Vaclav Kotesovec chess problems and programs

Echiquier Belge

Selection from new tournaments (fairy chess only, for full list please see website by Ján Golha or new Composing Tourneys System)

Munich selfmate tourney 2013, for selfmates in 10 or more moves, theme free. Send to GerhardSchoen(AT)web.de, C 30.6.2013 (judge: Frank Müller)

Rehm 70*, Maslar 80*, Axt 70* - C 31.7.2013, updated

Empress (Speckmann 100 MT) - 210.TT Die Schwalbe, C 21.8.2013 (judge Günter Büsing)

3rd FIDE World Cup 2013 - C 1.9.2013

Julia’s Fairies Marine TT 2013 - C 30.9.2013 (judge: Petko Petkov)

SAVANA-SAFARI - problems of any kind in 2-6 moves with fairy pieces: antelope, gnu, lion, locust, zebu, giraffe, or zebra. Send to valerio.agostini(AT)gmail.com, C 30.9.2013

Orbit announce a tourney for helpmates or serieshelpmates in any number of moves using Alphabetical chess. No fairy pieces, but (optionally) any one of the conditions Circe, Madrasi or PWC may be used. Send to pt.orbit(AT)yahoo.fr, C 30.9.2013 (judge: Michael McDowell)

Alex Ettinger 90 MT - fairy-miniatures with free theme. All types of problems are accepted but with at least one fairy condition and one fairy piece. Send to paz(AT)pazeinat.com, C 30.11.2013 (judge: M.Grushko)

Frequently updated databases:

WinChloe - updated table "Echecs" - total 478033 problems in database (updated 12.6.2013)

PDB Server - 331969 problems in database (28.5.2013)

Brian Stephenson - Meson - Chess Problem Database. 146102 problems (19.3.2013)

Yet another chess problem database - free database by Dmitri Turevski. Total 328393 problems, but also duplicates (19.3.2013)

Gerald Ettl - Problemschach+ - free program PSP and database of 71000 problems (19.3.2013)

Eduardo Sadier - The Art of Direct Mate in Two - free database of more than 137000 twomovers (updated 9.3.2013)

Endgame Study Database IV - by Harold van der Heijden, 76132 endgames studies

I recommend following pages:

Julia’s Fairies - articles, originals and much more by Julia Vysotska from Latvia

KoBulChess - bulgarian website (in English) by Diyan Kostadinov

ChessProblems.ca - Series-Movers Informal Tourney by Cornel Pacurar

Chess problems columns in Slovakia - excellent collection of more than 12000 columns by Ivan Jarolin

Chess Composers - (whose birthday is it today?) blog by Eric Huber and Vlaicu Crisan

Handbook of Chess Composition (PDF) - 5th edition

Composers Names In Various Alphabets - by Thomas Maeder

MatPlus Forum

FIDE Album 2001-2003 - Errata

FIDE Albums 1914-2000 error list - by Ilkka Blom

Surprising new cooks in FIDE Albums: 500 FIDE Album 1956-58 (found by VK), 630 FIDE Album 1977-79 (found by VK), F85 FIDE Album 1995-97 (found by Olaf Jenkner) - added 21.8.2012, G2 FIDE Album 1989-91 (found by Olaf Jenkner) - added 10.3.2013

Computer Test Fide Albums - by Steen Christensen

Popeye

WinChloe - great improvements for multi-core systems

APwin v2012 - shell for Alybadix (and now also for Popeye!) by Paul H. Wiereyn

Die Schwalbe

feenschach

Probleemblad

Phénix

Componist - Romanian magazine, send originals to Dinu-Ioan Nicula

Eteroscacco

Variant Chess - issues 1-64 in PDF

EG - study magazine - all issues 1-156 (1965-2005) in PDF format, total 823 MB, 6410 pages! (also issues 153-156, see my list of all files (zip)).

British endgame study news - archive 1996-2010 by John Beasley, total 1012 pages

The Problemist Supplement - complete archive of PDF since 1992 (total 1194 pages)!

Shredder - Endspieldatenbank - online include 6-pieces endgames, total 1153 GB, superfast

FinalGen - new possibilities in tablebases with 7 or more pieces

Longest Series Tournaments - by Itamar Faybish

Chess problem community for Russian speaking people - website by Vladimir Tyapkin

Vladimir's Public Gallery

Marianka 2012 - bulletin

Two lectures by Peter Gvozdjak: Marianka 2012, Kobe 2012

Tournaments:

Mini tournament (C 31.5.2011) - closed, winner Pavel Kamenik

Best sites with addresses of chess magazines and current judges:
Magazines, Tourneys (A.Selivanov)
chess magazines (J.Golha)
Chess Magazine (V.Rallo)
revues (C.Poisson)
compositions tourneys (J.Golha) - sorted by closing date and with table of stipulations.

Awards status of journals:
Sachova skladba
Sachove umeni
Pat a Mat, originals and awards
StrateGems
Die Schwalbe
harmonie
Suomen Tehtäväniekat
Ural Problemist
Sachmatnaja kompozicija
Schach
Theme tourneys of Chess Composition Microweb
Phénix
feenschach

Articles by VK

published on my website

Development in programs for solving of chess problems - about 16 GB RAM and multi-core systems (added 20.5.2012, updated 30.5.2012)

William A. Shinkman, #20 - C+! - about W.A.Shinkman (American composer with Czech roots) (added 30.11.2010)

Magnified echo - PDF (added 26.9.2010)

New statistics of tested selfmates (more than 10 moves) - PDF (added 22.8.2010)

Final statistics for s#10 tested by program Gustav - PDF, with examples (added 21.11.2009)

Testing of long selfmates from the book by Valery Surkov - results of testing (added 26.10.2009)

GUSTAV - fastest program for orthodox selfmates and moremovers - all orthodox selfmates in 8 moves from WinChloe database now tested! (added 6.10.2009, updated 21.10.2009). Examples of tested selfmates - updated 28.6.2010, 5 new cooks in 1. Prizes (long selfmates) found.

Testing of long selfmates from the WinChloe database - PDF (added 13.7.2009, updated 13.9.2009)

Fairy chess endgames - new results 2008 (PDF) - "Electronic edition of chess booklets by Vaclav Kotesovec", volume 2 (added 14.5.2008, corrected 25.5.2008). In September 2008 downloaded 2727 times!

Miroslav Soukup (24.10.1903 - 1981 ?) - about famous Czech chess editor and composer (added 25.4.2008, updated 24.8.2011)

How many pins is possible by one Ubi-Ubi ? - added 23.1.2008, updated 9.6.2009

Vaclav Tuzar (1.5.1868 - 23.4.1908) - the 100th anniversary of the death of Vaclav Tuzar (added 14.1.2008)

Vaclav Kotesovec: 30 years of cyclical pin (1977-2007) - PDF - "Electronic edition of chess booklets by Vaclav Kotesovec", volume 1 (added 8.11.2007, corrected 20.11.2007). In period 8.11.2007-30.9.2008 downloaded 2275 times!

4 GB RAM and chess solving programs - added 4.9.2007, updated 10.6.2008 - info about pywin64.exe, updated 2.7.2008 - how break 32 MB limit under Vista, updated 17.9.2009 - how break 32 MB limit under Windows7, updated 25.1.2010 - Alybadix 4 GB RAM under DOS, updated 17.5.2010 - new record: h#4 by Adrian 2 m 53 s !

Dual core processor and solving of chess problems - added 14.8.2007

Summer mathematical problem by Vaclav Kotesovec - added 9.8.2007, PDF version. Úloha byla reprodukována 1.12.2008 v soutěži Q.E.D.

How compile and run Popeye under Linux system ? - about break 699 halfmoves limit under Windows (added 18.7.2007)

Step by step in helpmates - (added 6.7.2007, 3 new examples added 19.3.2009)

Palkoskova fakulta - about famous Czech composer Emil Palkoska (added 23.1.2007, last update 29.11.2010)

Acrobat 8 and chess diagrams - disillusion (added 5.11.2006, updated 7.11.2006)

Only G-promotions in fairy chess (added 10.7.2006, last example added 19.10.2008)

Shift of groups of pawns in chess problems (added 28.4.2005, updated 4.11.2005)

Alybadix 2005 and (fairy) chess endgames (added 23.4.2005)

CIRCE problems, in which EVERY move is capture (added 1.3.2005, last examples added 10.7.2007)

Imitator and solving programs (added 14.8.2003)

Experiences with scanning of chess publications and creating PDF files (added 4.6.2003, updated 10.2.2005)

Hashing and pruning (in Czech with English summary, added 18.4.2003)

Some tips for program WinChloe (added 28.3.2003)

POPEYE - fantastic results also for orthodox helpstalemates (added 25.2.2003, last example added 12.11.2010)

POPEYE is best for testing of orthodox seriehelpstalemates (added 23.1.2003, last example added 21.12.2012)

Chess endgames with fairy pieces Pao, Vao, Leo, Lion and Grasshopper (added 16.10.2002), see also Grasshopper endgames after 25 years - Pat a Mat 38/2002 (p.206-208). John Beasley created english version of both my articles for 'Variant Chess', issue 41 - Endings with Grasshoppers, Lions and Chinese pieces (added 25.11.2002)

Solving time paradox II (added 2.10.2002, updated 3.10.2002)

Big computer test (added 25.9.2002)

How solve chess problems on small boards ? (added 21.6.2002, updated 27.6.2002)

Some system tips for chess programs (added 7.6.2002)

Interesting problem for testing (added 23.8.2001)

Solving time paradox (added 16.8.2001)

Hashing (in Czech, added 17.3.2000, updated 15.12.2000)

Compare of solving programs (added 21.3.2000, updated 16.6.2001, in English), comments (in Czech, updated 15.12.2000)

Between chessboard and computer (book, 1996, PDF 30MB) A guide for English-speaking readers by John Beasley, 1996 (added 13.4.2000)
Algorithm descriptions - part of "Between chessboard and computer", VK 1996, in Czech, (added 12.4.2000)
Fairy endgames - part of "Between chessboard and computer", VK 1996, (added 19.4.2000, updated 8.9.2000)

List of all my books, booklets and articles - (last update 15.6.2011), see also e-books

Articles by other authors published here

Umwandlung von 3 gleichfarbigen Bauern im H#3 - collection by Klaus Funk (PDF, in German/English) (added 31.1.2013)

Reminiscence about Bretislav Soukup-Bardon - by Tomas Zach. About Czech composer Bretislav Soukup-Bardon (*23.3.1909 - †1.10.1985), in Czech. (added 20.1.2013)

Toward a new development of the traditional Chess Composition by adding new pieces in the initial position - by Kiril Stoyanov (PDF, in English) (added 19.3.2011)

Kdo se skrývá pod pseudonymem Ingeborg ? - article by Jan Kalendovský about unknown author with pseudonym Ingeborg (in Czech) (added 6.8.2010)

A Missing Soukup Problem? - by Steven B. Dowd (added 25.6.2009)

New length record s#258 is cooked - info by Frank Müller (added 25.6.2009), new attempt for the absolute lenght record in the selfmate (added 1.10.2009)

solution of sd=53 by Eduard Omasta - unique solution of my problem sd=53, 22 Sachove umeni 3/2009, which sent Eduard Omasta (added 1.6.2009)

Knihy, které nevyšly - article by Jan Kalendovsky (with supplement by VK) about Czech books, which were not published. In Czech. (added 24.4.2009)

Setkání s Miroslavem Soukupem - article about Miroslav Soukup by Jaroslav Karel (PDF, in Czech) (added 12.3.2009)

Meine Problemschach-Favoriten - article by Klaus Funk with more than 1000 (!) problems (PDF, in German) (added 2.2.2009), new file AUW-Duplex Stalemate (added 23.3.2009)

Sonet cvrčka - poem by Karol Mlynka (about Grasshopper) (in Slovak) (added 21.5.2008)

Vladimir Kos (*20.6.1928 - †2.7.2007) - necrology of V. Kos by Jan Kalendovsky (9.7.2007)

The longest moremovers? - article by Bedrich Formanek (added 18.3.2002)

Best chess problems and books by VK

"234 best chess problems" by Vaclav Kotesovec

(320 pages, 609 diagrams, photos, tables)
published: PDF 3.9.2008 (little correction 20.12.2008), printed book 22.9.2008

free download PDF (5 MB)
mirror
(in period 3.9.2008-31.5.2009 downloaded 2952 times!)

more info about printed books + Errata
(informace o tištěné knize)

Fairy twomovers 2008-2010
by Vaclav Kotesovec

(54 pages, 36 twomovers, 54 diagrams)
published 28.2.2011

free download PDF (2 MB)

info about printed booklet (via e-mail)

Application of Graph Theory in Chess Problems
(Dual-free Leaper and Hopper tours)
by Vaclav Kotesovec

(76 pages, 280 diagrams, 33 graphs, 20 tables)
published 31.5.2009

free download PDF (3 MB)
mirror
(31.5.-30.6.2009 downloaded 643 times)
info about printed booklet (via e-mail)

Grasshopper Tours - English summary about "Hopper Tours" by John Beasley (Variant Chess 61, July 2009, p.115).
Geometrically longest king's closed tour on 8x8 chessboard - new record by Zvi Mendlowitz (added 3.2.2011)

Non-attacking chess pieces (sixth edition)
by Vaclav Kotesovec

The book is devoted to the question of the number of arrangements of non-attacking chess pieces of the same kind on chessboards of various sizes and types. The best-known example is the n-Queens problem, but this publication has a much wider range and includes other chess pieces (kings, rooks, bishops, knights) and many fairy pieces.
Even though the book is about chess and each problem can be placed among chess-mathematical problems, it will be more readily understandable by mathematicians than by chess players or composers. A partial knowledge of linear algebra, difference equations, generating functions and power series is necessary.

New in the sixth (and probably final) edition:

For pieces Rookhopper and Bishophopper (include number of stalemate positions!) see new chapters 9.9

For maximal number of non-attacking riders [r,s], see updated chapter 14.1

New formulas for semi-knights and generally for semi-leapers, see new chapter 5.1.2

Enhanced table of entropy constants, see page 69

New recurrence for bishops on an toroidal chessboard n x n if n is even, see page 280

Both constants in the asymptotic formula for composite pieces semi-Rook + semi-Bishop are now in closed form!, see page 717

Formula for 10 non-attacking kings on an n x n chessboard, see updated chapter 2.1

published 2.2.2013, free download PDF (14 MB, 795 pages)
temporary mirror (faster, but please don't use this link as citation)

Related articles:
A q-Queens Problem, I. General theory - Seth Chaiken, Christopher R. H. Hanusa, and Thomas Zaslavsky, 3.3.2013

Next my mathematical articles:

Interesting asymptotic formulas for binomial sums

(added 9.6.2013)

Asymptotic of generalized Apéry sequences with powers of binomial coefficients (added 4.11.2012, extended 23.11.2012)

Too many errors around coefficient C1 in asymptotic of sequence A002720 - I found bug in program Mathematica! (added 28.9.2012)

Asymptotic of a sums of powers of binomial coefficients * x^k (added 20.9.2012)

Asymptotic formula for number of fat trees on n labeled vertices - OEIS A055779 (added 27.8.2012)

General link for all my mathematical works

Old computer programs by VK

VKSACH - solving and composing program of VK (only in Czech language)
download (vksach.zip, 101 kB, v8.7 17.7.1999)
Note for (foreign) VKSACH users

VKS\SUPPORT directory (not need for VKS, but recommended)
help page for SUPPORT programs
download (support.zip, 192 kB, 30.8.1999)

INPFONT - convert INP/OUT to HTM for import into WORD97 (need 1ECHECS.TTF of Ch.Poisson)
help page for INPFONT
download (inpfont.zip, 110 kB, v4.5 18.3.2003, contains 4ECHECS.TTF)
download (examples.zip, 68 kB, 9.8.1999)

Links to other programs (include comments)

Photos

Mugs gallery - last update 10.12.2012 - Vladislav Bunka *75, Jaroslav Karel *75
Juraj Lörinc in Prague 28.2.2012 (added 1.3.2012)
Meeting in Prague, 29.5.2010 (added 29.5.2010)
Meeting of Czech problemists, Prague 30.5.2009 (added 30.5.2009)
Meeting of Czech problemists, Prague 22.11.2008 (added 22.11.2008, one new photo added 8.12.2008)
Meeting of Slovak and Czech chess composers in Modra 21.-22.6.2008 (by Lubos Kekely and by Ivan Skoba) (added 26.6.2008, updated 28.6.2008)
Meeting in Bratislava and Modra 18.-21.4.2008 (added 22.4.2008)
Ivan Skoba in Prague 5.4.2008 (added 5.4.2008)
celebration of "Alexander Fica 60", Prague 13.12.2007 (added 14.12.2007)
celebration of "Vladislav Bunka 70", Kutna Hora 8.12.2007 (added 8.12.2007)
Meeting in Zlin 19.10.2007 (by Ivan Skoba) (added 31.10.2007)
Torsten Linss in Prague 24.5.2007 (added 25.5.2007)
Chess composers - photo jokes (Fotografické žerty) (added 17.4.2007, updated 4.4.2008)
Andrey Selivanov in Prague 6.1.2007 (added 6.1.2007)
Celebration of "Vaclav Kotesovec 50", Prague 10.8.2006 (added 11.8.2006)
Meeting in Prague 9.12.2004 (added 10.12.2004)
Celebration of "Miroslav Henrych 50", Prague 14.10.2004 (added 15.10.2004)
Solving tourney Prague 15.-16.5.2004 (added 17.5.2004)
Meeting in Prague 11.12.2003 (added 11.12.2003)
Vladislav Bunka and VK in Prague 13.3.2003
Solving tourney (Bohemians), Prague 16.1.2003 (added 17.1.2003)
Meeting in Prague 23.3.2002 - portraits of some composers, photos from meeting (added 23.3.2002)
Hans Gruber in Prague 13.2.2002 (added 13.2.2002)
photos from Prague 9.8.2001 (added 10.8.2001)
photos from Prague 14.6.2001 (added 16.6.2001)
Photos of chess composers (1997-2000) (last update 10.10.2000)
old B/W photos of Czech and Slovak composers (1974-1988) (last update 9.4.2000)
very old photos of Czech chess composers (added 25.2.2007, updated 11.4.2007)

Non-chess

Vaclav Kotesovec - Best photos 2001-2007 - over 200 photos of trees, animals, flowers and lightnings (created 13.7.2004, updated 31.8.2007)
Recipes by Ludmila - over 280 photos (updated 30.3.2006)
Abstract pictures - created from my photos (added 3.1.2006, updated 28.8.2006)
Slunecna - from Lusatian Mountains (added 10.9.2004, updated 7.3.2005)
Neckyáda ve Stružnici - beautiful article by Ludmila (in Czech) with my photos (added 28.8.2005)
Rychlost světla a nepochopitelný strach fyziků z možných nových objevů - Faster than light? - the horror of experiment for physicists (in Czech only) (added 2.10.2011)
Rare photo of two air-planes by VK - (added 9.5.2012)

Non-chess links

Name Kotesovec and my family tree (můj rodokmen) - added 15.2.2006
Helpful Czech links - for Czech users only (starší linky na zajímavé české stránky)
painters - few links to high resolution pictures
naturfoto.cz - high quality photos of mushrooms
Best mushrooms (added 2.10.2011)

e-mail: kotesovec(AT)chello.cz - (30 MB, preferred address)
kotesovec2(AT)gmail.com - (7 GB, attachments up to 25 MB, for sending of PDF files)
vkotesovec(AT)iol.cz - (100 MB)
For free sending of files up to 300 MB I recommend server uschovna.cz

address: Vaclav Kotesovec, Krakovska 1, 11000 Praha 1, Czech republic

(my old P.O.Box was canceled 1.7.2012)

Slovníček - dictionary

česky	anglicky	německy	francouzsky	finsky
Czech	English	German	French	Finnish
šach	chess	Schach	échecs	shakki
Král	King	König	Roi	Kuningas
Dáma	Queen	Dame	Dame	Kuningatar
Věž	Rook	Turm	Tour	Torni
Střelec	Bishop	Läufer	Fou	Lähetti
Jezdec	Knight	Springer	Cavalier	Ratsu
Pěšec	Pawn	Bauer	Pion	Sotilas
Cvrček	Grasshopper	Grashüpfer	Sauterelle	Heinäsirkka
Tátoš	Nightrider	Nachtreiter	Noctambule	Aituri
bílý	white	Weiss	blanc	valkea
černý	black	Schwarz	noir	musta
výzva	stipulation	Forderung	énoncé	vaatimus
2 řešení	2 solutions	2 Lösungen	2 solutions	2 ratkaisua
zdánlivá hra	setplay	Satzspiel	jeu apparent	vaihdelma (h#n)
zdánlivá hra	setplay	Satzspiel	jeu apparent	esipeli (#n)
tah	move	Zug	coup	siirto
úvodník	key-move	Schlüssel	clé	alkusiirto
pokus (svůdnost)	try	Verführung	essai	houkutus
hrozba	threat	Drohung	menace	uhkaus
tempo	zugzwang	Zugzwang	blocus	siirtopakko
šach! (+)	check!	Schach!	échec!	shakki!
mat (#)	mate	Matt	mat	matti
pat (=)	stalemate	Patt	pat	patti
remíza	draw	Remis	nulle	tasapeli
úloha (skladba)	problem	Aufgabe	probleme	tehtävä
originál	original	Urdruck	inédit	ensipainos
exošach	fairy chess	Märchenschach	échecs féeriques	satushakki
pomocný mat	helpmate	Hilfsmatt	mat aidé	apumatti
samomat	selfmate	Selbstmatt	mat inverse	itsematti
šachovnice	chess board	Schach Brett	échiquier	shakkilauta
pole	square	Feld	case	ruutu
kámen	piece	Stein	piece	shakkinappula
braní	capture	Schlag	prise	lyönti
(x,y)skokan	(x,y)Leaper	(x,y)Springer	bondisseur(x,y)	(x,y)Juoksija
(x,y)liniový skokan	(x,y)Rider	(x,y)Reiter	(x,y)de la Nuit	(x,y)Kiitäjä
vedlejší řešení	cook	Nebenlösung	démoli	sivuratkaisu
neřešitelnost	unsolvable	unlösbar	insoluble	ratkaisuton
předchůdce	anticipation	Vorgänger	anticipation	edeltäjä
cena (c.)	prize	Preis	Prix	palkinto
čestné uznání (č.u.)	honourable mention	ehrende Erwähnung	Mention d'Honneur	kunniamaininta
pochvalná zmínka (p.z.)	commendation	Lob	Recommandé	maininta

Scanning of old books and periodicals - see also e-books
Total 2058 PDF (or DjVu) files available, 135910 pages, 15914 MB (last update 3.6.2013)
(These files are not public)

History:
19.2.2000 - this page created
16.5.2001 - 10000th visitor (winner of book: Marek Kwiatkowski)
25.9.2002 - scanning of old books and periodicals started
8.11.2004 - improved design of this website
21.3.2005 - 100000th visitor (winner of FIDE Album: Frantisek Sabol, screenshot)
2.6.2006 - changed order of links by current content and by frequency of updates
10.5.2007 - 1000 e-books in PDF archive
16.6.2007 - 200000th visitor (screenshot sent me Udo Degener)
1.10.2007 - 50000 pages in PDF archive
8.11.2007 - electronic edition of chess books by VK started
26.3.2008 - 250000th visitor
8.6.2008 - test for broken links, many links deleted, many marked as "broken"
11.8.2008 - 75000 pages in PDF archive
3.9.2008 - my book "234 best chess problems" published
31.10.2008 - "234 best chess problems" downloaded more than 1000 times
25.12.2008 - scanning of Czech chess magazines published in 20th century finished
27.12.2008 - 300000th visitor (screenshot sent me Udo Degener)
24.3.2009 - 10000 MB in PDF archive
16.4.2009 - 1500 e-books in PDF archive
23.6.2009 - 333333th visitor (screenshot sent me Daniel Novomesky)
28.8.2009 - 100000 pages in PDF archive
7.12.2009 - set rating of Google-books
20.12.2009 - 370000th visitor (screenshot sent me Christian Poisson)
12.4.2010 - 400000th visitor
1.11.2010 - 444444th visitor (screenshot sent me Udo Degener)
11.7.2011 - 500000th visitor (screenshot sent me Udo Degener)
14.7.2011 - e-books and magazines sorted
8.8.2011 - famous chess columns from the newspapers "Narodni Politika" and "Narodni Listy" 1898-1940 added.
9.1.2012 - 2000 e-books in PDF archive
14.1.2012 - test for broken links
4.4.2012 - 555555th visitor
15.10.2012 - 600000th visitor
10.6.2013 - 654321th visitor (screenshot sent me Daniel Novomesky)
Expected events:
9/2013 - new book "Fairy chess endings on an n x n chessboard" will be published
end of year 2013 - new book "Records in five-man fairy helpmates" will be published

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