Best of CLO 2012 #9: Sam Loyd’s Organ Pipes by Dr. Dowd
January 24, 2013
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Dr. Dowd
The #9 article in Best of CLO 2012 is Sam Loyd’s Organ Pipes and Benko’s 45th Anniversary by Dr. Steven Dowd. In a follow-up to Chess Life Online supplement celebrating Benko’s 45th anniversary, Dr. Steven Dowd wrote about organ pipes a beautiful theme which he concisely describes: "(building on) the concept of black self-interference - one black piece interfering with another." Judges praised Dr. Dowd's enthusiasm and his ability to explain a complex theme, even to those not immersed in the culture of chess problems.

 Dr. Dowd’s contributions to CLO date back to when he contributed a regular column from the birth of CLO in 2006 to 2007. More recent pieces include "A Pawn Against an Army: Dr. Dowd on Minimals" Unusual Chess Problems Part I and Part II and "Irving Chernev's only chess problem." Login as member to read Dr. Dowd's magazine piece celebrating Benko.

He’s also a composer himself. We recently posted a fun study of his on the Chess Life Online facebook page:

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White to Play and Mate in two


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The Judges Sound Off
Read more about the judges 

From Sam Loyd to Pal Benko, this article was a joy to read!  Regardless of your interests--solving hard mates in 2 or studying compositions--this article has something for all.  Eight puzzles fit into the theme, and after studying the solutions and explanations, the reader may feel like an expert in this genre.  A fun and clearly written article on the art of composing is rare--Michael Aigner 

I am not especially into composed problems, but this is a well written and organized blog post. Nice crisp diagrams, nice to include the FEN notation, and nice to hide the answers. Nice history included- Tim Brennan 

Compositions. Not a favorite of many chess players, but Dr. Dowd  has the enthusiasm that brings intrigue to an age old activity of chess artists. Chess problemists also belong to a small subgroup, but their compositions are truly artistic. The arrangement of the pieces and elegant solutions make us appreciate the aesthetic beauty of chess  even more- Daaim Shabazz

Best of CLO 2012 Countdown
#8-???
#9- Sam Loyd’s Organ Pipes and Benko’s 45th Anniversary by Dr. Steven Dowd
#10- Greg on Chess: Opening Books by IM Greg Shahade (Read the judging article here)