March 8th

ვაჟა ნეიძე (08-03-1937 - 11-02-2020) Georgian composer and International Master (Vasha Neidze)

Vasha Neidze
[© Hannu Harkola]

Vasha Neidze was one of the current leading headmasters of terrific Georgian endgame school. He was one of the founders of the Georgian Chess Composition society in Tbilisi, together with Akobia, Kalandadze, Gurgenidze. His endgames always show artistic qualities, as we can admire in the following study:

Neidse, Wascha
Молодость Грузии 1983
1^st Prize, Nadareishvili JT

+

5 + 5

Show Solution

1. c7
{1. bxa8=Q+ Kxa8 2. cxd7+ Ka7 3. d8=Q e1=Q+ 4. Kd7 Qb4;
1. cxd7 Bd6+ 2. Kxd6 Rb8
1. Kxd7 Bc7 2. Kxc7 [2. bxa8=Q+ Kxa8 3. Kxc7 e1=Q] 2... Rb8}
1... Sb6
{1... e1=Q+ 2. Kxd7 Ka6 3. bxa8=Q+ Kb5 4. cxb8=Q+}
2. axb6+
{2. c8=Q Bd6+ [2... Sxc8+ 3. Kd7 (3. bxc8=Q Bd6+)]}
2... Kxb6
{2... Ka6 3. bxa8=Q+}
3. bxa8=S+
{3. bxa8=Q e1=Q+ 4. Kd7 Bxc7 5. Qc6+ Ka5 6. Qxc7+ Kb4;
3. c8=S+ Kc7 4. bxa8=Q e1=Q+ 5. Kf8 Kxc8 6. Qb7+ Kd8 7. Qxb8+ Kd7}
3... Ka7 4. c8=S+ Ka6 5. Bc4+ Kb7 6. Bxe2 Kxa8
{6... Kxc8 7. Ba6#; 6... Bd6+ 7. Sxd6+}
7. Bf3#

Hans Ott (08-03-1890 - 16-06-1967) Swiss composer

Hans Ott was one of the leading Switzerland composers. He composed many beautiful problems, amongst which a classic will remain:

Ott, Hans
Schweizerische Schachzeitung, 1959
1^st Prize

#7

6 + 8

Show Solution

1.Rf1! b4 2.Qa4 [3.Rxb1+ Kxb1 4.Qd1#]
2...b3 3.Qa7 b5 4.Qg1 b4 5.Rxb1+ Bxb1+ 6.d3 Ka2 7.Qa7#
Zepler-Loyd, Kniest, pericritical manoeuvre.

Edwin J. Eddy (08-03-1896 - 00-12-1970) British composer

Edwin Eddy published mainly twomovers in British sources.
One of his major successes, featuring in the FIDE Album, is a study on white batteries play:

Eddy, Edwin J.
West Sussex Gazette, 1930
1^st Prize

#2*

9 + 7

Show Solution

Set play:

1...Kxh4 2.Sdf5#
1...Bxg7 2.Qxg5#
1...gxh4 2.Qh5#

1.Qe2! (2.Rf4#)

1...Kxh4/Bxf3 2.Sdf5#
1...Rxf3/Rc7 2.Sc6#
1...Rb7+ 2.Sb5#
1...gxh4 2.Rg3#

Ernő Szentgyörgyi (08-03-1906 - 1981) Hungarian composer

Ernő Szentgyörgyi
magyarsakkszerzok

Ernő Szentgyörgyi was quite a prolific composer, specialized in #2 miniatures. A funny mutate, typical for his style is:

Szentgyörgyi, Ernő
Magyar Sakkvilág, 1933

#2*

5 + 2

Show Solution

1...Kf3 2.O-O#
1.R1h3! (2.Rxg3#)

Lajos Bukovinszky (08-03-1914 - 04-08-1977) Romanian-Hungarian composer

Lajos Bukovinszky is a Romanian composer who invented the theme named after him. For the blog we selected a charming composition, featuring Forsberg twins:

Bukovinszky, Lajos
Romanian Championship, 1962
1^st Place

h#2

b) wRf7 c) wBf7 d) wSf7 e) wPf7

5 + 3

Show Solution

a) 1. Kd3 Qf1+ 2. Ke4 Sf6#
b) 1. Kd5 Sf4+ 2. Kd6 Bc5#
c) 1. Kf3 Bb3 2. e4 Bd1#
d) 1. Kd5 Kb5 2. e4 Sf4#
e) 1. Kf5 Sf4 2. Kf6 f8=Q#

Black King star, Forsberg twins.

Gerhard Ohlerich (08-03-1921) German composer

Gerhard Ohlerich is specialized in moremovers miniatures, often Rex Solus. For the blog a nice threemover:

Ohlerich, Gerhard
Die Welt, 1987 (1416)

#3

b) Move b2 c4 c) Move b2 d4 d) Move b2 e4 e) Move b2 g4

5 + 1

Show Solution

a) 1.Bd5! Ke3,Kd3 2.Kc1 Kd3,Ke3 3.Rf3#
b) 1.Sd4! Ke3 2.Sd5+ Kd2 3.Rd1#
c) 1.Rb1! Kc2 2.Be4+ Kd2 3.Rd1#
d) 1.Sa4! Kc2 2.Sd4+ Kd2 3.Rd1#
e) 1.Rc1! Ke3,Kd3 2.Se4 Kd3,Ke3 3.Rc3#

Adolf Ender (08-03-1935) German composer

Adolf Ender is also fond of miniatures with mate nets building. A nice example for otb chess players is the following fourmover:

Ender, Adolf
Badische Neueste Nachrichten, 1999

#4

b) wKe6            c)=b) - wSg6

4 + 1

Show Solution

a) 1. Qh3! Kd4 2. Se5 Ke4 3. Qf3+ Kd4 4. Qd3#
b) 1. Qb2!
1...Kd3 2. Kd5 Ke3 3. Kc4 Ke4 4. Qe5#
1...Ke3 2. Kd5 Kd3 3. Sf4+ Ke3 4. Qd4#
c) 1. Qc3! Kf4 2. Qe5+ Kg4 3. Kf6 Kh4 4. Qg5#

Rosario Notaro (08-03-1956) Italian composer

Rosario Notaro
[Thanks to Ján Golha]

Rosario Notaro is an Italian composer with predilection for light positions. We liked the following twomover with two changed mates:

Notaro, Rosario
JT Bikos, 1976

#2*

4 + 3

Show Solution

Set play:

1...Bf4[a] 2.Qd1#[A]
1...Sg4/Sg8/Sh5/Sh7/Se4[b]/Se8/Sd5/Sd7 2.Qe4#[B]

1.Sd3! (2.Se1#)

1...Bf4[a] 2.Qxf4#[C]
1...Se4[b] 2.Qd1#[A]
1...Ba5 2.Se5#/Qf4#[C]

Алексей Мефодиевич Беленький (08-03-1905 - 15-06-1986) Russian composer (Alexey Mefodievich Belenky)

Alexey Belenky
[ШАХМАТИСТАМ.РФ]

Alexey Belenky was a pianist and an endgame study composer. You can find his biography in Russian by V. Neishtadt here on ШАХМАТИСТАМ.РФ. He also has a dedicated Wikipedia page.

Беленький, Алексей Мефодьевич
Третье командное первенство СССР 1960
1^st Place

+

8 + 5

Show Solution

1. Rb5+! Kc4 2. Rxb3 d3 3. Rxd3 Kxd3 4. Sd4+ Kxe3!
Now 5. Sxe6? would be a stalemate.
5. Bf5! threatens 6.Sc2# and wins the Queen.
A domination study.