September 2nd

Александр Петрович Казанцев (02-09-1906 - 13-09-2002) Russian composer and International Master (Aleksandr Petrovich Kazantsev)

Aleksander Kazantsev
[Source: aforteanosla.com.ar [broken link] ]

Aleksandr Kazantsev was a SF writer and ufologist whose works in Russian are listed on this site. You can also refer to Alain Pallier's article in EG 193 (January 2011) for more biographical information and the indication of the website made by A.P.Kazantsev's son about his father's works.
Aleksandr Kazantsev was an endgame study composer who also composed direct mates. JMRW has selected some of Kazantsev's studies on his website.
He wrote "Dar Kaissy" (Caissa's gift, 1983) that contains 211 endgame studies illustrated by tales and with R.Kofman and M. Liburkin "Sovetskij shakhmatnyj etjud" (1955) about the endgame study in USSR.

Казанцев, Александр Петрович
FIDE Ty, 1958

=

5 + 8

Show Solution

1. Kb6
{1. Kxb5 e3 2. Bg1 Kxb7 3. Kb4 Kc6 4. Kxa3 Kd5 -+ ; 1. Kd6 e3 2. Bg1 Kxb7 3. Ke5 b4 4. Kxf4 e2 5. Bf2 Bd5 6. Sa1 b3 -+}
1... e3 2. Bg1 Bxb7 3. Kxb5 Bh1 ! { Bristol}
4. Kb4 Kb7 5. Kxa3 Kc6 6. Kb2 Kd5 7. Kc2 Ke4 8. Kd1 Kf3 9. Ke1 Kg2 10. Sd4 Kxg1 11. Sf3+ ! and now Black has the choice between stalemating White by 11...Bxf3 or being stalemated after 11... Kg2 12. Ke2.
An original final position.

Казанцев, Александр Петрович
Kazantsiev JT, 1986

=

7 + 4

Show Solution

1. a8=Q ! Bf3+ 2. Kc7 ! 
{2. Kd7 ? Bxa8 3. Sf6+ Kh8 4. Bd6 Bc6+ 5. Kxc6 Qa8+ -+}
2... Bxa8 3. Sf6+ Kxh6 
{3... Kh8 4. Bd6 Qxh6 5. Be5 Qg5 6. Nd7+ Kg8 7. Sf6+ Kg7 8. Sd7+ Kh7 9. Sf6+ draw}
4. Bd6 Qh8 5. Be5 Qf8 6. Bd6 draw by repetition of moves.

János Koch (02-09-1927) Hungarian composer

János Koch
[magyarsakkszerzok]

János Koch composes direct mates, helpmates and studies.

Koch, János
Magyar Sakkélet, 1967
1^st HM

=

5 + 8

Show Solution

Try: 1.g8=Q? Qa1! 2.h8=Q g1=Q 3.Qgg7 Qgd4! 4.Qxd4 Qxd4 5.Qg8 Qf6 6.g7 Se6#
1.g8=R! Qa1 2.h8=B! g1=Q 3.g7! Qgd4 stalemate

Koch, János
Hungary - Slovakia
, 1971
5^th Place

h#2

4 solutions

4 + 2

Show Solution

1. d1=R Be4 2. Rd2 Re1# & 1. d1=S Bf2 2. Kd2 Rc2#
1. Ke3 Rc5 2. Kd4 Bf2# & 1. Kf3 Rh1 2. Kg2 Be4#
Two pairs of echo mates.

Menachem Witztum (02-09-1952) Israeli composer and International Master

Menachem Witztum is a composer specialized in helpmates.
That does not prevent him from composing every year helpselfmates to participate to the Tzuica tourney. Thank you Menachem !

Witztum, Menachem
ECSC, Quik, Warszawa, 2006
1^st Prize

h#2

2 solutions SetPlay

12 + 5

Show Solution

Set Play:
1... Bxg5! 2.Kxf3 Rg3#
1... Rg3! 2.Kxf4 Bg5#
Solutions:
1.gxf4 Bb6+ 2.Kd3 Rd2#
1.Qxf3 Re2+ 2.Kd4 Bf6#

Witztum, Menachem
Yves Tallec 70 JT, 1999
1^st Prize

h#3

2.1.1...

7 + 13

Show Solution

1. Qxb6 Bb2 2. Kf3 Re7 3. Bb1 Bxe2#
1. Qxb5 Bc1 2. Kg5 Bc2 3. Re5 Rxg6#
A festival of unpinnings in diagonal-orthogonal correspondence that enchanted judge Yves Tallec.
The position is illegal (the black Pawns must have captured 10 white pieces to reach this position, while only 9 white units are missing) but this can be corrected: bPh3->bSh3.

Witztum, Menachem
9^th Tzuica Tourney, Jesi, 2011
1^st Commendation

hs#4.5

2.1.1...

4 + 12

Show Solution

1...Kb4 2.Rc8 Bd5 3.Rxc5 Bf4+ 4.Kd4 Rd6 5.Rxc4+ Bxc4#
1...Ka4 2.Bxf7 Rd5 3.Bh5 f4+ 4.Ke4 Bc6 5.Bd1+ Rxd1#
Again diagonal-orthogonal correspondence.