April 22nd

Gyula R. Neukomm (22-04-1892 - 09-10-1957) Hungarian composer

 Gyula (Julius) Neukomm, 1930
[Wikipedia]

Gyula (Julius) Neukomm composed helpmates, directmates and other genres as well. Together with Kovacs and Schor he wrote a dictionary about chess problem terminology "Feladvány Műszótár" (1926).
He was chief editor of the Hungarian magazine "Magyar Sakkvilag", president of PCCC from 1956 until his death and International Judge.
His problems were appreciated by solvers for their entertaining qualities:

Neukomm, Gyula R.
Hundertjahrfeier-Turnier des Ungarischen
1^st Prize

#9

13 + 11

Show Solution

1.f5+! Kd5 2.fxe4+ Kc4 3.cxd3+ Kxb4 4.a3+ Kxc5 5.d4+ Kd6 6.e5+ Ke7 7.f6+ Kf8 8.g7+ Kg8 9.h7#
A task: only Pawn moves!

Neukomm, Gyula R.
Magyar Sakkvilág, 1948

#10

8 + 8

Show Solution

1.Kg4! (unpins wPb5, threatens 2.b6#)
1...Rxa4+ 2.Kg3 Ra3+ 3.Kg2 Ra2+ 4.Kg1 Rxa1+ 5.Kg2 Ra2+ 6.Kg3 Ra3+ 7.Kg4 Ra4+ 8.Kg5 Ra5 9.Ra1! (10.Rxa5#) Rxa1 10.b6#
The elevator manoeuvre of the wK has also be shown in endgame studies, but it is always fresh.

Neukomm, Gyula R.
Magyar Sakkvilág, 1945

h#4

b) wKh6->h5

2 + 1

Show Solution

a) 1.Kb5 Qh7 2.Kc6 Kg7 3.Kd7 Kf6+ 4.Ke8 Qe7#
b) 1.Kb3 Qf4 2.Kc2 Kg4 3.Kd1 Kf3 4.Ke1 Qc1#
The first solution is especially hard to find.

François Michel (22-04-1903 - 20-03-1977) French composer

François Michel
[Thèmes 64 no.17/1960 page 258]

François Michel was a twomover composer (more than 700 problems). An article was dedicated to him in Thèmes 64 no.17/1960 pages 258-259.

Michel, François
FIDE Ty. 1957
2^nd Prize

#2 v

11 + 8

Show Solution

1.Qd5? (2.Be2#)

1...Rxd4[a] 2.Sb4#[B]
1...Bxd4[b] 2.Sf2#[C]
1...Qxd4[c] 2.Sc5#[A]
1...Be3+ 2.Rxe3# but 1...Rxa2!

1.Sd2! (2.Be2#)

1...Rxd4[a] 2.Qc4#[D]
1...Bxd4[b] 2.Qg3#[E]
1...Qxd4[c] 2.Qxh7#[F]

Plachutta.
One can also add the try 1.Qb3? (2.c4#) with the following variations:
1...Qa5/Qd7 2.Sc5#[A]
1...Ra3 2.Sb4#[B]
1...Rb4 2.Sxb4#[B]/cxb4#
1...Rc4 2.Qxb1#
1...Bc2/Bxa2 2.Bxc2#
1...Be3+ 2.Rxe3# but 1...Sd6!

Zvi Hashavit (Heilbut) (22-04-1917 - 29-04-1981) Israeli composer

Zvi Hashavit was an International Judge.

Heilbut, Zvi
Probleemblad, 1958

#2

11 + 6

Show Solution

Tries:
1.Bc6? (2.Rxd4#[B]/Rc5#[A]) but 1...Bxc6!
1.Qg2? (2.Rxd4#[B]/Rc5#[A]) but 1...hxg2+!
1.Kh2? (2.Rxd4#[B]/Rc5#[A]) but 1...Sf3+[b]!

1.Sg6[C]! (2.Se5#)

1...Sac6[a] 2.Rc5#[A]
1...Sf3[b] 2.Rd4#[B]
1...Bxd5+ 2.Qxd5#
1...Sdc6 2.Re5#

Rudenko.

Günther Jahn (22-04-1928 - 24-04-2007) German composer and FIDE Master

Günther Jahn was a chess player and solver who started composing and in 1968 stopped o.t.b play and focused on problem composition. He was specialized in hard-to-solve multimovers, which earned him the nickname of "Löser-Schreck" (the solvers' nightmare - see Die Schwalbe for more details).

Godehard Murkisch selected his best works in "Schachproblem-Komponist Günther Jahn - Ausgewählte Aufgaben" (2005).

Jahn, Günther
Die Schwalbe, 1979 (2793)
Special Prize

#10*

2 + 7

Show Solution

Set play: 1...Ka4 2.Qa8+ Ra6 3.Qxa6#
1.Qa8+! Ra6 2.Qb8 Rh6 3.Qa7+ Ra6 4.Qc7+ Ka4 5.Qd8 Ra5 6.Qb8 Ra6 7.Qc7 Ra8 8.Qb6 Ra5 9.Qb7 Ra8/Ra7/Ra6 10.Qxa8/Qxa7/Qxa6#
Duel, Rundlauf, Fata Morgana.

Jahn, Günther
Sächsische Zeitung, 1994
1^st Prize

#8

3 + 9

Show Solution

1.Qf2+! Kd3 2.Qc2+ Ke3 3.Qxh2 (4.Qg3#) Kd3 4.Qc7 (threatens 5.Qc1 [6.Sf2#] e3 6.Qc2#)
4...Sc5 5.Qxc5 (6.Qc1 [7.Sf2#] e3 7.Qc2#) and now:

5...g4 6.Qc2+ Ke3 7.Qd2+ Kf3 8.Qf2#
5...Ke3 6.Qxg5+ Kd3 7.Qc1 e3 8.Qc2#

Antonín König (22-04-1836 - 01-10-1911) Czech composer

Antonín König (with the walking stick in the left hand)
[Chessproblem.net]

Antonín König is considered as the founder of the famous Bohemian School. For a few details about this chess composition school, see this short article by Gary Kevin Ware.
As WFCC states:

On January 4th 1869, the Czech (Bohemian at that time) magazine “Svetozor” published an article by Antonín König (1836-1911), a painter and the founder of the Bohemian school in chess composition. This article is known as one of the earliest sources considering chess composition as an independent form of Art.

König, Antonín
Světozor (2) 1870

#3

6 + 3

Show Solution

1.♗d8! (2.♗c7 ~ 3.♖e7#)
1...♔×d8 2.♗c6 ~ 3.♖e8#
1...♔×d6 2.♗c8 (3.♖e6#) 2...♔×e5 3.♗c7#
B and R sacrifices.

König, Antonín
Světozor 1871
1^st Prize

#3

8 + 6

Show Solution

1.♕e8! (2.♘b6+ and two variations: 2...♔×d4 3.♕e4/♕h8# or 2...♔b4 3.♕a4#)
1...♔×d5 2.♕e6+ ♔×d4 3.♕e4#
1...♗b5 2.♕e7 (3.♕×c5#) and two variations:
2...♔×d4 3.♕e4#
2...c×d4 3.♘b6#
Some amazing mates marred by a mate dual in the threat.