An Interview with Robert Pye
By Tony Foley
I have always found it difficult to get the time to compose studies. This means my overall output is fairly small. However I’ ve always tried to compose studies with intrinsically interesting ideas, of the kind that would appeal both to study enthusiasts and to over-the-board players. Among my favourite studies is the one that came with least effort. One evening I was exploring some new ideas at the board when suddenly a highly original manoeuvre came into view, fully formed [ see below ]. I wish my other studies had taken shape as easily as this one!
Robert Pye Photograph by Laragh Pye
For those people unfamiliar with you, could you please give us a little essential background information to get us started? I played for Ireland at junior, student and senior international level in the 1970s and was a moderately good over-the-board player( highest rating 2230 or thereabouts). You are deep into chess studies. How did you become involved with this rather specialized aspect of chess? As a youngster I was fascinated by chess ideas – at any phase of the game – but the most developed literature on this related to endgame studies. Some studies were quite amazing. I remember solving some studies with a few of the participants, including John Nunn, at the European Under-21 Championship in Groningen in 1974 / 5. We were all enthralled by a superb study by Kaminer( Number 281 in‘ 1357’ by Lommer). I believe this unfortunate man died in the Stalinist purges but he left a very fine legacy of beautiful studies. I was always struck by the fact that studies could be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere, at virtually no cost, and transcended ethnicity and language. A minor art form. How many studies have you published to date? And please give us one of your favourites!
Schach-Echo 1988-1991 3 rd Prize [ revised version ]
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White to play and win
1. Rg8 Bh4 [ 1 … Bf6 2. Rf8 Ne5 3. Rxf6 Nxd3 4. Kd2 Nb2 5. Ra6 wins ] 2. Rb8 + Ka2 3. Kc2 Ka3 4. Ra8 + Kb4 5. Rf8 N ~ 6. Rf4 + wins.
Who are some of your favourite study composers? I have derived a lot of pleasure from studies by Nadareishvili, Fritz, Matous, Nestorescu, Bazlov, Bron, Gurgenidze, Mattison and Yakimchik, among others. How do you get your ideas? Good question! Often I wonder if a particular manoeuvre is actually possible. Then I try to decide whether the material needed to express the idea can be kept to an artistic minimum. Good studies depend a great deal on a very simple principle – how much can be done with just a few pieces and how thematic is the mainline play? Of course, the central idea must be original or, at minimum, expressed in an original way.
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