April 27th

John Ormerod Scarlett Thursby (27-04-1861 - 26-12-1920) British composer

John Thursby
[findgrave.com]

Sir John Ormerod Scarlett Thursby was president of the National Chess Congress in 1904 (more details about him here, thank you Peter!)
John Thursby published a collection of his own problems in 1883 entitled "Seventy Five Chess Problems": it can be downloaded here.

Thursby, John Ormerod Scarlett
Holyoke Transcript, 1881
3^rd Prize, (Set)

#2*

7 + 6

Show Solution

Set play:
1...Bg3/Bh2/Be3 2.Re4# pin mate

1.Rc3! ZZ

1...Kd4 2.Qh8# pin mate
1...d4 2.Rc5# switchback and pin mate
1...Bg3/Bh2/Be3 2.Re3#

Erkki Tapio Puhakka (27-04-1929 - 07-05-1995) Finnish composer

rkki Puhakka composes helpmates and analytical endgame studies such as this one, but here is another one:

Puhakka, Erkki Tapio
Kivi JT, 1981
1^st Prize

+

5 + 3

Show Solution

1. Bc8 Rb8 2. b7 Bf5 3. Sb6 Bh3 4. Kf2 Bg4 5. Kg2 Kg5 6. Kg3 Bf5 7. Kf3 Kf6 8. Kf4 Be6 9. Ke4 Ke7 10. Ke5 Bf7 11. Sd5+ Kd8 12. Kd6 Rxc8 13. Se7! Rb8 14. Sc6+ Ke8 15. Sxb8 +-
Systematical manoeuvre, sacrifice and fork.

Julio Alberto Pancaldo (27-04-1932) Argentinian composer

Happy 80th birthday to Julio Alberto Pancaldo who is the founder of the club "Pena del Mate Ayudado" (section of the Argentinian chess club).
He composes retro problems, helpmates and fairy problems.

Pancaldo, Julio Alberto & Amil Meylán, Horacio T.
3^rd WCCT 1984-1988
1^st Place

h#2

4.1.1.1

11 + 14

Show Solution

1.Qa6xb5+ Qf6-c6 2.Qb5-a6 Qc6-g2#
1.Ra7-a8+ Qf6-d8 2.Ra8-a7 Qd8xd4#
1.Bh7-g6+ Qf6-f7 2.Bg6-h7 Qf7xb3#
1.Sg8-e7+ Qf6-f8 2.Se7-g8 Qf8-a3#
An exceptional task: fourfold selfpin and unpinning of the white Queen, fourfold switchback of a black piece.

Pancaldo, Julio Alberto
20^th TT Problemkiste, 2000
3^rd Prize

ser-h=8

2.1.1... ChecklessChess h8, h6, d4, c3, b2, a1: Grasshopper

5 + 7

Show Solution

Checkless Chess: White or Black cannot give check. Only mate is allowed.
1.Gh1 2.Kg2 3.Gxh2 4.Kg3 5.Gcxh3 6.Kg4 7.Gdxh4 8.Kxh5 Kh7=
1.Kxh2 2.Kxh3 3.Kxh4 4.Kxh5 5.Kg6 6.Gf6 7.Kf5 8.Ke5 Kg7=
Two solutions in orthogonal-diagonal correspondence. Specific stalemates.

Владимир Алексеевич Ерохин (27-04-1937 - 15-04-2000) Russian composer and International Master (Vladimir Alexeyevich Erokhin)

Vladimir Erokhin is a twomover composer who also left a theme named after himself and belonging to the Dombrovskis family.
Erokhin theme:
1.X (2.A#) 1...a 2.B#
1.B 1...a 2.A#
See also Erokhin 4x4 theme and Erokhin doubling theme.

Ерохин, Владимир Алексеевич
Kharkov TT, 1981
Prize

#2

10 + 13

Show Solution

Set play:

1...Bc2/Rd1/Rxe1 2.Rxc5#[A]
1...Ba2/Rc2 2.fxe4#[B]
1...exf3 2.Re5#/Qxf7#[C]/Qe5#[D]

1.Sc2? (2.Qxf7#[C]/Qe5#[D])

1...Sd7 2.Qxf7#[C]
1...Qxb5/Qxb7 2.Qe5#[D]
1...Bh2 2.Qxf7#[C]/Rxc5#[A]/Se3#
1...Bd4 2.fxe4#[B]
1...Rxa1 2.fxe4#[B]/Sb4#
1...Rd4 2.Rxc5#[A]
but 1...cxb5!

1.Sxc6[E]! (2.Se7#)
1...Sxc6[a] 2.Qxf7#[C]
1...Qxc6[b] 2.Qe5#[D]
Grimshaw, Rudenko, transferred mates.

Микола Іванович Колесник (27-04-1969) Ukrainian composer and International Master(Mykola Ivanovich Kolesnik)

Mykola Kolesnik has composed more than 500 helpmates, most of them in collaboration with Roman Zalokotsky.

Залокоцький, Роман Федорович & Колесник, Микола Іванович
Victory-60 JT, 2005
1^st Prize

h#6

5 + 8

Show Solution

1. Sa3 Kd1 2. Sb5 axb5 3. b2 b6 4. b1S b7 5. Sa3 b8S 6. Sb5 Sd7#
Phoenix of bS, repetition of the same moves with different black Pawns.

Винокуров, Вадим Константинович & Колесник, Микола Іванович
JT Moscow-1941, 2006
2^nd Prize

h#2

2 solutions

4 + 11

Show Solution

1. Sb7 Rc5 2. Sc3 Be4#
1. Sg5 Be4 2. Sd3 Rc5#
In orthogonal diagonal correspondence, exchange of functions of the bSs, of the wR and wB; pin mates.