April 11th

Johann Nepomuk Berger (11-04-1845 - 17-10-1933) Austrian composer

Johann Berger
[Source: scan by M.McDowell]

Johann Berger was initiated to chess composition by J. Seeberger. He was interested in all fields of chess problems but preferred multimovers and studies. He can be considered as one of the founders of the German chess composition school. Chess players know him from the Sonneborn-Berger score system.
His book "Theorie und Praxis der Endspiele" (Theory and Practice of the Endgame, 1891) and was a reference work on endgames.
Helmut Roth wrote a book about him: "Der Schachkomponist. Johann Berger als Schachtheoretiker und Partiespieler" (1982).

The key of this threemover reminds of Giegold:

Berger, Johann Nepomuk
Frankfurter Zeitung, 1887

#3

7 + 5

Show Solution

1.Rf1 ! zugzwang
1...Kd4 2.Qd3+ Ke5 3.f4#
1...e5 2.Rb1 (3.Qd3/Qe4#)
1...Kxb5/Kb4 2.Rb1+ and 2...Ka6/Ka4 3.Qa8# or 2...Kc4 3.Qd3/Qe4# or 2...Ka5 3.Qa3/Qa8#
The wR's ambush is priceless.

Julio Sunyer (11-04-1888 - 27-11-1957) Spanish [not so French] composer

Julio Sunyer, Sitges 1934
[Source: Ajedrez365, article by J.Travesset]
[Thanks to Joaquim Crusats]

Julio Sunyer was a specialist of retro and fairy problems who edited the problems column of the catalan review "Els Escac a Catalunya".

Sunyer, Julio
The Chess Amateur, 1923

-1  White & Black, then  h#1

1 + 1

Show Solution

White retracts 1.Kg6xRh5 , Black retracts 1...Rh8xQh5 and helpmate in 1:
1.0-0 Qh7#
That the solution is unique is amazing.

Julius Robert Gunst (11-04-1896 - 13-04-1958) Finnish composer

Julius Gunst
Бондаренко Ф. Галерея шахматных этюдистов. М., 1968.
[Thanks to Александр Никитин]

Julius Gunst was an endgame composer and International Judge.

Gunst, Julius Robert
Morgenzeitung, 1928
3^rd-4^th Prize

+

3 + 3

Show Solution

1. Rg2 Bc1 2. Rg1 Bf4 3. Bxd6+ Kxd6 4. Ke4 Bh2 5. Rg2 Be5 6. Rg6+ wins the black Bishop.

Branko Koludrović (11-04-1946) Croatian composer

Branko Koludrović (left) with Zvonimir Hernitz
[harmonie 124, page 39]

Branko Koludrović composes essentially helpmates and series problems, most of which with the Circe condition. His orthodox helpmates are worth a look too, for instance this helpmate in two with diagonal-orthogonal correspondence. A shortish series helpstalemate:

Koludrović, Branko
13^rd TT, Problemkiste, Jun 1995
1^st Prize

ser-h=18

SetPlay

2 + 15

Show Solution

Set play: 1. ... Qe1=
1.e1=R 2.Rde2 3.Sd2 4.Kb1 5.Ra1 6.Sa2 7.c1=Q 8.Kc2 9.Qb1 10.Sc1 11.Qa2 12.Sb1 13.d2 14.Kd3 15.Bc2 16.d1=B 17.Rd2 18.Ree2 Qf1=
An impressive series of Black moves which totally changes the configuration of black pieces.

Hilmar Ebert (11-04-1950) German composer

Hilmar Ebert
[wenigsteiner.de]

Hilmar Ebert has written books about helpmates ("Top Helpmates" with Hans Gruber) and especially about problems with few pieces: "Moderne Kleinkunst" also with Hans Gruber in which are shown only Wenigsteiner (problems with 4 men only). For his other chess books please refer to his website.

Hilmar Ebert is the organizer of the yearly tourney (Wenigsteinerjahrespreis) awarding the best 4-men problems published in chess magazines with all sorts of statistics about the results.

"Hilmar Ebert" is his chess pen name, in spite of his official name Hilmar Alquiros (thank you, Hilmar, for all provided details).

The helpmate quoted below is not a Wenigsteiner but it is a classic. It was quoted by Thomas Brand in his post dedicated to Hilmar's 70th birthday, where Hilmar added a tongue-in-cheek comment narrating how the problem was composed ("Pile-Zero" designates Zdravko Maslar, the strongest helpmate expert before solving programs existed).

Ebert, Hilmar & Maslar, Zdravko
diagrammes, 1980
Special Prize

h#5

3 + 2

Show Solution

1.Kf8-e7 Ba5-e1 2.Ke7-d6 Kc2-d2 3.Kd6-c5 Bb3-d1 4.Kc5-b4 Kd2-c2+ 5.Kb4-a4 Kc2-b2#
According to the author, "double helpmate Indian in record economy" and wK switchback.
There is also a try (bK to h8, wK to g6, 5...Bc3# but it fails due to the lack of a black tempo move at the 5th move: Black is forced to play 5.b4 preventing Bc3#

Garen Yacoubian (11-04-1951) French composer and solver

Garen Yacoubian and Michel Caillaud, Messigny 1998
[christian poisson]

Garen Yacoubian is a strong chess solver, several times French solving champion. He was the editor of the problems column of "Revue suisse d'echecs" and of "Tribune de Geneve" for 10 years. He mostly composes moremovers and helpmates.

Yacoubian, Garen
The Problemist, 1973-74
2^nd Prize

h#3

2.1.1.1.1.1

6 + 7

Show Solution

1.Rf3-a3 Rb4-b3 2.Bf7-d5 Rb3-f3 3.Ra3-e3 Rf3-f4#
1.Bf7-b3 Bf1-c4 2.Rf3-e3 Bc4-f7 3.Bb3-d5 Bf7xg6#
The critical moves, Turton, Bristol and the interchange of 2nd and 3rd black moves create a very aesthetic impression.

Branislav Đurašević (11-04-1957) Serbian composer and FIDE Master

Branislav Đurašević
[Wikipedia]

Branislav Đurašević is the inventor of the Djurasevic cycle. He wrote the book 'Svi moji sahovski problemi', collection of 111 of his chess problems from 1970 to 1992. Some of these problems were selected and commented by Juraj Lörinc.
He is the Director of the BIT 2012 (Belgrade International Tourneys) which have been announced on Mat Plus.
[Update 15.04.2012: Branislav mentioned that his #3 1st HM Mat 1982, "with mutual Pickabish interference, White in tries and black as refutations of tries as well as variations in solution", was a lot better than the problem below.]

Đurašević, Branislav
Israel AGM BK, 2009
4^th Place

h#2

4.1...

8 + 3

Show Solution

I) 1.Kxa2 c4 2.Ka1 axb6#
II) 1.Kxb2 axb6 2.Ka1 c4#
III) 1.bxa5 b4 2.axb4 c4#
IV) 1.Rxc3 axb6 2.Rb3 axb3#
Line openings and pawn batteries in a Helpmate Of The Future.

Эдуард Алексеевич Асаба (11-04-1932 - 1988) Soviet composer (Eduard Alekseyevich Asaba)

Eduard Asaba
Problem, May 1979
[Thanks to Александр Никитин]

Eduard Asaba was an endgame studies composer.

Асаба, Эдуард Алексеевич
Gazeta Częstochowska, 1981
1^st Prize

+

5 + 5

Show Solution

1. Sg2+
{1. d7 Rc3+ 2. Kb8 Se6}
1... Kxe2 2. Sxe3 Kxe3 3. d7 Se6 4. Rxf6 Sd4
{4... d1=Q 5. Rxe6+}
5. d8=Q d1=Q 6. Re6+ Kd3 7. Qxd4+ Kxd4 8. Rd6+ wins the bQ.

Erkki Aukusti Wirtanen (11-04-1911 - 03-10-1979) Finnish composer and International Master

Erkki Wirtanen
[Thanks to EAW]

Erkki Wirtanen composed more than 1500 problems (mostly direct mates) during a period spanning over 50 years.
He was also an International Judge.
In 1982 Matti Myllyniemi and Veikko Hynösen published an anthology of Wirtanen's problems. You can read it here.

Wirtanen, Erkki Aukusti
Problem, 1969-70
1^st Prize

s#3

8 + 10

Show Solution

1.e8=♕! ZZ
1...h×g1=♕ 2.♕×g6+ ♕×g6 3.♕f7 ♕×f7#
1...h×g1=♘ 2.♗×e2+ ♘f3 3.♕e5+ d×e5#
1...h×g1=♖ 2.♕f5+ ♖g5 3.♕g4+ ♖×g4#
1...h×g1=♗ 2.♖h2 ♗×h2+/♗f2 3.♘g3+ ♗×g3#
Allumwandlung with several fine selfmate tricks.