March 29th

Olof Wilhelm Robert Sahlberg (29-03-1837 - 06-07-1922) Swedish composer

Robert Sahlberg
"Problem", September 1969
‎[Thanks to Александр Никитин]

Olof Sahlberg can be quoted for his success in the 5^th American Chess Congress:

Sahlberg, Olof Wilhelm Robert
5^th American Chess Congress, 1880
1^st Prize, Set

#2

9 + 4

Show Solution

1.Rdd6? (2.Re5#)
but 1...Sd4!
1.Rde7? ZZ
but 1...Sd4!
1.Bd1! ZZ

1...Kxe6 2.Qg4#
1...Se2~ 2.Nd4#
1...Sc5~ 2.Qe4#[A]
1...Rh5/Rh4/Rxh3/Rh7/Rh8/Rf6 2.Rf6#
1...Rg6 2.Re5#
1...Rxe6 2.Sh4#

A devilishly difficult key!

Antal Miskolczy (29-03-1882 - 1943) Hungarian composer

Another difficult problem is Miskolczy's threemover:

Miskolczy, Antal
Balazs-Gedenkturnier des Györer Schachcl, 1913
1^st Prize

#3

10 + 8

Show Solution

1.Sc7-b5 ! ZZ

1...c3-c2 2.Qh1-a1 (3.Qa1-e5#)
1...c3*d2 2.Qh1-a1 (3.Qa1-e5#)
1...f3-f2 2.e4-e5 (3.Qh1-c6#) 2...Kc5*b5, a6*b5 3.Qh1-d5, Sd8-e6#
1...Kc5*b5 2.Qh1-b1+ Kb5-c5 3.Qb1-b4#
1...g5-g4/g5xf4 2.Qh1-h5+ g7-g5 3.Qh5*g5#
1...a6-a5 2.Qh1-f1 (3.d3-d4#)
1...a6*b5 2.Qh1-b1 (3.Qb1-b4#) 2...Kc5-d4 3.Sd8-e6#
1...g7-g6 2.Qh1-h8 (3.Qh8-e5#)

This time, a difficult sacrificial key.

Frederick Thomas Hawes (29-03-1886 - 20-04-1963) Australian composer

Frederick Thomas Hawes is a Southern composer, who composed together with Frank R. Ravenscroft and John James O'Keefe. Solo, he received prizes in The Problemist. For the blog, a charming twomover with Pelle moves played both by Black and White:

Hawes, Frederick Thomas
Falkirk Herald, 1941
1^st Prize

#2

13 + 8

Show Solution

1. Kh6! (2. Qxc6#)

1... Sd6 2. Rxe7#
1... Qe6 2. Qg6#
1... Qe5 2. R:e5#
1... Rxc7, Bd6 2. Qf5#
1... Rd6/e6 2. d5#
1... Rxf6+ 2. Sxf6#
1... Rc5 2. dxc5#
1... Rxc4 2. Qg6/f5#
1... Se3 2. f3#

Hendrik Hermanus Kamstra (29-03-1899 - 19-08-1971) Dutch composer

Hendrik Hermanus Kamstra is a skilled Dutch composer, with many first prizewinners up to his sleeve. The following one found a well deserved place in the FIDE Album:

Kamstra, Hendrik Hermanus
Tijdschrift vd KNSB, 1948
1^st Prize

#2

12 + 7

Show Solution

Set play:

1...Sc4~+[a] 2.Sf7#[A]
1...Sc4xe5+[c] 2.d5#[B]
1...Qxg6 2.Bxg6#
1...Qd8/Qd5 2.g7#
1...Qf7 2.gxf7#
1...b1Q+/b1R/b1B+/b1S 2.Qxb1#

1.Rf7! (2.Rf4#)

1...Sc4~+[a] 2.Qd3#[D]
1...Sc4xe3[b] 2.d3#[E]
1...Sc4xe5[c] 2.dxe5#[C]
1...b1Q+/b1B+ 2.Qxb1#
1...Rf8 2.Qxc6#
1...Qf8 2.g7#
1...Qxf7 2.gxf7#

Changed mates, black correction.

Anders Emanuel (Manne) Persson (29-03-1918 - 17-09-2010) Swedish composer and International Master

Manne Persson
‎"Problem", September 1969
[Thanks to Александр Никитин]

Anders Emanuel Persson is present in today selection with a nice #2 featuring 3 pairs of matched variations:

Persson, Anders Emanuel
7^th WCCT, 2001
7^th Place, 2001-2004

#2

13 + 13

Show Solution

Set play:

1...Bd3[a] 2.b5#[A]
1...Ba2[b]/Rd3[c] 2.Sxe4#[B]
1...Bd4/Ree3/Rxe2 2.Sxc4#
1...Scxd5/Sb5/Sa6/Sa8 2.Qf6#
1...Sexd5 2.Qf8#
1...Rd4 2.Qxe5#[C]

Tries:
1.Rd3? (2.Sxe4#[B]/b5#[A])
but 1...Qxf2!
1.Rd4[D]? (2.Sxc4#)
but 1...Rc3!
1.Rxe4[E]? (2.Sxc4#)
but 1...Ba2[b]!
1.Ba8[F]! (2.Sb7#)

1...Bd3[a] 2.b5#[A]
1...Rd3[c] 2.Sxe4#[B]
1...Bd4 2.Sxc4#
1...Scxd5 2.Qf6#
1...Rd4 2.Qxe5#[C]
1...Sexd5 2.Qf8#

Grimshaw, Novotny, Barulin (A), Transferred mates, Rudenko.

Іван Іванович Сорока (29-03-1960) Ukrainian composer and Grandmaster (Ivan Ivanovich Soroka)

Ivan Soroka [goja.sk ]

Ivan Soroka is a complete composer. His problems often display complex strategy, as the following 1st prizewinner selected in the FIDE Album convincingly show.

Сорока, Іван Іванович
Рязанский комсомолец 1982

h#3

2 solutions

7 + 11

Show Solution

1.Re7-c7 Bf1-g2 2.h3xg2 Rg1-c1 3.b2xc1=R Qh1-h8#
1.Bb8-c7 Bf1-e2 2.f3xe2 Rg1xb1+ 3.a2xb1=R Qh1-a8#
White sacrifices, Black Grimshaw and Rook promotions.

Michael Herzberg (29-03-1964) German composer and International Master

Michael Herzberg
[Schachclub Bad Salzdetfurth ]

Michael Herzberg creates amazing moremovers using Popandopoulo mechanism, which are very appealing for solvers. The following moremover is very subtle, with its double Novotny:

Herzberg, Michael
Die Schwalbe, 2000

#7

10 + 12

Show Solution

1.Bd7! (2.Sg5#)

1...Rxd7 2.Sfg5+ Kg4 3.Se6+ Kf3 4.Sc5 Bxc5 5.Sg5+ Kg4 6.Sf7+ Kf3 7.Sxe5#
1...Bxd7 2.Shg5+ Kg4 3.Se6+ Kf3 4.Sc5 Rxc5 5.Sg5+ Kg4 6.Sh3+ Kf3 7.Sg1#

Another fine example from the FIDE Album:

Herzberg, Michael
Die Schwalbe, 1992
3^rd Prize

s#6

11 + 14

Show Solution

1.Sde1 ! (2.Sg5+ Kd4 3.Se6+ Rxe6 4.Sf3+ Ke4 5.Sg5+ Kd4 6.Sxe6+ dxe6#)

1...Se5 2.Sxe5+ Kd4 3.S1f3+ Ke4 4.Sh4+ Kd4 5.Sxf5+ Qxf5 6.Sc6+ dxc6#
1...Qe7 2.Sg1+ Kd4 3.Sef3+ Ke4 4.Sd2+ Kd4 5.Se2+ Qxe2 6.Sxb3+ Rxb3#