February 4th

György János Andor von Spóner (04-02-1842 - 22-11-1917) Slovak composer

Andor von Spóner was also a politician and a writer. He translated poetry by Aranys, Madach or Petőfi in German and poetry by Byron, Goethe, Heine, Hugo in Hungarian.
One of his miniatures is quoted as no.337 in Oscar Blumenthal's "Schachminiaturen" (1902). Here is a charming work of his:

Spóner, Andor
Deutsches Wochenschach, 1907

#4

3 + 9

Show Solution

1.Rd3! ZZ

1...c3/cxd3 2.Qa2+ c4 3.Qa5+ c5 4.Qa8#
1...e3/exd3 2.Qh1+ e4 3.Qh6 (4.Qxe6#) Ke5 4.Qg5#

Jørgen Thorvald Møller (04-02-1873 - 20-11-1944) Danish composer

Møller composed orthodox problems, sometimes with noticeable success. A difficult threemover:

Møller, Jørgen Thorvald
Stockholms Schacksällskap, O. W. Robert Sahlberg J.T. 1916
4^th Prize

#3

7 + 6

Show Solution

1.Qb2 ! (2.Qf6+ Kd7 3.Rc5#)

1...Rxf2 2.Re5+ Kd6, Kf7 3.Qb8, Qxf2#
1...Kd6 2.Qe5+ Kd7 3.Rb8# (2...Kc6 3.Rb1/Rb2...#)
1...Kd7 2.Rc5+ Ke7/Kd8/Ke6 3.Qf6# or 2...Kd6 3.Qe5# dual 2.Qe5 (3.Rb8#)
1...hxg5 2.Rf5 (3.Qf6/Qe5#) 2...Ke7, Kd6 3.Qf6, Qe5# and 2...Kxf5 3.Bd7#

Andrew Efron (04-02-1899 - 18-07-1967) American composer 

Efron, Andrew
Schach-Echo, 1959

#3

4 + 1

Show Solution

1.f8=R ! (2.h8=Q+ Kg6 3.Rf6#)

1...Kh7 2.Kf7 Kh6 3.Rh8#
1...Kg6 2.h8=R Kg7 3.Rg8#

2 consecutive Rook promotions with only 5 pieces.

William Alfred Whyatt (04-02-1914 - 18-05-1976) Australian composer

William Alfred Whyatt
("Problem", November 1957)
[Thanks to Александр Никитин]

One of the finest composers of the antipodes, Whyatt was an expert in more than one field, as the following two examples will soon convince you. Bob Meadley (see January 28th) wrote a book about his works: "W.A. Whyatt's chess problems: his life, chess career, friends, letters, writings, and problems", Chess in Australia 1979.
Our Australian friend Ian Shanahan mentions that Ozproblems.com proposes some Whyatt materials extracted from Bob Meadley's book:
- "The Life of Bill Whyatt"
- "Selected Problems by Bill Whyatt (106 problems)"
- "The Whyatt and Goldstein Partnership"

Whyatt, William Alfred
Olympic Ty. 1956
1^st Prize

#3

7 + 5

Show Solution

1.Qc8 ! ZZ

1...Ke4 2.f6+ Kf4, Kd4, Bxh7 3.Qf5, Rd3, Qg4#
1...e4 2.Rxd5+ Kxd5, Bxd5 3.Qc5, Qxh8#
1...Be6 2.fxe6 (3.Rxd3#) 2...e4 3.Qxh8#
1...Bf7 2.Qa8 (3.Qa4#) 2...Ke4, e4, Be8 3.Rc4, Qxh8, Qxd5#
1...Bxh7 2.Rc4+ dxc4 3.Qxc4#
1...Bf6 2.Qc6 (3.Qa4#) 2...Ke4, e4 3.Rc4, Qxf6#
1...Bg7 2.Qb7 (3.Qb4#) 2...Ke4, e4 3.Rc4, Qxg7#

An elegant Meredith.

Whyatt, William Alfred
BCPS Ring Ty. 20^th Jun 1959
1^st Prize, ex aequo

#3

8 + 12

Show Solution

1.Ree7 ! (2.Ref7+ Ke5 3.Rf5#)

1...Ra4 2.Qxb2+ Rd4, d4 3.Qxd4, Se4#
1...Rb4 2.Kd8 (3.Sxd5/Se8#)
1...Rc4 2.Sxd3 (3.Ref7#)
1...Rg4 2.Bxg4 (3.Sd7#)
1...Rf4 2.Kb8 (3.Sxd5/Se8#) 2...Qe5, Re6 3.Ref7, Qxe6#
1...Re4 2.Qxb2+ Rd4, d4 3.Qxd4, Sxe4# or 2...Re5 3.Ref7/Qxe5#

Correction of the bR followed by quiet moves.

Alfred Gschwend (04-02-1927 - 08-03-2009)

Gschwend is famous for the following miniature with Transmuted Kings:

Gschwend, Alfred
feenschach, 1979
3^rd Prize

h#2

2.1... TransmutedKings b) Move e5 f6

4 + 2

Show Solution

a)
1.Kf5 f8=Q+ 2.Kh7 g8=B#
1.Kf6 f8=R+ 2.Kh6 g8=S#

b)
1.Kf5 f8=Q 2.Kg6 g8=R#
1.Ke7 f8=S 2.Kf7 g8=B#

Two AUWs: an amazing task.

Another instructive problem:

Gschwend, Alfred
Autriche-Saxe, 1993
3^rd Place

h#3

b) Remove e6

4 + 6

Show Solution

a) 1.Sg7 Sd5 2.Qc1 Se5 3.Qg5 e4#
b) 1.Sd6 Se5 2.Kf4 Se4 3.Qf5 e3#

Unpins and echo mates.

Олексій Борисович Лисяний (04-02-1950) Ukrainian composer (Aleksyi Borisovich Lisyanyi) 

Лисяний, Олексій Борисович
ЮК М.Гершинский-70, 2006
Commendation

h#3

b) bKg8-->d3 c) bKg8-->e1

3 + 4

Show Solution

a) 1. Kh8 Be4 2. Bd5 Bxa1 3. Bg8 Bxd4#
b) 1. Ke3 Bf3 2. Be4 Kg2 3. Bd3 Bc1#
c) 1. Kf1 Bxd4 2. Bc3 Kh2 3. Be1 Ba6#
Mixed-colour Loshinsky wB-bB in miniature form.

Hartmut Rieg (04-02-1950) German composer

Rieg, Hartmut
Schach, Aug 1970
2^nd Prize

#2* vv

12 + 5

Show Solution

Set play:

1...Bxa5 2.Sxa5#
1...Rxb5 2.Bxb5#

1.Rg5? (2.Sb2#)

1...Rhxh8[a] 2.Rc5#[B]
1...Rdxh8[b] 2.Bd5#[C]
1...Bc1/Bc3 2.Qc3#
1...Qe5 2.Sxe5#[A]
1...Rd4 2.Qxd4#
but 1...Rxd3!

1.Rd7? (2.Sb2#/Qd4#)

1...Rhxh8[a] 2.Bd5#[C]
1...Rdxh8[b] 2.Rd4#[E]
1...Re5[c] 2.Sd6#[D]
1...Be3 2.Sb2#/Qc3#
1...Bc1 2.Qd4#/Qc3#
1...Bc3 2.Qxc3#
1...Qf2/Qg1/Qd6 2.Sd6#[D]/Sb2#
1...Rd5 2.Bxd5#[C]/Nb2#
1...Rxb5 2.Bxb5#/Qd4#
1...Rxd7 2.Sb2#
but 1...Qe5!

1.Rg3! (2.Sb2#)

1...Rhxh8[a]/Re5[c] 2.Se5#[A]
1...Rdxh8[b] 2.Sd6#[D]
1...Bc1/Bc3 2.Qc3#
1...Rxb5 2.Bxb5#
1...Rxd3 2.exd3#

Zagoruiko 3x2 with 3 keys with interference played by the wR.