September 28th

Ernst Baumgarten (28-09-1886 - 14-05-1976) German composer

Ernst Baumgarten, 1973
[Wikimedia]

Ernst Baumgarten composed multimovers, in the Bohemian and later in the strategic style, and also helpmates and selfmates.

Baumgarten, Ernst
Kockelkorn-Gedenkturnier, 1921
2^nd Prize

#3

8 + 9

Show Solution

If immediately 1.Sg8-e7 (2.Se7xg6#) d3-d2!
1.Bc7-b8 ! (2.Ra2-a7 [3.Ra7-h7#] 2...Sd4-f5 3.Se1-f3#)

1...Bb1xa2 2.Sg8-e7 ~ 3.Se7xg6#
1...Rh2xa2 2.Sg8-e7 (3.Se7xg6#) 2...Ra2-a6/d3-d2 3.Se1-g2#

(1...Rh2-c2 or 1...Rh2-f2 are followed by 2.Ra2xR)

Edmond Barthélemy (28-09-1909 - 09-1942) French composer

Edmond Barthélemy
[Problemiste.fr]

Edmond Barthélemy was a good chess player and a specialist of the modern strategic problem. He was the editor of numerous chess columns (such as "Le Miroir du Monde" or "Le Salut Public") and was the vice-president of the French chess problemists union. He also wrote "Galerie des Problémistes de France" (1942).

More details can be found on problemiste.fr including the definition of the Barthélemy theme: 
In at least two thematical tries, a white battery cannot mate because of the observation of at least two of its squares by a black piece. After the key, the thematical variations include the mates of the thematic tries.

Barthelemy, Edmond
Bulletin de la Fédération Française des Échecs, Cercle de Lutèce, 1931
1^st Prize

#2

11 + 9

Show Solution

1.Ra8! (2.Se8#)
1...Kd6 2.Sxe4#
1...Qd6 2.Sg4#/Sd7#
1...exf6+ 2.Qxf6#
1...Rd4 2.Sd3#
1...Rc4 2.Rxd5#
1...Rb4 2.Qb8# (Bristol)
1...Rxf4 2.Bxf4#

Микола Васильович Резвов (28-09-1921 - 14-01-2013) Ukrainian composer and FIDE Master (Mikola Vasiliovich Rezvov)

Mikola Rezvov

Mikola Rezvov composes in all genres, including studies (recently in collaboration with S.N.Tkachenko).

Резвов, Микола Васильович
3-й МК В.Брон, Проблемист Прибужья 1990
2^nd Prize

#4

4 + 3

Show Solution

1.Re4-e5 !
(threatens 2.Bh7-g6 [3.Bg6-h5+ Kf3-f4 4.Be1-g3#] 2...Kf3-f4 3.Be1-g3+ Kf4-g4 4.Bg6-h5#)
1...Sc1-d3 2.Bh7xd3 (3.Bd3xe2+ Kf3-f4 4.Be1-g3#) 2...Kf3-f4 3.Be1-g3+ Kf4-g4 4.Bd3xe2#
1...Kf3-f4 2.Be1-g3+ Kf4-g4/Kf4-f3 3.Bh7-g6 ~ 4.Bg6-h5#
Chameleon echo mates.

Владимир Михайлович Арчаков (28-09-1938 - 06-01-2005) Russian composer (Vladimir Mikhailovich Archakov)

Vladimir Archakov
[Grigory Popov]

Vladimir Archakov composed more than 1100 chess problems: he started with twomovers, moved to moremovers and ended with helpmates. He also wrote many books about chess composition.

Арчаков, Владимир Михайлович
Шахматы в СССР 1971
3^rd Prize

#6

7 + 10

Show Solution

1.Sd5! (2.Sg8+ Kg4 3.Sxf6+ Bxf6 4.Sxf6#)
1...Rxd5 2.Sg8+! Kg4 3.c3! (4.Sxf6#) 3...Bxc3 4.Sh6+ Kh5 5.Sf5+! Kg4 6.Se3#
1...Bxd5 2.Sf5+ Kg4 3.c3! (4.Se3#) 3...Rxc3 4.Sh6+ Kh5(h4) 5.Sg8+! Kg4 6.Sxf6#
Echo variations, Novotny interference by the white pawn.

Арчаков, Владимир Михайлович
problem (Zagreb) 1974 (3082)
1^st Prize

#5

10 + 11

Show Solution

1.Kb5-a4 ! (2.Se5-f7#)
1...Bf3-d1+ 2.b2-b3 (3.Se5-f7#) 2...Bd1xb3+ 3.Ka4-b5 ! (4.Sg3xe4#) and two variations:

3...Bb3-c4 + 4.Kb5-a5 (5.Sg3xe4#) 4...Bc4-d5, Rh5xe5+ 5.Se5-f7, f4xe5#
3...Bb3-a4 + 4.Kb5xa4 (5.Se5-f7#/Sg3xe4#) 4...Rh5xe5 5.f4xe5#

Lepuschutz theme (check provocation).

Claude Wiedenhoff (28-09-1958) French composer and FIDE Master

Claude Wiedenhoff

Claude Wiedenhoff mostly composes modern twomovers. He was the columnist of the Problem section of "Europe Echecs" and, was starting from 1984, the chief editor of "diagrammes".
He is also an International Judge for twomovers.

Wiedenhoff, Claude
Urania, 1980
Prize

#2

10 + 7

Show Solution

1.Rf6[A]? (2.Rc2#[B]) but 1...Bd2!
1.Rf7? (2.Rxc7#)
1...Se6[a] 2.Rc2#[B]
1...Sd7/Sa6/Sxe8/Sxf7 2.Rg6#[C]/Rc2#[B]
but 1...Kd5!
1.Rc3[D]? (2.Rg6#[C]) but 1...Bg5!
1.Rg6[C]? (2.Rc3#[D])
1...Sd3 2.Rf3~# but 1...Be3!
1.Rc2[B]? (2.Rf6#[A])
1...Sf5 2.Rf3~# but 1...Bf4!
1.Rg7! (2.Rxc7#)
1...Se6[a] 2.Rc3#[D]
1...Sd7/Sa6/Sxe8/Sf7 2.Rf6#[A]/Rc3#[D]
Urania theme, Threat reversal.

Виктор Юрьевич Лукьянов (28-09-1958) Ukrainian composer (Viktor Yuryevich Lukyanov)

Viktor Lukyanov composes in all genres.

Лукьянов, Виктор Юрьевич
Смена (Москва) 1998
Special Prize

#3

4 + 3

Show Solution

1. Qc4? (2. Qc6+ Ke7 3. Qf6/Qd7#)
1... Ke7 2. Qc7+ Ke6 3. Qd7#
1... Sb4 2. Bf6 ZZ 2... S~ 3. Qc6#
but 1... Sc5!
1. Bd4? (2. Qd7#)
1... Sc5 2. Be8 ZZ 2... S~ 3. Qd7#
but 1... Se5!
1. Be8! (2. Qd7+ Kc5 3. Qd4#)
1... Kc5 2. Qc7+ Kd5, Kb4 3. Qc6, Qc3#
1... Sc5 2. Bd4 ZZ 2... S~ 3. Qd7#

Peter van den Heuvel (28-09-1968 - 29-08-2023) Dutch composer

Peter van den Heuvel, Messigny 2000
[Christian Poisson]

Peter van den Heuvel composed in all genres, with a predilection for proof games, as can be seen in the above presentation chessboard. He was also an International Master in solving.
His obituary by Thomas Brand can be read here.

Van Den Heuvel, Peter
Champagne Tourney, 1998 (St Petersburg)
1^st Prize ex-aequo

SPG 9

2.1.1...

14 + 15

Show Solution

1) 1. Sf3 Sh6 2. Se5 Sf5 3. Sxd7 Kxd7 4. g3 Kc6 5. Bg2+ Kb5 6. Bc6+ bxc6 7. f3 e5 8. Kf2 Ba3 9. b4 Sd6
2) 1. g3 Sf6 2. Bh3 Se4 3. Bxd7+ Kxd7 4. Sf3 Kc6 5. Se5 Kb5 6. Sc6 e5 7. f3 Ba3 8. b4 Sd6 9. Kf2 bxc6
Two solutions for a Proof Game - a rare achievement.

Michael Barth (28-09-1969) German composer and International Master

Michael Barth composes direct, helpmate, selfmate and fairy problems.

Barth, Michael
Problem-Echo, 2000
1^st Prize

h#2

d7, h7, f5, g5, a1: Nightrider e5, g4: Grasshopper b) Move d6 b6

7 + 9

Show Solution

a) 1.d6xe5 Nd7-f6 2.Qe3-f2 Gg4-b4#
b) 1.Nh7xg5 Nd7-b3 2.Rf3-f2 Nf5-b7#
In the initial position bQe3 and bRf3 are pinned by wGe5, respectively wNg5. Each pinner is captured and thus the corresponding black unit can play and self-block f2 at the next move. In the meantime, wNd7 must guard d2 and has two possibilities: from f6 or b3. Only one of these squares works, in order to prevent wNh7 (respectively wNa1) from interfering with the mate, by 3.Nxb4! (resp. 3.Nc5!).