June 27th

Paavo Visa Kivi (27-06-1905 - 28-10-1995) Finnish composer and FIDE Master

Paavo Kivi

Visa Kivi was a chess player, an International Judge and Finland's most distinguished endgame composer - at least until Pauli Perkonoja.
You may see one didactic endgame of his here.

Kivi, Paavo Visa
Kivi JT, 1981
6^th Prize

+

4 + 4

Show Solution

1. Ra8+
{1. Ra1? Sg3+ 2. Ke6 Sf1 3. Kd6 Kb8!}
1... Kd7
{1... Kc7 2. Se6+ Kb6 3. Rg8}
2. Ra1 Sg3+ 3. Kf6 Sf1 4. Rd1+ Kc7
{4... Ke8 5. Se6}
5. Se6+ Kb6
{5... Kc6 6. Sd4+}
6. Rd6+ Ka7
{6... Ka5 7. Rd5+ b5 8. Rg5}
7. Sd4! g1=Q 8. Sb5+ Kb8 9. Rd8#

January 17th

The menu is especially rich today: do not miss the problems by the last composer in this entry.
[Addendum 25th January: by the last two composers!]

Karel Peter Traxler (17-01-1866 - 15-05-1936) Czech composer and player... and Catholic priest

Karel Traxler [Wikipedia]

Let's quote ChessGames.com:
Karel Traxler "is famous for the Traxler Counterattack (also known as the Wilkes-Barre Variation) in the Two Knights (C57) : 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5. This line was introduced in the famous game J. Reinisch vs Traxler, 1890."

Traxler, Karel Peter
Ces. spol. sach. 1895
2^nd HM

#4

7 + 13

Show Solution

1.Sf4 ! (2.Qe6+ Kd4 3.Qf6+ Ke3 4.Qe5#)

1...Bd8 2.Qxc5+ Kf6 3.Qd4+ Ke7 4.Sg6#
1...Sg8/Sf7 2.Qc5+ Kf6 3.Se8+ Kf7 4.Bg6# (3...Rxe8 4.Sh5#)
1...Re8 2.Sxe8 (3.Qe4#) 2...Kxf5 3.Qe6+ Kxf4 4.e3#
1...Rf8 2.Sf7+! and 2...Kxf5 3.Qe6+ Kxf4 4.Qe5/4.e3# or 2...Kf6 3.Qe6+ Kg7 4.Qg6# or 2...Sxf7 3.Qxc5+ Kf6/Kxf4 4.Sh5/e3# or 2...Rxf7 3.Qxc5+ Kf6/Kxf4 4.Sh5/e3#

A typical example of the Bohemian chess problem school.