April 17th

Marcel Aschenazi (17-04-1924 - 18-02-1997) Romanian-American composer

Marcel Aschenazi enjoyed new ideas in #2 and #3 and in heterodox problems.
You may be interested in his twomover composed in collaboration with Virgil Nestorescu or in this threemover.

Aschenazi, Marcel
2^nd WCCT, 1980
2^nd Place, 1980-1983

#3

14 + 11

Show Solution

1.Kf1-e2 ! (2.Qa1-h1+ Kd5-d4 3.Rb5xb4/Qh1-e4#)

1...Ra6xe6+ 2.Bf4-e5 (3.Qa1-d4#) 2...Sd7xe5 3.Sc8-b6#
1...Rh6xe6+ 2.Bf4-e5 (3.Qa1-d4#) 2...Sd7xe5 3.Sh7-f6#
1...Qe8xe6+ 2.Bf4-e3 (3.Qa1-d4#) 2...Bf8-g7 3.Sc8-e7#

(1...Sb7-d6 2.c5xd6+ Sd7-c5 3.Rc7xc5/Rb5xc5/Qa1-e5#)

Николай Осипович Долгинович (17-04-1928 - 15-01-1997) Russian composer (Nikolay Ossipovich Dolginovich)

Nikolay Dolginovich
[© Evgeny Kashirin (1949-2007)]

Nikolay Dolginovich composed direct mates or helpmates.

Долгинович, Николай Осипович
1.pr Europa-Rochade, 1989

h#2

2.1.1.1

6 + 7

Show Solution

1.Re4xd4 Bh8-e5 2.Rd4-d2 Sd5-e3#
1.Sf5xd4 Rd8-d6 2.Sd4-b5 Sd5-b4#
Halfpin, selfpinning, self-interference, interference.

Alex Casa (17-04-1932 - 28-07-2005) French composer and International Master

Alex Casa
[Source: The Problemist, November 1970 page 82]

Alex Casa was a strong player and specialist of the twomover. He is the first problemist who managed to show a 5^th degree correction in a twomover.

Casa, Alex
L'Échiquier de Paris, 1953
3^rd Prize

#2

10 + 7

Show Solution

1.Qd7! (2.Qf5#)
1...Sce7 2.Qxe7#
1...Sd4 2.Sxg5# (2.Qe7?)
1...Sde7 2.Qd3# (2.Qe7?/Sxg5?)
1...Se3 2.Sd2# (2.Qe7?/Sxg5?/Qd3?)
1...Sf4 2.Re3# (2.Qe7?/Sxg5?/Qd3?/Sd2?)
5^th degree correction.

Ignaas Vandemeulebroucke (17-04-1934 - 25-08-2018) Belgian composer

Ignaas Vandemeulebroucke

Ignaas Vandemeulebroucke handled the problems column in the "Echiquier Belge". He published in 1983 "A. d'Orville du club d'Anvers" about the problems of Auguste d'Orville.
Check the nice sacrifice key in this twomover or this problem:

Vandemeulebroucke, Ignaas
Revista Română de Şah, 1979
4^th HM

#2

10 + 6

Show Solution

1.Sd2! ZZ

1...Kf4/Kd6/f6 2.Sc4#
1...Kf6 2.Bb2#
1...Kd4 2.Sxf3#

The paradoxical key gives 3 flights.

Jörg Kuhlmann (17-04-1951) German composer

Jörg Kuhlmann wrote in collaboration with Hilmar Ebert & Hans-Peter Reich "Minimalkunst in Schach".
He composed some retractors that were published for instance in "Diagramme und Figuren" but he also composed direct mates, helpmates and selfmates.

Kuhlmann, Jörg
Bo Lindgren-50 JT, Springaren 1992- 1993
2^nd Prize

s#5

11 + 7

Show Solution

1.Qf8! (2.Qc5 ~ 3.Qxa7+ Rxa7#)

1...h1=B 2.Sf3 (3.Qc5 ~ 4.Qxa7+ Rxa7#) 2...g1=B 3.Qc5 Bxd4 4.Qxd4 Bxf3 5.Qxa7+ Rxa7#
1...hxg1=B 2.Qc5 Bxd4 3.Qxd4 g1=B 4.Qxa7+ Bxa7 5.bxc8=B B~#

The problem was reproduced in "Das Matt des weissen Königs", F. Chlubna 1995.

Miroslav Svitek (17-04-1958) Czech-Slovak composer

Miroslav Svitek
[rubriky.net]

Miroslav Svitek favours two- and threemovers. He first composed when young and seems to have taken a long break and to have resumed composing recently (around 2008).

Svítek, Miroslav
Lacny-50 JT, 1976
1^st Prize

#2 v

12 + 7

Show Solution

1.Rxf4? ZZ

1...exd5[a] 2.Rxf5#[E]
1...Bxg6[b]/Be4[f] 2.Sc4#[A]
1...Bxd3+[c] 2.Sxd3#[B]
1...Kf6[d] 2.Rxe6#[C]
1...exd6[e] 2.Qd4#[D]
but 1...gxh3!

1.Sxf4! ZZ

1...exd5[a] 2.Rxd5#[H]
1...Bxg6[b] 2.Sxg6#[F]
1...Bxd3+[c] 2.Sfxd3#[G]
1...Kf6[d] 2.Qd4#[D]
1...exd6[e] 2.Sc4#[A]
1...Be4[f] 2.Rxe6#[C]

Lacny, Ideal Rukhlis, Black correction.

Oliver Sick (17-04-1965) German composer

Oliver Sick (right)

Oliver Sick is a chess player and composer.

Sick, Oliver
Die Schwalbe, 1997
2^nd Prize

#5

11 + 13

Show Solution

1. c5! (2. Sxg5, Sd4#)   1st Novotny
1... Ra6 2. c6 (3. Sxg5, Bd5#)    2nd Novotny
2... Ra5 3. Sc5 (4. R8e3, Bd5, R2e3#)    3rd Novotny
3... Sc4 4. Sfe6 (5. Sxg5, Sd4#)
4... Bxc5, Rxc5 5. Sxg5, Sd4#
Sequential Novotny.

Виктор Фёдорович Волчек (17-04-1966) Belarusian composer and International Master (Viktor Fyodorovich Volchek)

Viktor Volchek
[Superproblem.ru]

Viktor Volchek composes mostly directmates and sometimes selfmates or helpmates. He has won a good deal of prizes during his career and he often composes in collaboration with other directmate composers.
Here is an example of his technique:

Волчек, Виктор Фёдорович
34^th TT Albino, 2007-2008
3^rd Prize

#2

12 + 2

Show Solution

1.Qf6! ZZ

1…Sg6 2.Rxg6#
1…Sg4 2.Rxg4#
1…Sd7 2.exd7#
1…Sf7 2.exf7#
1…Sc4+ 2.dxc4#
1…Sxf3 2.Rxf3#
1…Sc6 2.Sf5#
1…Sxd3+ 2.Rxd3#

Wheel of the black Knight.

Max Jacobs (17-04-1904 - 27-02-1958) American composer

Max Jacobs
Problem, November 1957
[Thanks to Александр Никитин]

[Moved from April 1st post]
Max Jacobs was born on April 17th, 1904 according to this genealogical website where you can read miscellaneous details about his life and family. (Thanks to Moshe Rubin for the link). He was a good tournament player but due to illness he chose chess composition and solving.

Jacobs, Max
Fide Revue T. 1959
Commendation

h#2

b) -wBa8

6 + 4

Show Solution

a) 1. Sc4 Se4 2. Be5 Ka7#
b) 1. Ba7 Kc7 2. Bc5 e4#