February 27th

Петко Андонов Петков (27-02-1942 - 11-08-2024) Bulgarian composer and Grandmaster (Petko Andonov Petkov) 

Text withdrawn upon request of GM Petko A. Petkov, who did not have time to send us his updated text before he left us in August 2024.

Գենրիխ Գասպարյան (27-02-1910 - 27-12-1995) Armenian composer and Grandmaster (Genrikh Kasparyan or Генрих Моисеевич Каспарян)

Genrikh Kasparyan on a 2010 Armenian stamp[Wikipedia]

Kasparian received the titles of International Judge of Chess Compositions in 1956 and International Grandmaster of Chess Composition in 1972, the first composer to receive this title from FIDE. He was also a very good o.t.b. player (IM and 10 times Armenian champion).

He wrote several books and collections and composed about 600 studies, many on the theme of domination. His endgames reach amazing analytical depths, in an era where the intensive use of computers and databases had not started yet.

One of his most brilliant studies:

Kasparjan, Genrich
Шахматы в СССР 1939
1^st Prize

+

4 + 4

Show Solution

1. Bg5
{1. Rf5? Rg1+ 2. Kc2 b3+ 3. Kc3 b2 4. f7 Rc1+}
1... b3 2. Rd2+ Ka1 3. f7
{3. Be3? b2+ 4. Rxb2 Rxf6 5. Bd4 Rf1+ 6. Kc2 a3 7. Rb1+ Ka2 8. Rxf1 stalemate}
3... Rxg5
{3... a3 4. Rd1 Rd6 5. f8=Q b2+ 6. Kc2+ Rxd1 7. Qxa3#}
4. f8=Q Rg1+ 5. Rd1 Rg2 6. Qa3+ Ra2 7. Rd2
{7. Qc5 Rh2 (7... b2+ 8. Kd2+ b1=Q+ 9. Ke1) 8. Rd2 Rh1+ 9. Rd1 Rh2}
7... Rxa3
{7... b2+ 8. Qxb2+ Rxb2 9. Rxb2 a3 10. Rb1+ Ka2 11. Rb8 Ka1 12. Kc2 a2 13. Kb3}
8. Rb2 Ra2 9. Rb1#
Black's main card, the two advanced pawns, is also the cause of his demise.

Another study, in a different style, more similar with a moremover:

Kasparjan, Genrich
Шахматы в СССР 1935
4^th Prize

+

6 + 6

Show Solution

1. Se8 !
{1. Sf5 Kg4 2. Se3+ Kf3 3. Sxf1 Rf2 =)
1... Kg6 2. h5+ Rxh5 3. f5+ Rxf5 4. g4 Re5 5. Bf5+ (5. Sg7 f5) 5... Rxf5 6. Sg7 and the fork forces mate by gxf5 or gxh5.

Александр Сергеевич Кузовков (27-02-1953) Russian composer and Grandmaster (Aleksandr Sergeievich Kuzovkov) 

Aleksandr Kuzovkov
Problem, May 1979
[Thanks to Александр Никитин ]

Kuzovkov is a constructions engineer and also an excellent direct mate composer. Some details about him can be read on Wikipedia. He is also an International Judge since 2017.
The threemover below shows his talent plentifully. What is noteworthy is that Aleksandr Kuzovkov, beside this 1st place in the WCCT, has also won 2 second places and 3 third places in WCCT tourneys!

Кузовков, Александр Сергеевич
8^th WCCT, 2008
1^st Place

#3

16 + 8

Show Solution

Set play:
1... Qxd5 2. Red6 (A) (3. Rc4#)
1... Bxd5 2. Rcd6 (B) (3. Sc6, Re4#) 2... Qxc2 3. Rxd5#

Try: 1. Sc5? (2. Re4+, 2. f3)

1... Qxd5 2. Rcd6 (B) (3. Sc6, Sb3#) 2... axb4, a4 3. Sb3, Sc6#
1... Bxd5 2. Qd8 (C) (3. Re4#)
but 1... Qxc2!

1. Se5! (2. Bg1 [3. f3#] 2... Qxc2, Bf3 3. Rc4, Sxf3#)

1... Qxd5 2. Qd8 (C) (3. Rc4#)
1... Bxd5 2. Red6 (A) (3. Sf3#)
(1... gxf4 2. Bxf4 ad lib 3. Be3#)

The problem combines the difficult WCCT-8 theme (black piece pinned at move 2) with the difficult Rice cycle (Zagoruiko 3x2 according to the pattern AB-BC-CA)

Кузовков, Александр Сергеевич
05. WCCT
23^rd Place

#2

11 + 11

Show Solution

Set play:

1...Sh1/Sf5[a] 2.c3#[A]/Qc3#[B]
1...Se4[b] 2.Sf3#[C]
1...Bd3[c] 2.c3#[A]
1...Sxd5[d] 2.Qxd5#[D]
1...Se6[e]/Se8[e]/Sxa6[e]/Sa8[e] 2.Qc3#[B]
1...Se2 2.Rd3#

1.Qxg6! (2.Qxg7#)

1...Sf5[a]/Se6[e]/Se8[e]/Sxa6[e]/Sa8[e] 2.c3#[A]
1...Se4[b] 2.Qxe4#[F]
1...Bxg2/Bd3[c] 2.Qd3#[E]
1...Sxd5[d] 2.Sf3#[C]
1...Kc3 2.Be5#

Ideal Rukhlis, black correction.
It is difficult to understand how this problem was classified so low in the WCCT tourney.

Kuzovkov's talents are not limited to threemovers. Here is an example in helpmate:

Кузовков, Александр Сергеевич
Tournoi Goumondy, 1986
1^st Prize

h#2

3.1.1.1

8 + 8

Show Solution

1.Qh2 g7+ [A] 2.Rg6 g4# [B]
1.Bf3 g4+ [B] 2.Bxg4 e4# [C]
1.Rg4 e4+ [C] 2.Rxe4 g7# [A]

Cycle of white moves AB-BC-CA.

And an example in selfmate:

Кузовков, Александр Сергеевич & Феоктистов, Александр Фёдорович
Уральский проблемист 2003
1^st Prize

s#3

12 + 13

Show Solution

1.Qh4 ! (2.Sc3 [3.Sb5+ Rxb5#])

1...d6 2.Sxe5+ Kxe5 3.Qxh8+ Rg7#
1...dxe6 2.Sxc5+ Kxc5 3.Qe7+ Rxe7#
1...Sxe6 2.Qxe4+ Kxe4 3.Sxc5+ Sxc5#

Евгений Павлович Сорокин (27-02-1933 - 19-04-2000) Russian composer (Evgeni Pavlovich Sorokin) 

Evgeni Sorokin
Problem, May 1979
[Thanks to Александр Никитин ]

Sorokin composed many problems in collaboration with other composers, especially Pavlos Moutecidis.

Сорокин, Евгений Павлович
Onitiu Memorial T, 1973
2^nd Prize

h#4

1.2.1...

3 + 3

Show Solution

1.Kc3 Rf1 2.Kb2 Be4 3.Ka1 Rf3 4.Sb2 Ra3#
1.Kc3 Be2 2.Kb2 Bc4+ 3.Ka1 Rc2 4.Sb2 Rc1#

Echo mates.

Jacques Mieses (27-02-1865 - 23-02-1954) German - British player and composer

Jacques Mieses [Wikimedia]

Jacques Mieses was a Grandmaster with a dangerous attacking style. You can read more about his life, chess career, books and games on the website www.mieses.info. He also composed a few two- and threemovers, among which the following:

Mieses, Jacques
Vasárnapi Újság, 1881 (1142)

#4

10 + 3

Show Solution

1.Ba5 ! ZZ

1...bxc5 2.Sf6+ Kxe5 3.Bc7+ Kf5 4.Bd3#
1...Kxc5 2.Sf6 (3.Bb4#/Bxb6#) 2...bxa5 3.Kb8 Kb6 4.Sd7#
1...bxa5 2.Kb8 Kxc5 3.Sf6 Kb6 4.Sd7#

Евгений Богданов (27-02-1952 - 30-10-2010) Ukrainian composer and Grandmaster (Evgeni Bogdanov)

Evgeni Bogdanov
Problem, May 1979
[Thanks to Александр Никитин ]

Evgeni Bogdanov was one of the most prolific composers of our time, with more than 3400 problems registered in databases. He composed mostly direct mates (6% of his output were helpmates) and was interested in cyclic themes. He received the title of GM at the Kobe 2012 congress.

Богданов, Євгеній Михайлович
Le Courrier des Echecs, 1983
1^st Prize

#3

8 + 13

Show Solution

Set play:

1... c5 2.Rxb6+ Rxb6 3.Qxb6#
1... e5 2.Qf8+ Re7 3.Qxe7#

Actual play:
1.Sf8 ! (2.Qxd7+ Ke5 3.Bc3#)

1...c5 [a] 2.d5*c6 ep. [A] (3.Bb4#) 2...Sc5 [b] 3.Bxf4# [B]
1...Sc5 [b] 2.Bxf4+ [B] e5 [c] 3.dxe6 ep.# [C]
1...e5 [c] 2.dxe6 ep. [C] (3.Bxf4# [B]) 2...Se5 [d] 3.Bb4# [D] (or 2...Rh4 3.Qxd7#)
1...Se5 [d] 2.Bb4+ [D] c5 [a] 3.dxc6 ep.# [A]

Complete cycles ab-bc-cd-da and AB-BC-CD-DA.
Other variations:
1...Ke5 2.Bc3+ Kd6 3.Qxd7#
(1...c6 2.dxc6 or 1...e6 2.dxe6 same as 1...c5 and 1...e5)
This problem was selected in the FIDE Album 1983-85.

Николай Яковлевич Косолапов (27-02-1934 - 2009) Russian composer (Nikolay Yakovlevich Kosolapov)

Nikolay Kosolapov
Problem, February 1968
[Thanks to Александр Никитин ]

Kosolapov mainly composed direct mates, but he also explored the helpmate field, for instance this h#4 with 6 solutions (3 S-promotions and 3 Q-promotions) composed with G. Chumakov.

Косолапов, Николай Яковлевич
ЮК 50 лет Вооруженных сил СССР 1968
1^st Prize

#2 vvv

10 + 5

Show Solution

1.Bxg5? ZZ

1...dxc5[a] 2.Rcd2#[A]
1...dxe5[b] 2.Red2#[B]
1...d5[c] 2.Qh4#[C]
but 1...Kd5!

1...Bc1? ZZ

1...dxc5[a] 2.Rcd2#[A]
1...dxe5[b] 2.Red2#[B]
1...d5[c] 2.Bb2#[D]
1...g4[d] 2.Qd2#[E]
but 1...Kd5!

1.Sc3? ZZ

1...dxc5[a] 2.Re4#[G]
1...dxe5[b] 2.Be3#[H]
1...d5[c] 2.Sb5#[I]
1...g4[d] 2.Qe3#[F]
1...c6 2.Qxd6#
but 1...Kxc5!

1.Se3! ZZ

1...dxc5[a] 2.Bc3#[K]
1...dxe5[b] 2.Rc4#[J]
1...d5[c] 2.Sf5#[L]
1...g4[d] 2.Qf4#[M]
1...Kxe5 2.Qf6#
1...c6 2.Qxd6#

Give-and-take key, Zagoruiko.