February 12th

Александр Дмитриевич Петров (12-02-1794 - 22-04-1867) Russian composer and chess player (Alexandr Dimitrievich Petrov)

Aleksandr D. Petrov [Wikipedia]

Petrov, the first great Russian chess master, was considered as Russia's best player for half of the 19th century. He is the Petrov of Petrov's Defense (also known under the name of Russian game).
His best-known problem is "The Retreat of Napoleon I from Moscow" (St Petersburg 1824) that can be seen on Wikipedia.

Here is an interesting long selfmate:

Петров, Александр Дмитриевич
La Nouvelle Régence, 01/1861

s#13

C-

12 + 7

Show Solution

1.Kh6+ Se5 2.Re4+ Kd5 3.Rxe5+ Kd4 4.Re4+ Kd5 5.Qf7+ Kd6 6.Qe7+ Kd5 7.Qd7+ Sd6 8.Re5+ Kd4 9.c3+ Bxc3 10.Sb5+ Bxb5 11.Qa7+ Rxa7 12.Rh5+ Rg7 13.Sf5+ Sxf5#
Pin-mate.
Unfortunately cooked with: 1. c3+ Bxc3 2. Kh6+ Se5 3. Re4+ Kd5 4. Rxe5+ Kd4 5. Re4+ Kd5 6. Qf7+ Kd6 7. Sc4+ Bxc4 8. Qc7+ Kd5 9. Qd7+ Sd6 10. Re5+ Kd4 11. Qa7+ Rxa7 12. Rh5+ Rg7 13. Sf5+ Sxf5#

And here is a representative moremover (not too hard to solve):

Петров, Александр Дмитриевич
? 1846

#6

10 + 13

Show Solution

1. Qxf4+! Kxf4 2. Rf1+ Kg4 3. Rf4+ Kxf4 4. 0-0+ Kg4 5. Se3+ Kh4 6. Sf3#
Clearance sacrifices in order to unpin the wSd1.

Frederic Bonner Feast (12-02-1872 - 28-03-1941) British composer

A specialist of twomovers, Feast wrote a book about "Simple Two-Move Themes" together with Alain C. White and George Hume in 1924 as well as "Chess Cameos. A treatise on the two-move problem" in 1936.

Feast, Frederic Bonner
Birmingham Post, 23^rd Nov 1897

#2

6 + 5

Show Solution

1.Qa2! (2.Re3#)

1...Ke6+ 2.Rb7#
1...Kc4+ 2.Rf3#
1...e4 2.Rb5#
1...d3 2.Rb4#
1...Ke4 2.Qg2#

5 battery mates by the white Rook. Good flight-giving key.

Абрам Соломонович Гурвич (12-02-1897 - 18-11-1962) Russian composer (Abram Solomonovich Gurvich)

Abram Gurvich [Wikipedia]

Abram Gurvich was a theatrical and literature reviewer. He composed studies and became an International Judge in 1956. More biographical details can be found here. He published an anthology of his chess studies in 1961 ("Этюды" Chess Studies).

Гурвич, Абрам Соломонович
Kiev Chess Club Ty, 1961
1^st Prize

=

4 + 4

Show Solution

1. f3+!
{The reason for this first move will become clear later}
1...Kxf3 2. d3 Sf6 3. Kc5 Sd7+ 4. Kxb5 Sxb8 5. Kb6 Bd5
{Without the presence of bKf3, the black Bishop might go as far as f3 and be safe}
6. Kc7 Sa6+ 7. Kb6 Sb8 8. Kc7 Sc6 9. Kd6 Sb4 10. Kc5 =
{Now everything is clear.}

Гурвич, Абрам Соломонович
Советский флот 1960

+

4 + 3

Show Solution

1. Rab6
{1. Rcb6 Qg2+}
1... Qa8 2. Rc8+ !
{2. Rc2 Qa1+ 3. Rbb2 Qg1+ 4. Rg2 Qd4+ 5. Kh7 Qh4+ (5... Qxd6 6. Rb8+ Ke7 7. Rg7+ Kf6 8. Rg6+) 6. Kg6 Qe4+}
2... Qxc8 3. Rb3 Qa8
{3... Kd8 4. Rf3}
4. Re3+ Kd8 5. Kf8 +-
The unexpected Rook sacrifices keeps the bQ contained.

Gunter Sonntag (12-02-1945) German composer

Gunter Sonntag [Wikimedia]

Gunter Sonntag is the co-author (with Martin Minski) of the endgame study that took 1^st place at the 8^th WCCT (2006-2008). It can be seen on Brian Stephenson's website.
You may also be interested in Gunter Sonntag's 1^st prize, Die Schwalbe 2007-2008: the award can be read on the Schwalbe website.

Sonntag, Gunter
Schach, Feb 2008 (16423)
2^nd HM

+

3 + 3

Show Solution

1.Be2+!
{1.Kc3? Bh2! 2.Be2+ Ke3!=; 1.Bg2+? Kg4! 2.Kc3 Bh2=}
1...Ke4
{1...Kxe2 2.Kc3 Bh2 3.Kd4 Be5+ 4.Ke4 Bb2 5.Kf5+-}
2.Kc2 and now:
2...Bd4 3.Bd3+ Kf4 4.Bf5! Kxf5 5.h7+-
2...f5 3.Bf3+! Kxf3 4.Kd3 Bh2 5.Kd4 Bf4 6.h7 Bc1 7.Kc3 +-
According to judge Martin Minski (the award of the endgame tourney Schach 2009-2009 can be read online here) the good key, the additional variation 2... f5 3.Bf3! and the best economy make him consider that this is the Letztform (final form) of an otherwise well-known idea.