February 20th

Herman Leonard Jonsson (20-02-1860 - 31-12-1936) Swedish composer

"Problem" September 1969
[Thanks to Александр Никитин ]

Herman L. Jonsson mostly composed orthodox direct mates. This one is definitely not too easy to solve:

Jonsson, Herman Leonard
Jamaica Gleaner, 1885
1^st Prize

#2

12 + 8

Show Solution

1.Sd7? (2.Sc6#[A]/Rd6#[B])

1...Rxd7[a]/Se3 2.Sc6#[A]
1...Rc8[c]/Bxd7[b]/Rxc3 2.Rd6#[B]
1...Sxf4 2.Rxf4#/Sc6#[A]/Qg1#[C]
but 1...Rxd2!

1.Re6[E]! ZZ

1...Rd7[a]/Bc6[a] 2.Sc6#[A]
1...Rd6[b]/Rc8[c]/Rb8[b]/Ra8[b]/Bd7[b] 2.Rxd6#[B]
1...Sh4/Sxf4/Se1 2.Qg1#[C] ; 1...Se3 2.dxe3#
1...Rd5/f6 2.Re4#; 1...fxe6 2.Sxe6# 1...f5 2.Qg7#
1...Rb2/Ra2/Rxd2 2.Rc4#[D]; 1...Rxc3 2.dxc3#
1...Bxb5 2.Sxb5#
1...bxc5 2.Bxc5#
1...Sc1~ 2.Sb3#

Grimshaw (on d7), transferred mates, Rudenko.

Frédéric (Fred) Lazard (20-02-1883 - 18-11-1948) French composer

Fred Lazard [Wikipedia]

Lazard published in 1929 a selection of his problems under the title "Mes problèmes et études". For biographical details and other information, please have a look at this French site: HERITAGE des ECHECS FRANCAIS. The problem below is famous:

Lazard, Frédéric
La Tribune de Genève, 1926

#2*

6 + 7

Show Solution

Set play:

1...Sb3~ [a] 2.Sxd2#[A]
1...Sf7~ [b] 2.Se5#[B]
1...g3[d] 2.Qf1#[C]
1...Bg2[e] 2.Qe3#[D]

1.Bg6? ZZ but 1...g3[d]!
1.Qh2! ZZ

1...Sb3~[a] 2.Sd4#[E]
1...Sf7~[b] 2.Sxg5#[F]
1...g3[d] 2.Qe2#[G]
1...Bg2[e] 2.Qf4#[H]

Mutate, changed mates.

Rudolf Svoboda (20-02-1885 - 02-11-1948) Czech composer

Svoboda was also a chess player, but as far as problems are concerned he was especially prolific in the heterodox genre and particularly selfmates. He wrote a book titled "Výběr 100 šachových úloh" (Selection of 100 chess problems)

Svoboda, Rudolf
Limburgsch Dagblad, 1938
1^st Prize

s#3

12 + 6

Show Solution

1.Qe7 ! ZZ

1...Sg4/Sf7 2.Qxe6+ Se5 3.Qg6+ hxg6#
1...Sf5 2.Sf2+ Ke5 3.Qg7+ Sxg7#
1...Sg8 2.Sd6+ Kd4 3.Qf6+ Sxf6#

Virgilio Fenoglio (20-02-1902 - 1990) Argentinian composer

Fenoglio, Virgilio
Ajedrez Mágico, May 1970 (16/582)
Comm.

h#2

2 solutions 2.1.1.1

3 + 2

Show Solution

1.Ra7 Sf5 2.Rf7 Rh8#
1.Ke7 Ke5 2.Re8 Se6#
Two ideal mates.

Albert Dietrich (20-02-1908 - ?) German composer

This Albert Dietrich is the homonym of the music composer and director Albert Dietrich, who died in 1908. Our Dietrich published direct mates in the magazine "Freie Presse". Most of them are classical constructions such as this one:

Dietrich, Albert
Freie Presse, 11^th Sep 1981

#2

12 + 8

Show Solution

1.Sc3! (2.Rd5#)

1...Rxc3 2.bxc3#
1...Rxb2 2.Se2#
1...e2 2.Qg1#
1...g4 2.Rxg4#
1...cxb3 2.Qa4#
1...Sxe5 2.Rd7#
1...Bb7 2.Qa7#

Marijan Dumić (20-02-1908 - 26-04-1978) Croatian composer

Dumić, Marijan
(7) problem 91-94 04/1964
1^st Prize

Solve the position !

13 + 14

a) White to Move
b) Black to Move

Show Solution

The solution can be found on the PDB server.

Лев Алексеевич Кайев (20-02-1913 - 31-03-1942) Russian composer (Lev Alekseyevich Kayev)

Lev Kayev surrounded by players from Sterlitamak
[ruchess.ru]

Lev Kayev
[64 4-5/1934]

Lev Kayev composed over 100 studies that can be solved with pleasure and understood easily. Which does not mean that they were simplistic:

Кайев, Лев Алексеевич
«64» 1932 (579)
3^rd Prize

+

5 + 5

Show Solution

1. Sd7+ Ke8 2. Sxf6+
{2. Sxf7 Bxf2 3. Sd6+ Ke7 4. Sc8+ Kd8 5. Kxf2 Kxc8 6. Ke1 f5 7. Bxf5 Bc2 =}
2... Kf8 3. Sd7+ Ke8 4. Sxf7 Bxf2 5. Sd6+ Ke7 6. Sc8+ Kd8 7. Kxf2 Kxc8 8. Ke1 Bc2 9. Kd2 Bb1 10. Kc1 Ba2 11. Kb2 +-
The black Bishop is irremediably lost due to the power of the battery built by White. For instance 11...Bg8 12.Sf6+ or 11...Bf7 12.Se5+.

Pedro Dalla Rosa (20-02-1914 - 19-12-1981) Brazilian composer

Dalla Rosa is the second South-American composer for today! Interested in helpmates, he was awarded mostly for his efforts together with Oswaldo Faria.

Faria, Oswaldo & Dalla Rosa, Pedro
Israel Problem Association, 1961
1^st Prize

h#2

SetPlay

7 + 7

Show Solution

1...Se5+ 2.Ke4 Sc5#
1.Be5 Sd4+ 2.Ke4 Sd6#

Echo pin mates.

Євген С. Самотугов (20-02-1924) Ukrainian composer (Evghen S. Samotugov)

Samotugov is a very pleasant surprise, since some of his works are really successful.

Самотугов, Євген С.
Ukrainskogo-Turnier, 1955
1^st Place

#3

9 + 9

Show Solution

1.Kd6 ! (2.Qe8+ Be6 3.Qxe6#)

1...Sd3 2.Sb4+ Ke3 3.Sc2#
1...Bd4 2.Sb6+ Ke3 3.Sc4#
1...Rxd5+ 2.Qxd5+ Ke3 3.Bd2#
1...Sxe2 2.Rxe2+ Be3, Kd3 3.Rxe3, Sxf4#
1...Bc8/Be6/Bd7 2.Bxg6+ Rf5, Bf5 3.Rxg4, Qe8#

The key selfpins the wS which is the front piece of a Siers battery. The battery is activated in 2 variations after two indirect unpins (Sd3 and Bd4). The dual avoidance is ensured by the alternate interferences of the two black royal batteries (Rf4-Ke4 and Bf5-Ke4).

Великий, Микола Мойсейович & Самотугов, Євген С.
Probleemblad, 1957
3^rd Prize

#2*

9 + 6

Show Solution

Set play:
1...Sfd4[a], Sed4[b] 2.Se5#[A], Rxc5#[B]
1...e3 2.Qd3#
1.Sc2! (2.Qb3#)
1...Sfd4[a], Sed4[b] 2.Se3#[C], Sa3#[D]
1...Kd3[c], Kxd5[d] 2.Se5#[A], Rxc5#[B]
The Rukhlis theme is achieved after a give-and-take key.

Великий, Микола Мойсейович & Самотугов, Євген С.
The Problemist, 2000
2^nd Prize

#3

9 + 15

Show Solution

1.Ra7 ! (2.Sd8+ Kxd6 3.Sxf5/Sc8#)

1...Bxd4 2.Bf3 (3.Bxd5#)
1...Sxd4 2.Kxg7 (3.Rxf6#)
1...cxd4 2.Bg6 (3.Bxf5#)

1...Sc6 2.Sg5+ Kxd6 3.Sxf5/Sc8# or 2.Sxc6 (3.Sd8#) 2...f4, dxc6 3.Bg4, Re7#
The tries 1.Bf3? (2.Bxd5#) cxd4!, 1.Kxg7? (2.Rxf6#) Bxd4!, 1.Bg6? (2.Bxf5#) Sxd4! illustrate the logical nature of this problem. The three tries are defeated by three moves on the same square. In the real play, the effects by which unique White moves follow these black defences deserves analysis.

Emil Vlasák (20-02-1956) Czech composer

This study is one of the most approachable by Emil Vlasak:

Vlasák, Emil
Hlinka JT 50, 2003
4^th Honorable Mention

+

5 + 3

Show Solution

1. Ra3+ Kb7 2. Re7+ Kc6 3. Rc3+ Kd6 4. Rc4 Rxb4 5. Ree4!! wins:
for instance, 5...Rxc4/Rxe4 6. Sxc4+/Sxe4+ Kd5 7. Rxf4/Rxb4 +-
The final position is original.

Piotr Murdzia (20-02-1975) Polish solver and composer

Piotr Murdzia [Wikipedia]

Piotr Murdzia was the multiple World Champion in Solving, until this year when his fellow countryman and pupil Kacper Piorun convincingly won the 2011 WCSC.

But let's not forget that Piotr Murdzia, beside training his solving teammates, also knows how to compose chess problems:

Murdzia, Piotr
Probleemblad, 1998
1^st Prize

h#2**

2.1.1.1

11 + 12

Show Solution

Set play: 1...Re6 2. Se7 Rd6# and 1...Bd1 2. Sc2 Bxf3#
1.Bxc2 Rd7+ 2.Ke4 Rd4# and 1.Bxe7 Bd3 2.Ke6 Bc4#
The black pieces that were interfered with in the set play are active in the real play and capture the mating white pieces (Zilahi).

Cornel Păcurar (20-02-1965) Romanian-Canadian composer

Cornel Păcurar

Cornel is a perfectionist composer mostly interested in fairy, series and retro problems and also webmaster of the ChessProblems.ca site which he competently manages.

Let's mention two problems of his, one for each period of his life.
The Romanian period:

Păcurar, Cornel
Revista Română de Şah 2/3, 1991
Prize, Revista Română de Şah 1990-1992

h#3

2.1.1...

4 + 2

Show Solution

1.Qa2 Sg6 2.Qf7 g5+ 3.Ke6 Sd4#
1.Qd8 Sg5 2.Ke5 Kc5 3.Qf6 Sd3#

Chameleon echo ideal mates.

The Canadian period:

Păcurar, Cornel
Mat Plus, 2010 (39-40/1749)

Ser-ph#6

2.1... CirceClone EinsteinChess g8, g7, e6, f6: Neutral Pawn

1 + 1 + 4

Definition of Parry Series on Cornel's website.

Show Solution

1.fxg7S 2.Sxe6B 3.Bxg8R[Bc8]+ Rxc8Q[Rh1] 4.Rh5B+ Kf6 5.Be8S+ Ke7 6.Qxe8[Qd8]#
1.f7 2.f8 3.gxf8S[Pf7]+ Kh6 4.fxg8S[Pg7]+ Sf6P 5.Sxe6B[Sg8]+ Bxg8R[Bf1] 6.Rxg7Q[Rh8]#
Two fairy intense solutions end in (almost) echo mates.