February 22nd

Edith Elina Helen Baird - née Winter-Wood (22-02-1859 - 01-02-1924) British composer

Edith Baird
[Wikipedia]

Edith Baird is renowned for her works (a total of 2000 problems) as well as for the books she wrote : "Seven Hundred Chess Problems" in 1902 (which can be downloaded here) and "The Twentieth Century Retractor" in 1907.


Let's quote the justifiably proud ChessDevon website [broken link]:

In 1893, for instance, she entered The Hackney Mercury 3-mover tournament, with a limit of 6 pieces. Most of the great composers of the time had entered, - B. G. Laws, P. H. Williams and James Raynor among them, but she won 1st prize. As one American critic observed, "The fact that the tourney assumed an almost international character rendered the triumph of the distinguished lady victor as noteworthy as it was creditable".

Here is this first prize: 

Baird, Edith Elina Helen
Hackney Mercury, 1893
1^st Prize

#3

5 + 1

Show Solution

1.Qg7 ! (2.Qc7#)

1...Kc6 2.c5 Kxc5 3.Qc7#
1...Kxc4 2.Qd4+ Kb3 3.Qb4#
1...Kb6 2.Sb5 Ka6/Ka5, Kc6/Kc5 3.Qa7, Qc7#
1...Kd6 2.Sb5+ Ke6, Kc7/Kc5 3.Sd4, Qc7#