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.

Another typical Bohemian threemover, admired and quoted by Taverner in his "CHESS PROBLEMS MADE EASY - How to solve – How to compose":

Traxler, Karel Peter
Český spolek šachovní 1895
3^rd Prize

#3

9 + 12

Show Solution

1.Ba6 ! (2.Sxd6+ Sxd6 3.Bd3# or 2.Bxb5 ~ 3.Sxd6/Bd3#)

1...c1=Q 2.Sxd6+ or 1... c1=S 2.Bxb5 (3.Sxd6#) 2...Sd3+/f5 3.Bxd3/Sg5#
1...Kf5 2.Qd4 (3.Bc8/Qd3/Qd5#)
1...Qxa6 2.Qe1+ Kd4/Kf5 3.Qxb4/Qe6#
1...Sc3 2.Qh1+ Kd4/Kf5 3.Se6/Bc8#

110 problems by Kotrc and 137 by Traxler, with commentary in Czech and German, can be found in the anthology "Kotrč, Traxler: Šachové úlohy z let 1884-1910" which can be downloaded from here.
(Thank you, Vaclav!)

Valentin Marin y Llovet (17-01-1872 - 07-12-1936) Spanish composer and player

Valentin Marin y Llovet
[Escacultura]

Some of his chess games (one of them against J.R. Capablanca) can be found here.

Marín Y Llovet, Valentin
Good Companion, May 1924
3^rd Prize

#3

7 + 9

Show Solution

1.Qd1 ! (2.Bb4+ and 2...Kxb4 3.Qd2/Qe1# or 2...cxb4 3.Qa1#)

1...b4 2.Sc4+ dxc4 3.Bxb4#
1...c4 2.Qa4+ bxa4 3.Sxc4#

The three black pawns are horizontally third-pinned, which is smartly exploited by White.

František Matoušek (17-01-1879 - 21-02-1956) Czech composer

Matoušek is of course a member of the Bohemian chess problem school. The problem below will prove it past all doubt.

Matoušek, František
Kvicala MT, 1940
1^st Prize

#3

7 + 12

Show Solution

1.Qg3! (2.Sxh6+ Ke5,Ke4 3.Rxe6,Qe3#)

1...Rxb6 2.Qe3 (3.Sxh6#) 2...Sxg6 3.Bxe6#
1...Sxb6 2.Se7+ Ke5,Ke4 3.Rxe6,Qe3#
1...Bxb6 2.Rxe6 (3.Sxh6#) 2...Sxe6 3.Bg6#
1...Sg2 2.Bxe6+ Ke4 3.Sf6# or 2.Rf6+ Ke4 3.Bg6#
1...Sd5 2.Rf6+ Sxf6/Ke4 3.Bg6#
1...Ke5 2.Rxe6+ Kf5 3.Sxh6#
1...Ke4 2.Qe3+ Kf5 3.Sxh6#

Three different variations after captures of wSb6 by different black pieces make this quite a unique achievement. The key, which unpins the bSf4, is also challenging for the solver.

For the amateur interested in the problems of Matoušek, V.Pachman has written an anthology of 100 threemovers "Problémový šach - Výběr 100 trojtahových úloh Fratiška Matouška" which can be downloaded online.
A picture of him and his obituary can be found on page 58 of "Československý šach 1956".
(Thank you, Vaclav!)

Жива Томић (17-01-1912 - 21-05-2010) Serbian composer (Ziva Tomic)

Živa Tomić & Branko Atanacković
[Thanks to Александр Никитин]

Let's start with a problem for solvers:

Томић, Жива
Srbija-Slovenija, 1956
2^nd Place

#2

8 + 7

Show Solution

1.Sc2! ZZ

1...Kxd3+ 2.Sd4#
1...Kd5+ 2.e4#
1...S~ 2.Qxc4#
1...R~/d5 2.Sf2#

Ziva seemed to be fond of pin mates. The key is especially spectacular, but can be guessed by the solver because no set mate is prepared against 1...Kd5.

Томић, Жива
339 Nedelski Dnevnik 15/09/1974
1^st HM

h#22.5		9 + 12

Show Solution

1...Bg1 ... 11.Kxd3 Bg1 ... 15.Kxh1 Bg1 ... 17.Kxf2 Bg1+ 18.Kxg3 Bd4 19.Kxf4 Bxc3 20.Qb2+ Kd2 21.Qc1+ Kd3 22.Qe1+ Kd4 23.Qg3 Bd2#
An impressive long helpmate, an unusual achievement.

Михаил Назарович Марандюк (17-01-1949) Ukrainian composer and Grandmaster (Mikhail Nasarovitch Marandyuk)

Mikhail Marandyuk
[© Hannu Harkola]

Mikhail is an exceptionally gifted composer, multiple World Champion in chess composition in direct mate sections (threemovers, moremovers).

Марандюк, Михаил Назарович
64, 2006 (105)
1^st Prize

#6

8 + 14

Show Solution

1.Bg4! (2.Bf3#)

1...Sh2 2.Se7+ Ke4 3.Sg6+ Kd5 4.Re3 [5.Se7#] fxe3 5.Se7+ Ke4 6.Rxc4#
1...Qd1 2.Sf6+ Kd4 3.Sh5+ Kd5 4.Bc3 [5.Sf6#] bxc3 5.Sf6+ Kd4 6.Re4#

Allow me to quote the award of the 2004-2006 WCCI (problem C129):

Logical problem with three preparatory plans in each variation. Creation and play of white batteries with the subsequent anticritical move of a line-piece, switchbacks of the white Knight, distant self-blocks, orthogonal/diagonal echo.

Hence the 11 points granted to this masterpiece.

Марандюк, Михаил Назарович
2006 (Neue Zürcher Zeitung)
3^rd Prize

#3

12 + 11

Show Solution

Tries:

1.Bxe6?[A] (2.Se2#[B]) Sg1! 2.Re6?
1.Rxe6?[C] (2.Be3#[D]) Sxd2! 2.Be6?
1.Se2+?[B] Kd5! 2.Bxe6+[A] Kc6!
1.Bxe3+?[D] Kxe5! 2.Rxe6+[C] Kf5!

1.Kg8! {2.f8S (3.Sfxe6#) Bd5/Rxe5 3.Se2[B]/Be3#[D]}

1...Sxd2 2.Bxe6![A] (2.f8S? Rxe5!) ~ 3.Se2#[B]
1...Sg1 2.Rxe6![C] (2.f8S? Bd5!) ~ 3.Be3#[D]
1...Bc6 2.Se2+[B] Kd5 3.Bxe6#[A]
1...Rf5 2.Be3+[D] Kxe5 3.Rxe6#[C]

Quote of the 2007-2009 WCCI award, Group B Threemovers:

A complex of five logical variations, a mechanism of using square-e6 at all stages of the solution, reciprocal white self-obstructions, a double reciprocal change of White’s 2nd and 3rd moves and distant self-blocks.

Марандюк, Михаил Назарович
Problemist Ukraini, 2009
1^st Prize

#5

12 + 11

Show Solution

1.g3! (2.Bg2+[A] Kxf5 3.Bh3+ Ke4 4.Rc4+[B] Kxd5 5.Be6#)
1...Sg~ 2.Rc4+[B] Kxd5 3.Rc5+ Ke4 4.Sf2+[C] Kxe3 5.Rxe5#
1...Bc3 2.Sf2+[C] Kxe3 3.Sd1+ Ke4 4.Bg2+[A] Kxf5 5.Se3#
Once more a quote from the award of the 2007-2009 WCCI, this time from the Group C Moremovers:

"Cyclic play of three white pieces (AB-BC-CA), annihilation, switchbacks and mating by thematic pieces."

Лев Ильич Лошинский (17-01-1913 - 19.02.1976) Russian composer and Grandmaster (Lev Ilich Loshinsky)

Lev Ilich Loshinsky
[Thanks to Александр Никитин]

The reader can find a memory of Loshinsky's Piran congress in 1958 here.
In 1933 young Lev Loshinsky and A.Herbstmann helped Troitzky write his book about his studies. Lev Loshinsky was perhaps the greatest composers of threemovers. Do you have any doubt? Please have a look at the following problem:

Лошинский, Лев Ильич
Sverdlovsk Sports Committee, 1946
1^st Prize

#3

10 + 8

Show Solution

1.Sc2! (2.Sd6#)

1...Kxd5 2.Qb7+ Qc6 3.Sd6# (2...Ke5 3.Bg7#)
1...Rxb5 2.gxf3+ Kxd5 3.Sb4# (2...Kxf3 2.Qg2#)
1...Qc5 2.Sd6+ Kxd5 3.Sb4# (2...Qxd6 3.Qd4#)

Three triple pin mates.
Side variation: 1...Qxd5 2.gxf3+ Kxf3 3.Qg2#
For Milan Velimirović, this problem is "one of the greatest wonders ever created on the chessboard."

An example of Loshinsky magnet:

Лошинский, Лев Ильич
1 чемпионат СССР 1947
1^st Place

#3

11 + 11

Show Solution

1. Qc2! (2. Sh5+ Kxe4 3.Re3#)
1... Rd5 2. Rd4 (3. exd5, Sh5#)
2... Rxd4 3. Sh5#
2... hxg3 3. exd5#
2... Rxd2 3. Qxd2#
1... Rd6 2. Rd5 (3. Bxe5, Sh5#)
2... Rxd5 3. Sh5#
2... Sd3 3. Sxd3#
2... hxg3 3. Bxe5#
2... Rxd2 3. Qxd2#
1... Rd7 2. Rd6 (3. Rf6, Sh5#)
2... Rxd6 3. Sh5#
2... Sd3 3. Sxd3#
2... hxg3 3. Rf6#
2... Rxd2 3. Qxd2#
Other variations:
1... Rc4 2. Rc3 (3. Sh5#) or 1... Rb4 2. Rb3 (3. Sh5#) or 1... Ra4 2. Ra3 (3. Sh5#):
2... Sd3 3. Sxd3#
2... Rxe4 3. Qxe4#
2... hxg3 3. hxg3#
Loshinsky magnet.
For more details about this problem, go to this page.

Mark Alexander Ridley (17-01-1961) British composer

Mark Ridley

Mark Ridley is a British composer with a long experience in fairy chess. He collaborated with the fairy magazine Variant Chess. "T.R.Dawson - His Less Well Known Inventions" was one of his articles written in collaboration with George Jelliss and was published in Variant Chess 26. It can be read here (pages 123-126).
He published also a number of articles in the Problemist Supplement.
His Fairy Kings article, published as a first version in Variant Chess 1995 and as an updated version in Mat Plus Spring-Summer 2009, was dedicated to fairy conditions involving Kings. It attracted a lot of attention and the subsequent Fairy Kings tourney enjoyed a numerous participation. The Fairy Kings article can be read here.
Mark Ridley is also interested in the Valladao and Babson tasks.

Ridley, Mark
The Problemist 1986

r#2

Circe RexInclusiv Madrasi RexInclusiv

7 + 3

Some words of explanation might be needed. This is a reflexmate, meaning that White's aim is to have his King mated and that Black is obliged to mate White, if he has that possibility.
According to Circe Rex Inclusive condition, a captured unit (including the King) is reborn on its rebirth square after it is captured.
In Madrasi, units of the same kind and opposite colours can paralyse each other. In the position of the diagram, bBa7 and wBf2 are paralysed, as well as the pair bSc2-wSb4.
Show Solution

1.Kb6! zz
The white King paralyses his opponent and makes his capture possible.
1...Bb8 2.Se1 Ba7# (the wS occupies the rebirth square of the white King, rendering his rebirth impossible)
1...Bxb6(+wKe1) 2.Sd2 Kxb4(+wSg1)# (the white King is blocked on e1 and bSc2 is no longer paralysed after the capture of wSb4)