September 27th

Sigmund Herland (27-09-1865 - 15-08-1954) Austrian- Romanian composer

Sigmund Herland
[Kartothek A-K page 130]

Sigmund Herland was a chess player and composer
A collection of 327 selected problems by Sigmund Herland was published by Ekaterina Yaremska-Iliescu and can be read and downloaded from [Bibliothèque et Archives Canada / Library and Archives Canada].

Sigmund Herland composed in all genres (studies, direct or fairy problems, in Bohemian or strategic style) and was often very creative and original.
Sigmund Herland also composed what can be considered as the forerunner of the first cyclic Babson task (composed by Peter Hoffmann, Schach 2005). The story of this problem,published by Alain C. White in the Theory of Pawn Promotion, was evoked by Steven Dowd in his "Skittles" on ChessCafe.

Herland, Sigmund
Theory Of Pawn Promotion, 1912
1^st Prize

#4

13 + 8

Show Solution

1.c6-c7 ! (2.c7-c8=Q ~ 3.Qc8-f5 ~ 4.Qf5-g5# or 2.c7-c8=S ~ 3.Sc8-d6 ~ 4.Sd6-f5#)
1...a2-a1=Q/B 2.c7-c8=S
1...a2-a1=S 2.c7-c8=Q
1...a2-a1=R 2.a7-a8=B (3.Ba8-f3 ~ 4.g4-g5#) 2...a3-a2 3.Ba8-e4 ! Kh4xg4 4.Be4-g6#
Promotions Q-S, S-Q, R-B and B-S.

Herland, Sigmund
Tidskrift för Schack, 1908

#5

11 + 7

Show Solution

1.Bc3-h8 ! ZZ

1...g6-g5 2.Sh5-g7 Rb2xb3(c2) 3.Sg7-e6+ Rb3-b2 4.Se6-d4 ~ 5.Sd4-b3(c2)#
1...g6xf5 2.Sh5-f4 f5xg4 3.Sf4-e6 g4-g3 4.Se6-d4 Rb2xb3, Rb2xc2 5.Sd4xb3, Sd4xc2#
1...g6xh5 2.c6-c7 (3.c7-c8=Q ~ 4.Qc8-c3 ~ 5.Qc3xb2#) 2...h5xg4 3.c7-c8=R g4-g3 4.Rc8-c3 Rb2xb3, Rb2xc2 5.Sd4xb3, Sd4xc2#

Israel Abraham Schiffmann (27-09-1903 - 29-04-1930) Romanian composer

Israel Schiffmann
[Wikipedia]

In spite of his regrettably short composing career from 1924 to 1930, Israel Schiffmann is well remembered for his numerous strategic twomovers and for the eponymous theme.
Schiffmann defense: Black self pins a piece which would be unpinned after the threat.
Israel Schiffmann was the twomover columnist of the "Revista Română de Şah". Odette Vollenweider compiled most of his work in 1963 in the famous "Faszinierendes Schachproblem: Kompositionen von I. A. Schiffmann".

Schiffmann, Israel Abraham
The Problemist, 1927
2^nd Prize

#2

9 + 10

Show Solution

1.Bg1! (2.f4#)
1...Qxe4 2.Qxf6#
1...Sxe4 2.Qa1#
1...dxe4 2.f3#
Three Schiffmann defenses on e4 differentiated by three different mates.
(1...Bf3/Se2 2.Sxf3#)

Schiffmann, Israel Abraham
Bristol Times and Mirror, 1927
1^st Prize

#2

7 + 10

Show Solution

1.Qf3! (2.Sb4#)

1...Kb3 2.Sc1#
1...Qxf3+ 2.Re4#
1...Rxf3 2.Rg4#
1...b1~ 2.Rc2#

An incredible key which allows Black capturing the Queen with check ; intense battery play.

Schiffmann, Israel Abraham
British Chess Federation, 1930
1^st Prize

#2

11 + 10

Show Solution

1.Be8! (2.Se3#) offers two flights to the black King:

1...Kd3 2.Sec3#
1...Kc4 2.Sxd2#
1...Qf8/Qxe8 2.Sg5#
1...c4 2.Sb4#

Lajos Riczu (27-09-1926 - 17-12-1987) Hungarian composer

Lajos Riczu
[magyarsakkszerzok]

Lajos Riczu was the author of more than 1200 problems in all genres.

Riczu, Lajos
Problemas, 1964
3^rd Prize

#2 v

6 + 7

Show Solution

1.Qd2? ZZ

1...d4[a] 2.Sf3#[A]
1...f4[b] 2.Qxd5#[C]
1...e3 2.Qxe3#

but 1...Ke6!
1.Qh3! ZZ

1...d4[a] 2.Qxf5#[B]
1...f4[b] 2.Sf3#[A]
1...Ke6 2.Rxe4#
1...Kf4 2.Qg3#/Qxf5#[B]
1...Kd4 2.Qc3#
1...e3 2.Qxe3# switchback of the wQ

Changed mates, flight-giving key.

Рудольф Михайлович Ларин (27-09-1940 - 27-10-2016) Russian composer (Rudolf Mikhailovich Larin)

Rudolf Larin
[Grigory Popov]

Rudolf Larin composed in all genres.
You can find a short obituary in Russian at this link.

Ларин, Рудольф Михайлович
Match: Novossibirsk - Sverdlovsk - Ulan Bator, 1991
1^st Prize

#3 vv

9 + 13

Show Solution

Try: 1. Bd4? (2. Sc5#) but 1. ... Sxc3!
Try: 1. Be3? (2. Qxf3, Sc5#) but 1. ... Sxd2!
1. S2b4! (2. Bxd3+ cxd3 3. Qxf3/Qd5#)

1. ... Rcxc3 2. Bd4 (3. Qd5#) 2... Rxd4 3. Sc5#
1. ... Rcxd2 2. Be3 (3. Qxf3#) 2. ... Rxe3 3. Sc5#

Володимир Григорович Саміло (27-09-1946) Ukrainian composer (Volodimir Grigorovich Samilo)

Volodimir Samilo composes direct mates and studies.

Саміло, Володимир Григорович
Вечірній Харків,4 ТТ 1983
Prize

#2

9 + 7

Show Solution

1.Rd2? (2.Sd6#/Se3#)

1...Bxd2/Re8/Re1 2.Sd6#
1...Rc6/Rd8/Rxd2 2.Se3#
but 1...Rxc4!

1.Sd2! (2.Rf4#/Bd3#)

1...Bxd2 2.Bd3#
1...Rxd2/Re1/Rxd8 2.Rf4#
1...Rc4 2.Rf8#
1...Sc4 2.Bd7#

Two Novotnys on d2 to which Black replies by two interceptions on c4.

יעקב מינץ
(27-09-1953) Israeli composer and FIDE Master (Ya'aqov Mintz)

Ya'aqov Mintz
[Georgian Chess Composers]

Ya'aqov Mintz has composed in all genres, especially long selfmates. Here are two samples of his talent in the helpmate genre:

Mintz, Ya'aqov
The Problemist 1982
1^st Prize

h#3

b) wSg2->f5 c) wSg2->g7 d) wSg2->c4

3 + 2

Show Solution

a) 1. a1Q+ Se1 2. Qb2 Sc2 3. Qb5 Ra3#
b) 1. a1R+ Rc1 2. Rb1 Sd4 3. Rb4 Ra1#
c) 1. a1B Rb3 2. Bc3 Se6 3. Ba5 Sc5 #
d) 1. a1S Rc1 2. Kb3 Rb1+ 3. Ka2 Rb2#
Allumwandlung and model mates.

Mintz, Ya'aqov
Ideal-Mate Review 1985
1^st Prize
Dedicated to Eugene Albert

h#4

5 solutions

2 + 5

Show Solution

1.♖b5+ ♔c2 2.♗d5 ♘b6 3.♔c5 ♔c3 4.♕c6 ♘a4#
1.♖e5+ ♔a4 2.♔d5 ♔a5 3.♕c3+ ♔b5 4.♕d4 ♘f6#
1.♗c5 ♔a4 2.♖d6 ♔a5 3.♕c7+ ♔a6 4.♗d5 ♘e5#
1.♗e7 ♘f6 2.♖d7+ ♔c3 3.♔d6+ ♔d4 4.♕c6 ♘e8#
1.♕c7 ♘c5 2.♗d7 ♘b7 3.♖b5+ ♔c4 4.♖b6 ♘a5#
5 model mates in chameleon echo.

Miroslav Henrych (27-09-1954) Czech composer

Miroslav Henrych
[Grigory Popov]

Miroslav Henrych composes direct mates, helpmates and selfmates.

Henrych, Miroslav
Konstrukcni soutez SU, 1996
1^st Prize

#3

7 + 7

Show Solution

1.Kh2-g2 ! (2.Qe1-a1+ Kd4-e3 3.Bf8-h6#)
1...Ra7-g7+ 2.Bf8xg7+ Kd4xc5 3.Qe1-e7#
1...Bc8-b7+ 2.Kg2-f2 ~ 3.Qe1-a1#