February 9th

Valeriu Petrovici (09-02-1932) Romanian composer and editor

Valeriu Petrovici was editor of Romanian magazine Buletin Problemistic (now defunct and replaced by a new magazine, "Componist"). He is the author of a selection of his best problems. He was also the captain of the Romanian team for WCCT8 and the president of the Romanian Chess Composition Committee. He is very keen on historical research about early Romanian composers and also on the Valladao task.

Petrovici, Valeriu
Jubilé Dmitrenko-55, 1998
3rd Prize

s#6

9 + 6

Show Solution

1.0-0 ! ZZ
1...g3 2.Ra1 g2 3.Bh2 f4 4.e8=B f3 5.Qd4+ c5 6.bxc6 e.p.+ Bxd4#
Valladao.

Petrovici, Valeriu
Cupa Federaţiei Române de Şah, 1988
1^st-2^nd Place

#2*

10 + 8

Show Solution

Set play:

1...Qxh2 2.Sxf3#
1...Bxh2 2.Qxf2#
1...Bg2/Bf1/Be6/Sg4 2.Se6#

1.Qxf3! (2.Rd5#)

1...Qxf3+ 2.Sxf3#
1...Se4 2.Qd3#
1...Sb4 2.c3#
1...Sc3 2.Bxc3#
1...Be6 2.Sxe6#
1...c6 2.Qe3#

James Grenfell Mauldon (09-02-1920 - 21-05-2002) British and American composer

London-born Jim Mauldon won the Military Cross in the first battle of El Alamein in 1942. He was a mathematics professor, wrote about varied mathematic topics such as games theory, geometry or statistics and retired in 1990. He also composed chess problems and compiled problems for the Sunday Times Christmas competition for a number of years.

Mauldon, James Grenfell
F25 2^nd International Team Match 1967-1971
25^th place

s#2		11 + 10

Show Solution

Tries:

1. Rb5? e6!
1. Rc5? exd6!
1. Rf5? e5!
1. Rxh5? exf6!

1. Rg6! ZZ

1...e5 2.Se4 B~#
1...e6 2.Sxe6 Bxf2#
1...exd6 2.Sd5 Bxf2#
1...exf6 2.Rxf6 Bxf2#

Changed continuations. Pickaninny.

Miloš Maryško (09-02-1921 - 02-10-1999) Czech composer

Maryško, Miloš
ÚV ČSTV, 1969
2^nd Prize

s#3

15 + 11

Show Solution

1.Ra6 ! ZZ

1...Re6 2.Sa4+ Kd5 3.Qf7 Bxc2#
1...Re3 2.Qxd4+ Kxd4 3.Rc7 Bxc2#
1...Rxe7 2.Qf8 Kd6 3.Bxd4 Bxc2#
1...Re5 2.Bxd4+ Kxd4 3.Rc7 Bxc2#

Zugzwang variations.

Maryško, Miloš
Schweizerische Schachzeitung, 1983
2^nd HM

h#2		3 + 2
b)	wPg3->f3

Show Solution

a) 1... Rf3 2.Sg4 Rf5#
1.Sf7 Re4 2.Sg5 Rh4#

b) 1...f4 2.Sg4 Rh3#
1.Sf7 Re6 2.Sg5 Rh6#

4 distinct mates in Wenigsteiner.

Ruth Volgl Cardoso (09-02-1934 - 02.11.2000) Brazilian composer and chess player 

Ruth Cardoso was a popular chess player, several times champion of her country.
She is also the first female composer of this blog.

Cardoso, Ruth
Sinfonie Scacchistiche, 1981 (3728)
3^rd Honorable Mention

+

4 + 3

Show Solution

1.Kg5 Ke3 2.Kf6 Kd2
{2...Kd4 3.Bf5 Bxa2 4.Be6 Bxe6 5.Kxe6 a2 6.g8=Q a1=Q 7.Qg7+}
3.Ke5 Kc1
{3...Kc3 4.Be4}
4.Kd4 Bg8 5.Bd3 Bxa2 6.Bc4 Bxc4 7.Kxc4 a2 8.g8=Q a1=Q 9.Qg1+ Kb2 10.Qf2+ Kc1 11.Qe1+ Kb2 12.Qd2+ Kb1 13.Kb3 +-
A very game-like study.

Anders Lundström (09-02-1935) Swedish composer 

Anders Lundström had some notable successes, usually in collaboration with other Swedish composers (Persson, Jonsson). He is very interested in interchanges of places (Platzwechsel):

Lundström, Anders
The Problemist, 1980
4^th Prize

h#3

1.3.1.1.1.1

3 + 14

Show Solution

1.Ke4 Rxf5 2.Bd4 Rf6 3.Ke5 Re6#
1.Ke4 Rb6 2.Rd4 Bxf3+ 3.Kd3 Rxb3#
1.Ke4 Bh5 2.d4 Be8 3.Kd5 Bc6#

Three Platzwechsels.

Dov Ehrlich (09-02-1938) Israeli composer

An interesting helpmate in 3:

Ehrlich, Dov
Israel Problem Association 1956
3^rd HM

h#3

b) wPb4->c4

6 + 10

Show Solution

a) 1.Sd8! Rxc7 2.Qe7 Bxh6 3.Qe2 Rc1# (1.Sg5? 1.Sg7? 1.Sc5?)
b) 1.Sg5! Re5 2.Qxf5 Bb4 3.Qc2 Re1# (1.Sc5?)

The first black move avoids several interferences in a) and anticipatorily closes the 5^th rank in b).