February 28th

Александр Фёдорович Феоктистов (28-02-1948) Russian composer and Grandmaster (Aleksandr Fyodorovich Feoktistov)

[Ofer Comay, Paz Einat and Alexander Feoktistov
receiving prizes for the Moskovskaya Matreshka tourney, Dresden congress, 2017
Variantim 73]

Aleksandr Feoktistov is the Grandmaster of the day. He's an expert in many fields and many of his works are memorable. You are certainly waiting forward to see some examples and we won't disappoint you:

Феоктистов, Александр Фёдорович
WCCT, 2008
2^nd Place

s#3

9 + 13

Show Solution

1.Qa1! (2.Rd4+! cxd4 3.Qxd4+ Rxd4# [2.Qd4+?] )

1... Sxf6 2.Rd7+ Sxd7 3.Qa8+! Rc6# (3.Sb6+?)
1...gxf6 2.Re5+! fxe5 3.Sb6+! Rxb6# (3.Qa8+?) 2.Qe5+? fe 3.Sb6+ Rxb6+ 4.Rxh7
1... Bxf4 2.Sxe3+! Bxe3 3.c4+! Rxc4# (3.Qa2+?) 2.Rd7+? Bd6 3.Qd1+ Rd4+ 4.Qg4
1... Sxf4 2.Qd1+ Sd3 3.Qxd3+! Rd4# (3.Qf3+?)

The openings of black lines are exploited by White in 4 variations with dual avoidance.

One could also quote a #3 with a 3x3 Zagoruiko with 3 black promotions (1...a1=Q/B/S). But, since we are quite fond of batteries, we choose this one:

Феоктистов, Александр Фёдорович
Сельская жизнь 1969
1^st Prize

#3

10 + 10

Show Solution

1.Kh6 ! (2.Sf6+ Kf4 3.Sh5#)

1...Rd3 2.Sg6+ Kf3, Kxf5 3.Se3, Se5#
1...Rf3 2.Sc6+ Kd3, Kd5 3.Rxd4, Se5#
1...Bg4 2.Se7+ Kf4, Kxe5 3.Sg6, Sd5#

You have probably noticed the elegant S switchbacks.

Can Feoktistov compose non-direct mate problems? A possible answer is the following item:

Феоктистов, Александр Фёдорович
Всероссийский конкурс 1992
1^st Prize

h#3

4 solutions

6 + 12

Show Solution

1.Rc1 d4 2.Rg1 d5 3.Rg4 Bd3# & 1.Rc6 Bf1 2.d5 d3 3.Rg6 Bh3#
1.Kg4 Bxe7 2.Rh5 Bg5 3.Bb7 Bxd7# & 1.Ke4 Bf6 2.Rf5 Be5 3.d5 d3#
2 pairs of matched solutions.

Francisco Salazar López (28-02-1924 - 07-06-2000) Spanish composer and International Master

Francisco Salazar López won 28 points in the FIDE Album. He is the inventor of the theme bearing his name. The Salazar theme is composed of the combination of Reversal and switchback (one example here).

His most quoted Salazar-themed twomover is the following:

Salazar López, Francisco
Die Schwalbe, Jun 1968
2^nd Prize

#2 v

10 + 3

Show Solution

1.Se5[A]? ZZ

1...Bg4[a]/Bh3[a] 2.Sxg4#
1...Bxd3[b] 2.Qg2#[B]
1...Bxe6[c] 2.Sf3#
but 1...Be4!

1.Qg2[B]! (2.Qa2#)

1...Bxd3[b] 2.Se5#[A]
1...Bxe6[c] 2.Qg5#

He is an expert in twomovers and obtained the 2nd place in WCCT-1 with the following great work:

Salazar López, Francisco
1^st WCCT, 1972
2^nd Place, 1972-1975

#2* v

13 + 7

Show Solution

Set play:

1...Bxc4+[a] 2.Sxc4#[A]
1...Sb4+[b] 2.Qxb4#[B]
1...Sb8 2.Bc5#[C]/Qb4#[B]
1...Sc5+ 2.Bxc5#[C]

Try:
1.Be6[D]? (2.Kc3#[E])

1...Bxc4+[a] 2.Kxc4#[F]
1...Sb4+[b] 2.Qxb4#[B]
1...Sxe4[c] 2.Kxe4#[G]
1...Sc5+ 2.Bxc5#[C]
1...Bxc6 2.Rxc6#
1...Sxe6 2.Rxe6#
1...Qxe5 2.f8Q#/f8B#
but 1...Sf3!

1.Kc3[E]! (2.Be6#[D])

1...Bxc4[a] 2.Bxc4#[I]
1...Sb4[b]/Sc5 2.Bc5#[C]
1...Sxe4+[c] 2.Bxe4#[H]
1...Qxe5+ 2.fxe5#
1...Sf3 2.Re6#
1...Bxc6 2.Bxc6#/Rxc6#

Threat reversal.

On Juraj Lörinc's website you can see a series helpstalemate by Salazar with a total of 5 S-promotions.

Nicolas Rossolimo (28-02-1910 - 24-07-1975) American player and composer

Nicolas Rossolimo
[HERITAGE des ECHECS FRANCAIS]

Nicolas Rossolimo was a strong Grand Master who won the French and the US Championships. His attacking style earned him many brilliancy prizes. He was called an "artist of chess".

Rossolimo wrote the 28-page booklet "Les Echecs au coin du feu", a collection of positions from his games and his composed studies, with a preface by Savielly Tartakower (1947, cover here).

Here is an endgame study:

Rossolimo, Nicolas
Шахматный листок 5^th Dec 1927
5^th Prize

+

3 + 3

Show Solution

1.h7 Rh6 2.Kb5 Kb3 3.Kc5 Kc3 4.Kd5 Kd3 5.Ke5 Ke3 6.Kf5 Kf3 7.Rf8 Rxh7 8.Kg6+ Kg3 9.Kxh7 g5 10.Kg6 g4 11.Kf5 Kh3 12.Rh8+ Kg3 13.Rg8 +-

Roland Löwe (28-02-1934) German composer

Löwe, Roland
Freie Presse, 1965
1^st Prize

#4

6 + 11

Show Solution

Tries:
1.f5? (2.Sf7#) 1...Bd5!
1.Rf8? (2.Rf6#) 1...Rc6!

1.Qe2 ! (2.Qe6#; or 2.Sf7+ Kg6 3.Rg8+ Kxf7 4.Qe8#)

1...Rxe2 2.Rf8 (3.Rf6#) Re6 3.f5 (4.Sf7#) 3.Re7/Rf6 4.R(x)f6# or 2...Be4 3.Rf6+ Bg6 4.Sf7#
1...Bxe2 2.f5 (3.Sf7#) 2...Bc4 3.Rf8 (4.Rf6#) 3...Bf7 4.Sxf7#

A logical problem: the two tries explain why it is necessary to decoy the defending units Rc2 and Bf4 with the sacrifice key 1.Qe2!

Willy Popp (28-02-1902 - 19-04-1978) German composer

Willy Popp
[Kartothek L-Z page 29]

Popp composed in the style of his era. One of Popp's problems retained in the FIDE Album:

Popp, Willy
Schach-Echo, 1936
1^st Prize

#2

12 + 8

Show Solution

1.Kf2! (2.Bg3#)

1...Qd4+ 2.Se3#
1...Bh3 2.Qe1#
1...Rc2+ 2.Bd2#
1...Bxf6 2.Bg5#
1...Bxc5+ 2.Be3#

Black opens white lines. White batteries and a check-provoking key.

The other FIDE-Album problem by Popp can be seen here.

Νίκος Περγιάλης (28-02-1931 - 04-12-2019) Greek composer (Nikos Pergialis)

Nikos Pergialis, 2008
[© Neos Palamedes]

Nikos Pergialis is, according to Emmanuel Manolas who speaks highly of him, the last rembetis (popular song composer and performer, who plays rebetiko).
You can discover on Emmanuel's blog some information about him, especially in Pergialis part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4.

Here is one of his best problems:

Pergialis, Nikos
chess-problems-gr, 19^th Mar 2009

h#2

3.1.1.1

4 + 2

Show Solution

1. cxb1=R+! Ka2 2. Rb5 Ra3#
1. cxb1=S! Rb3 2. Sa3 Rb4#
1. c1=B! Rc5 2. Ba3 Bc2#

Stanislav Juříček (28-02-1952 - 25-01-2024) Czech composer

Stanislav Juříček, 2013
[Source: NSS.cz]

Stanislav Juříček was, according to Ivan Skoba, a "Czech chess player, historian and composer, who has published so far about 400" problems. He was the co-author of the interesting book 100 Years of Chess in Wallachia". Of course it is about Moravian Wallachia.
He composed direct mates and helpmates.

Here is one of his longmovers:

Juříček, Stanislav
ЮК М.Марандюк-60, Проблеміст України 2010
6^th Commendation

#5

7 + 7

Show Solution

1.Kc6! threatening 2.Ra4#
1... a1=Q 2.Rxa1 Ba2 3.Bf3! (4.Bxe2#) and now:
3... c1=S 4.Be4! Sd3 5.Bd5# or 4... Bb1 5.Ra4#
or
3... Kd3 4.Kd5 ~ 5.Be4#
Nice zugzwang variations.