January 7th

Dinu Ioan Nicula (07-01-1968) Romanian solver, composer, arbiter and editor

Nicula, Dinu Ioan & Huber, Eric
Shakhmatnaya Poeziya, 2006
3^rd Comm.

hs#3

2.1.1.1.1.1

4 + 6

Show Solution

1.Qe2 Sf3 2.Re7 Qd3 3.Qe5+ Sxe5#
1.Qg4 Se2 2.Ra4 Kc5 3.Qb4+ Bxb4#

Pelle moves by the wQ, Black battery play, indirect unpin.

Paul Keres (07-01-1916 - 05-06-1975) Estonian o.t.b. GrandMaster and composer

Keres, Paul
Schackvärlden, 1934
1^st Prize

#2

9 + 8

Show Solution

1.Rh4! (2.Rb4#)

1...Ne7 2.Nc5#
1...c5 2.Bxa4#
1...Re4 2.Qb1#
1...Rxe6+ 2.Bxe6#
1...Be4 2.Nd4#

Grimshaw, Java themes.

Artúr Havasi (07-01-1864 - 09-1939) Hungarian composer

Havasi, Artur
6079 Fairy Chess Review 08/1944

h#4		2 + 4

Show Solution

1. Kc5 Ra8 2. Kb4 Rxh8 3. Ka3 Rh1 4. Qb4 Ra1#
wR circuit, 4 corners.

Hans Johner (07-01-1889 - 02-12-1975) Swiss composer

Hans Johner (left) with Hans Henneberger (right) at a chess solving competition in Zürich
[SSZ 1975, page 267]

Hans Johner was Paul Johner's younger brother, accomplished musician (viola and violin) and International Master in practical play. He was also a chess composer.
Odette Vollenweider dedicated a book to his chess carrier, focusing mostly on his chess problems but also analyzing twenty of his best games: "Kostbarkeiten der Problemkunst" (1966) written under the pseudonym Gabriel Baumgartner. The book in German can be read and downloaded here.

Johner, Hans
Deutscher Schachbund 1918
1st Prize

#3		7 + 12

Show Solution

1.Sh7-f6 ! with a triple threat:
2.Sf6-h5 (3.Sh5-f4#) 2...Sd4-e2 3.Qe4xc4#
2.Sf6-e8 (3.Se8-c7#) 2...Sd4-b5 3.Qe4xc4#
2.Sf6-d7 (3.Sd7xc5#) 2...Sd4-b3 3.Qe4xc4#

1...Bc4-a2 2.Sf6-d7 (3.Sd7xc5#) 2...Sd4-b3 3.Qe4-c4#
1...Bc4-f1 2.Sf6-h5 (3.Sh5-f4#) 2...Sd4-e2 3.Qe4-c4#
1...Bc4-a6 2.Sf6-e8 (3.Se8-c7#) 2...Sd4-b5 3.Qe4-c4#

Secondary variation:
1...e7xf6/g7xf6 2.e5xf6+ Ke6xf6/Ke6-d6 3.Qe4-e5 #

Josef Johann Bruer (07-01-1903 - 02-08-1981) German composer and International Master

Josef Johann Breuer
[Die Schwalbe Fragebogen 1960 page 15]

Josef Breuer was a chess player, composer and International Judge. He composed in the logical style of the German school.
He was also the author of the reference work "Beispiele zur Ideengeschichte des Schachproblems".

Breuer, Josef Johann
Die Schwalbe, 1962
1st Prize

#5		11 + 8

Show Solution

Try 1.♕e8? ♗×d4 2.♕g8 ♗g7! 3.♕h7 ♗h6!
1.♕a8! (2.♕a1 ~ 3.♘e3)
1...♖a7 2.♕e8! ♗×d4 3.♕g8!
and two variations:
3...♖g7 4.♕h8 ♖h7 5.♕×d4#
3...♗g7 4.♕h7 ♗h6 5.♕×a7#

Try 2.♕×a7? ♗f6? 3.♕h7! but 2...♗h6! 3.♕a1 ♗g5 4.♖×g5 b×c2
Secondary variation: 1...b×c2 2.♕a1 ♖b3+ 3.♘e3+ c1=♕ 4.♕×c1#