9th Youth Chess Composing Challenge 2025

The Youth Chess Composing Challenge is a competition organised by the World Federation for Chess Composition, aimed at promoting the art form among the younger generation. The 9th edition of this annual event, restricted to problemists aged 23 or under, successfully completed in July and its full results are available from the WFCC site. As reported by coordinator GM Marjan Kovačević, 34 composers from 14 countries took part, including entrants from places like Brazil and China for the first time. A total of 66 problems were submitted for the tourney, which is divided into three sections: (A) two-movers with a prescribed theme, (B) endgame studies with a free theme, and (C) unrestricted problem types. Two highly awarded problems are examined below, indicative of the excellent standards achieved by the participants.

The top-placed contestants are, from first to eighth: Ural Khasanov (Russia), Shang Riye (China), Stefan-Constantin Harnagea (Romania), Ilija Serafimović (Serbia), Joachim Hambros (Austria), Dylan Schenker (USA), Ben Smolkin (Canada), and Lim Bin Yang (Singapore). Some of these names may be familiar to readers of this site, having been featured previously. Ilija Serafimović gained first place in the Guided Chess Problem Composing Competition 2015 (he also came second in 2016). Joachim Hambros won a gold medal in the 11th FIDE World Cup in Composing 2023. Ben Smolkin appeared in a video from Judit Polgar’s Chess Artistry Competition. A few of these young composers have already made their debuts in the prestigious FIDE Albums.

The set theme of Section A’s two-movers calls for a white pawn placed on the seventh rank; in one phase of play (try or solution), it is used to guard a flight of the black king, while in another phase, the pawn promotes to a knight at some point. The pawn could also promote to a queen as additional content. The first-place winner employs two thematic pawns. 1.c8=Q? (threat: 2.Qxd7), 1…fxg6 2.g8=Q, but 1…Sc5! refutes. 1.c8=S? (2.Sc7), 1…fxg6 2.g8=Q, but 1…dxe4! 1.g8=Q? (2.Qxf7), 1…Sxd8 2.cxd8=S, but 1…Sd6! 1.g8=S? (2.Qxd5), 1…dxe4 2.Qxe4, but 1…Bb3! The four try-phases showcase knight and queen promotions not only as the first moves, but also as the mates in some variations. A bonus try, 1.Sc6? (2.Qe5) leads to 1…dxc6 2.c8=Q, 1…fxg6 2.g8=Q, but is handled by 1…Sf3! Good variety is achieved in how these tries all have distinct threats and refutations. The flight-giving key 1.Bxe7! entails yet another threat, 2.Qf6, then 1…Kxe7 2.Qe5 sees the white pawns controlling the flights on d8 and f8 as per the theme requirement. Also, 1…dxe4 2.Qxe4. Judge David Shire writes, “I heartily congratulate the composer on this undertaking; the scale of ambition is breathtaking! The 5 different promotions and 5 unique refutations are testament to this.”

The black king has two flight-squares initially (1…Ke5 is provided with a response, though not 1…Kc5). The generous key 1.e7! concedes two more flights on the seventh rank, and threatens to open the R + S battery with 2.Sde6+ Kc6 (a fifth flight-move!) 3.Be4, or 2…Ke5 3.Rd5. If the king tries to escape to c7 or d7, White activates the R + P battery using different promotions: 1…Kxc7 2.e8=S+ Kc8 3.Rc7, and 1…Kd7 2.e8=Q+ Kd6 3.Qee7. After 1…Ke5, the R + S battery works indirectly, 2.Sc6+ Rxc6/Sxc6 3.Rd5. The fourth flight 1…Kc5 is met by the threat move, but the resulting mate is altered, 2.Sde6+ Kb4 3.Sd5. If 1…Sc6, White fires the R + S battery in a new way, 2.Sdxb5+ Kc5 3.Sxa6, 2…Ke5 3.Rd5. Lastly, 1…Qh2 2.e8=S+ Ke5 3.f6, 2…Kc5 3.Qe7 includes a Q + P battery mate. No fewer than six variations plus the threat depict a mobile black king being subdued by white battery play – a fabulously complex problem. Eight expert judges collaborated in adjudicating Section C, all of whom expressed admiration for this work. Paz Einat’s remark is representative: “A three-mover that is on the Honourable Mention to Prize category in any regular tourney. Excellent thematic key and perfect execution avoiding any duals.”