May 24th

Dirk Borst (24-05-1963) Dutch composer and FIDE Master

Dirk Borst, Cheltenham 2002
[© Franziska Iseli ]

Dirk Borst composes mostly proof games, sometimes with a fairy condition. For this reason he is a usual presence at the Andernach meeting. Here is a good example among so many other PG prowess:

Borst, Dirk
feenschach, 1997
Prize

PG 21.0

AndernachChess

16 + 12

Show Solution

1.d4 c5 2.d5 c4 3.d6 c3 4.Qd5 Qa5 5.Qc6 dxc6[=wP] 6.c7 Bg4 7. c8=S e6 8.Se7 Qf5 9.Sg6 hxg6[=wP] 10.d7+ Ke7 11.d8=B+ Kd6 12.Bdg5 Se7 13.Bh6 gxh6[=wP] 14.g7 Sg6 15.g8=Q Be7 16.Qd8+ Ke5 17.Qd1 Rc8 18.h7 Rc4 19.h8=R Sc6 20.Rd8 Rc8 21.Rd2 cxd2[=wP]
Allumwandlung, Ceriani-Frolkin, Pronkin

He also composes fairy problems, such as this memorable neutral King reflex mate:

Borst, Dirk
The Problemist, 1997
1^st Prize

r#2

a8: Neutral King

7 + 9 + 1

Show Solution

1.nKa8xb7 ! (2.nKb7-a8 Qa3-f3#)
1...nKb7-b6 2.nKb6-a5 nKa5xa4#
1...nKb7-c8 2.nKc8-d8+ nKd8xe8#
1...nKb7-c6 2.nKc6-d5 nKd5xe6#
These were the three main variations, where only the neutral King plays!
Secondary variations:
1...Qa3-e7 2.nKb7-c8 Sb5-d6#
1...Qa3-f3+ 2.nKb7-c8 Rf8xe8#