Chess Composers: April 21st

Милан Велимировић (21-04-1952 - 25-02-2013) Serbian composer and Grandmaster (Milan Velimirović)

Milan Velimirović was not just 'another' Serbian Grandmaster (in composition and in solving) and International Judge. He was also an indefatigable writer and editor, who edited first the Yugoslav Mat magazine (1974-1984), then the old Mat Plus (1994-1999) and afterwards the new Mat Plus (since 2007). Unfortunately, due to economical problems Milan stopped the publication of Mat Plus magazine in 2012.

Based on his IT knowledge, Milan built a site with a forum related with Mat Plus magazine where a community has grown and flourished. He has also offered some facilities to the website members, such as a web-based chess diagram creator (membership is granted to all persons who register on the site). He created the Mat Plus Librarian solving program, that can also serve as a database module and the web service 'PGN Live' used by the Chess Endgame Study Database.

Milan was also a renowned twomover composer and theoretician, who wrote many reference articles. He composed in other genres too (direct mates, selfmates).
He was also the author, with Marjan Kovačević, of "2345 Schachprobleme – Anthology of Chess Combinations" (1997).
He compiled the book "Encyclopedia of Chess Problems" (2012) together with Kari Valtonen.
Update on February 25th,2013: Milan passed away this morning. Marjan Kovačević announced all chess composers on Milan's website, Mat Plus forum.

Велимировић, Милан
Tovariš 1971 (v)
1^st Prize

#2 vvvvv

11 + 3

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Велимировић, Милан
2^nd WCCT, 1980
1^st Place, 1980-1983

10 + 9

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And now for something completely different:

Велимировић, Милан
The Problemist, 1980 (v)
Special Prize

#69

2 + 11

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Alfred Crosskill (21-04-1829 - 05-05-1904) British composer

Calling Alfred Crosskill a composer may be a little far-fetched. Alfred Crosskill is known as one of the chess players and analysts who tried to discover the secrets of the K+R+B vs K+R ending in the 19th century, based on Philidor's position. Crosskill himself pursued Zytogorski's researches. His analyses were published anonymously or under the pseudonym Euclid. John D. Beasley has made a great work establishing the actual version of Crosskill's and Zytogorski's researches in this field: it can be read in BESN 50, March 2007.

Crosskill also analysed the K+Q vs K+R ending:

Crosskill, Alfred
Analysis of the Chess Ending King and Queen against King and Rook, 1895 (2)

White wins, Black to move

2 + 2

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Елена Николаевна Пепеляева (21-04-1899 - 25-06-1976) Russian composer (Elena Nikolaevna Pepelyaeva)

Elena Pepelyaeva
Problem, February 1968
[Thanks to Александр Никитин ]

Elena Pepelyaeva composed mainly heterodox problems.

Пепеляева, Елена Николаевна
Match: Hungary - Kazakstan, 1967
1^st Place

s#2

9 + 10

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Neidse, Wascha & Пепеляева, Елена Николаевна
Ajedrez Mágico, Mar 1971 (24/910)
HM

ser-h#21

7 + 4

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Сергей Тимофеевич Пугачёв (21-04-1920 - 13-04-1991) Russian composer and FIDE Master (Sergey Timofeyevich Pugachev)

Sergey Pugachev
Problem, February 1968
[Thanks to Александр Никитин ]

Our Sergey Pugachev (not to be mistaken for this Sergey Pugachev) was a direct mate composer. His level can be assessed by his title of USSR Champion for threemovers in 1972. He became FIDE Master in 1990.
Some more details on Pugachev can be found on Valery Surkov's blog.

Пугачёв, Сергей Тимофеевич
Конкурс Всесоюзного комитета ФИС 1950
1^st Prize