4. David Hodge (GBR) 29 points (+16), 5. Martynas Limontas (LTU) 27 points (+4). More details published in Competitions→Solving→World Solving Cup @ Solving Portal
20th International Solving Contest (ISC) 21th January 2024
We had 41 tournaments in 26 countries and 669 solvers from 46 countries (24 unofficial solvers in cat-3) – 171 solvers in cat-1, 236 solvers in cat-2 and 262 solvers in cat-3. Thanks to all local controllers for their excellent work and good cooperation and congratulations to the winners. Special thanks to Borislav Gadjanski for his daily updates of the results on the MatPlus-website, to Luc Palmans who checked Cat1, to Andy Ooms who checked Cat2, Bohumil Moravčik who helped a lot with the selection of the problems.
The idea to organize the International Solving Contest, simultaneously in many countries, came from Uri Avner in the year 2003. After a period of preparation the 1st ISC was held in January 2005. The winner was Roland Baier (SUI) and Ward Stoffelen was the Central controller. With 27 tournaments in 23 countries and 262 solvers it was already the greatest solving tournament in history.
After the success of the first edition, it was decided that the next tournament in 2006 should be rated, and that a second category for less experienced solvers should be included. In the following years ISC became a standard in the second half of January and the number of participants grew until more than 400.
In 2015 a third category for kids under the age of 13 was established. The record number of participants was reached in 2020, with 885 solvers in 31 countries. Later on, the regularity of ISC wasn’t interrupted even during the Covid crisis. The ISC became an opportunity for many solvers around the world to compete and get initial ratings. Also, nearly all top solvers have been using this tournament to test their skills. The record holder is Piotr Murdzia (POL) with six wins in the 1st Category competition.
Axel Steinbrink, Central controller of 14 ISC tournaments
