Charm

by John Roycroft

The word 'charm' is a favourite of mine when drafting an award. I'm always on the look-out for this quality. When I find charm in a study, I mark it up.

But what is charm? Is it as elusive and circular as the standard dictionary definition suggests?

As far as studies are concerned I have an answer, one that combines the two senses of what a definition is as recognised by Aristotle, namely: listing the attributes; and listing the components, which in classical formal logic is called ‘extension’.

Here goes.

Charm in a study is:

The cumulative effect of two or more distinct features, each one simple in itself, integrated in to the whole without loss of economy.

A study without charm may be impressive in many respects but will not persist in the memory for as long as a study with charm. Heaviness loses out to lightness.

An ideal example is to hand. It was found among some 70 diagrams in the papers of the late Mike Bent. All were clipped together with a covering scrap reading PROBABLY NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

1 - win	1a - after 3...a1Q
C.M. Bent (first publication) 1 Bd4+ Kxd4 2 a7 a2 3 a8Q a1Q (see 1a) 4 Qa7+!! (Qh8+?) and the black queen is lost next move.

The following features contribute to the study’s charm:

1. A natural position

2. A miniature

3. Following the sacrificial key the black king has complete mid-board freedom of movement: eight flights replace five.

4. If white plays 2 Bb3? to stop the black a-pawn, the opponent mirrors the manoeuvre with his own bishop.

5. The temptation 4 Qh8+? is met by 4…Be5.

6. The foregoing defence …Be5 is obviated by the minimalist change of line for the white queen after 4 Qa7+!! The space-devouring power of the queen is effective here only with this insignificant move.

7. After 4 Qa7+!! the black king may move to any of two dark, or four light, squares. The dark alternatives are met by 5 Qg7+, when interference by the black bishop is invalidated, and the light alternatives allow a bishop check (with duals) followed by wQa7xbQa1. The shorter diagonal (from g7 to a1) works while the longer (h8-a1) failed.

8. The ‘interference’ 4…Bc5 is a ‘thematic’ bonus. There is a diagonal echo in that the c5-d4 black piece-pair relationship also crops up on e5-d4 in a deliciously compact transfer of blocking.

9. The black bishop’s contributions permeate every line of play, with perfect economy of force.

10. The white king does not participate but remains seated in the h3 ‘Royal Box’ loggia. Through opera glasses he serenely and approvingly observes the coronation of his consort and her arrival on the discreet square a7.

(Editorial note: the white king has been moved to h3 from g2 to remove a cook discovered by computer analysis. Mike would no doubt have made a similar change had he used a computer for testing).