Active Solvers

[garykevinware]

Greetings, Problem Solvers!
My name is Gary Kevin Ware, and as many of you may know, I have been the problems columnist at Chess Life Online, http://www.uschess.org, since February, with the publication of my 64 Square Problem Tour,
http://main.uschess.org/content/view/8199/436. I had been wanting to revive the Solving Ladder, and after many delays, we are on the verge! I want to thank David Brown, former Key Krackers columnist, for sending me the updated list of the Active Solvers into 41st Ladder. As with Steven Dowd's previous Dr. D's Problem of the Week, I will be posting problems for solving purposes, each week. The number of points that you can earn on each problem will be determined by how many moves that it takes to checkmate. An innovation of Dr. Dowd's that I liked was bonus questions. I will also have bonus questions to test your understanding of the concepts involved. I will be posting 1-4 problems per week with the goal of enabling you to earn at least 30 points per month. I will post my first problems, coinciding with the publication of my next article, Problem Potpourri, projected for next Tuesday or Wednesday. That article will cover about 20 problems that did not, for whatever reason, make it into the aforementioned 64 Square Problem Tour. That article is previewed in the December issue of Chess Life. If you want to earn some points before the official inauguration of Gary's Gems, then send me a full variation of the mate in five for that problem in Chess Life, for 5 points. For 3 bonus points, show me all 3 'Indians' in their wigwam. That will require you to show me more than one variation. Now, below, I will list the standings for the Active Solvers into 41st Ladder. I have placed an asterick beside the names of those of you who took advantage of my offer to update your scores by sending me your calculated or estimated scores from the Steven Dowd era. As you can see, not too many of you have, but the offer is still open. If you have solved before and do not see your name on the Active Solvers list, and want to know your score, you can contact me at garykevinware@yahoo.com . Whether you are an old solver or a new solver, the way to be on the next Active Solvers list is to start solving! I did update my score, although I did not include any score for the article that I co-authored with Dr. Dowd, Dr. D's Check-Up: Fixing Sam,
http://main.uschess.org/content/view/6478/355. I will also not give myself credit for solving my own problems. Therefore, I am now semi-retired! I hope that there will be plenty of you to take my place.

Active Solvers into 41st Ladder

Kenneth Davenport (M14) 284
D. Dana-Bashian (M14) 268
Matthew Dickey (M11) 563
Eugene Levin (M11) 539
Paul Birnbaum (M11) 336
*Barry Keith (M10) 540
Peter Szusz (M10) 0
Stanley Perlo (E8) 419
David Moulton (E8) 326
Paul Salem (E8) 325
Martin Lubell (E8) 183
Martin Moskowitz (E8) 142
Dailon Stauvers (E8) 64
Gabriel Balinth (E7) 522
Maurice Leysens (E7) 441
Anatoly Goldberg (E7) 362
*Dan Maxwell (E6) 321
Alex Markevitch (E6) 81
Mario Pachajoa (E5) 350
Renato Casalino (E5) 149
Albert Bobb (E5) 143
Yefim Treger (E5) 59
Fletcher Gross (E5) 0
*Gary Kevin Ware (E4) 604
Robin Taylor (E4) 45
Jose Antonio Pagan (E4) 0
Edward Boyle (E3) 528
Jacob Nemchenok (E3) 338
Ladislav Belcsak (E3) 332
Joseph Bohac (E3) 315
William Fraser (E3) 294
Frederick Kagan (E3) 276
T. Louis Meaker (E3) 259
Walter Anthony (E3) 250
David Robinson (E3) 158
Paul Steiner (E3) 156
Jerry De Gattis (E3) 125
Terry McManus (E3) 69
Ricky Shepherd (E3) 45
David Funston (E3) 11
Robert J. Williams (E3) 0
Peter Chicarello (2) 476
Yutaka Satoh (2) 438
Alan Bishop (2) 333
Christopher Myers (2) 306
Frank Lee (2) 272
John Carson (2) 93
Kerry M. Redinger (2) 86
Harry Ryklewitz (2) 26
Mark Baranowski (1) 528
Thomas Cunningham (1) 473
Dave Wolz (1) 292
J. Schindler (1) 262
Ray Tomanek (1) 252
David Lenhart (1) 247
Ernest Hunt (1) 185
Theran Huntley (1) 181
Doug Reynolds (1) 179
Andy Forster (1) 165
Thomas Clark (1) 162
John Mogler (1) 115
Joseph R. Kazimir (1) 111
Francisco Solis (1) 70
Jaroslaw Czypinski (1) 67
Matthew Crane (1) 47
Clemons + Ferrell (1) 37
Phil Marglitz (1) 8
Adam Knight (1) 0
Jon Leisner 592
Don Woodhouse 564
Robert F. Bua 525
Pierre Espenan 452
John Bosse 371
Chet Sygiel 360
Dale Royer 287
John Ragan 270
Terry Donoghu 263
Kenneth Hunsucker 256
Charles Fortner 221
J. Fields 209
John Coffey 209
C.J. Sanjurjo 178
Allen Duldulao 169
*Otis Lewis 168
John D. Wells 157
J. Elliott 155
Derek DeMerchant 139
John B. Smaltz 129
Marvin J. Johnson 129
John Dutemple 124
Archie Martin 118
John Woolard 114
Cory Bryant 102
Jan A. Van Hummel 99
Frank Metz 96
Mark Lewis 91
Phillip Norman 90
J. Paul Ciarrocchi 88
Jim Geary 88
Carl Aridas 85
Ron Celio 74
Keenan Moore 49
Marvin Lee 46
Cole Dykstra 46
Theresa Torricellas 45
Chris McDermit 41
Paul Adcock 34
William Li 32
Max R. Luikart 28
Sebastian Fernandez 27
David Ortiz 18
Jessie Dunaway 18
Richard Chambers 18
Everette Luoma 16
Andy Veh 15
Christopher Sayers 15
PA Buggs 15
Java Joe 15
Matt Peach 14
David M. Anderson 14
Carlos Bellamy 12
Darin Neagle 10

[Keyif]

Gary Kevin Ware,

Glad this has restarted. I am new to solving but looking forward to digging in.

William

[garykevinware]

It has now been 6 months since I posted my first problem for Gary's Gems, and as was customary with David Brown's Key Krackers, it is now time to update the standings:

Active Solvers into 42nd Ladder

David Dana-Bashian (M15) 253
Barry Keith (M10) 616
Thomas Langland (E9) 63
Daniel Maxwell (E6) 472
Renato Casalino (E5) 199
Mark Baranowski (1) 536
Jon Leisner (1) 131
Otis Lewis 193
Hans Nieuwhart 78
Siegfried Hornecker 70
Alexander George 54
Gilles Regniers 31
William Shehan 20
Worlee Dennis 4
Roberto Stelling 3

As you can see, we do not have too many active solvers at this time. So, any ideas or actions that will help promote and publicize both Gary's Gems and http://www.chessproblem.net would be appreciated. It would be especially good to get former solvers, who may not be aware of the revival of the Solving Ladder, 'back on board'. Also, the offer to be credited for points you may have earned during the tenure of Steven Dowd, is still open. You can e-mail me at garykevinware@yahoo.com . Hopefully, you have enjoyed, and learned, from the first 6 months of Gary's Gems, and I hope to see further growth, in the next 6 months.

[garykevinware]

Active Solvers Into 43rd Ladder:
David Dana-Bashian (M15) 550
Barry Keith (M11) 4
Thomas Langland (E9) 220
Daniel Maxwell (E7) 108
Renato Casalino (E5) 297
Jon Leisner (1) 156
Hans Nieuwhart 327
Otis Lewis 212
Siegfried Hornecker 198
Alexander George 61
Gilles Regniers 47
Jonathan Westphal 7

[garykevinware]

Active Solvers into 44th Ladder:
David Dana-Bashian (M16) 288
Daniel Maxwell (E7) 414
Renato Casalino (E5) 511
Hans Nieuwhart 501
Siegfried Hornecker 220
Alexander George 77

[garykevinware]

Active Solvers into 45th Ladder:
David Dana-Bashian (M16) 621
Thomas Langland (E9) 241
Daniel Maxwell (E8) 34
Renato Casalino (E6) 40
Hans Nieuwhart 613
Siegfried Hornecker 229
Alexander George 86
Tom Eilers 61
John Marshall 5

[garykevinware]

Active Solvers into 46th Ladder:
David Dana-Bashian (M17) 1
Daniel Maxwell (E8) 204
Renato Casalino (E6) 169
Hans Nieuwhart (1) 59
Siegfried Hornecker 235
Tom Eilers 88
Guy Meissonnier 8

[garykevinware]

Active Solvers into 47th Ladder:
Daniel Maxwell (E8) 353
Renato Casalino (E6) 280
Alan Bishop (2) 347
Hans Nieuwhart (1) 123
Siegfried Hornecker 239
Guy Meissonnier 158
Tom Eilers 143

[garykevinware]

Active Solvers into 48th Ladder:
Daniel Maxwell (E8) 480
Renato Casalino (E6) 373
Hans Nieuwhart (1) 148
Guy Meissonnier 223
Tom Eilers 187
Alexander George 90
Neville Stern 16
John Marshall 9

[garykevinware]

Active Solvers into 49th Ladder:
Daniel Maxwell (E8) 588
Renato Casalino (E6) 500
David Lenhart (1) 262
Hans Nieuwhart (1) 153
Guy Meissonnier 235
Tom Eilers 203
Neville Stern 182
John Marshall 73