May 12th

Николай Павлович Будков (12-05-1928 - 1999) Russian problemist (Nikolay Pavlovich Budkov)

Nikolay Budkov composed mostly direct mates and helpmates with little material on the board.

Budkow, Nikolai & Каковин, Александр Сергеевич
Due Alfieri, 1985 (618)
2^nd HM

h#2

b) bKa8->d4 c) = b) + bRe6<->bSc6 d) = c) + bKd4->g8

3 + 4

Show Solution

a) 1. Sa5 Sc6 [A] 2. Sb7 Sb6# [B]
b) 1. Re4 Sb6 [B] 2. Se5 Se6# [C]
c) 1. Rc4 Sf6 [D] 2. Sc5 Sc6# [A]
d) 1. Sg5 Se6 [C] 2. Sf7 Sf6# [D]
Cycle of white moves AB-BC-CD-DA, realized thanks to the symmetry of the position.

Николай Иванович Бельчиков (12-05-1947 - 15-12-2023) Belarusian composer (Nikolay Ivanovich Belchikov)

Nikolay Belchikov
(Thanks to Nikola Stolev)


Nikolay Belchikov was the author of more than 150 problems, mostly twomovers.

Бельчиков, Николай Иванович & Тиханков, Владимир
6^th WCCT, 1996
1^st Place, 1996-2000

#2

9 + 7

Show Solution

Set play:
1...Qxe5[a] 2.Qc4#[B]
1...Bxe5[c] 2.Qf7#[D]
Try:
1.Qe3? (2.Sf4#)
1...Qxe5[a] 2.Qc5#[F]
1...Bxe5[c] 2.Nb4#[E]
Solution:
1.Qg5! (2.Sf4#)
1...Qxe5[a] 2.Sxc3#[A]
1...Bd2[b]/Bxe5[c] 2.Rd4#[G]
1...Qc4+ 2.dxc4#
Zagoruiko.

Badea Duţă (12-05-1934) Romanian problemist

Badea Duţă is a direct mate composer. His most successful twomover is probably this one:

Duţă, Badea
Tribuna Sibiului, 1971
1^st Prize

#2

10 + 5

Show Solution

1.Rxh6? ZZ 1...Sd6 2.Rxd6# but 1…Sc6!
1.Qf6? ZZ 1...Sc6, Sd6 2.Qe6, Qxd6# but 1…h5!
1.Sc4? (2.Qg2#) but 1…Sd6!
1.Sg6? ZZ 1...Sd6, Sc6 2.Se7, Qf7# but 1…h5!
1.Sc6! (2.Qg2#)

1…Sxc6 2.c4#
1…Sd6 2.Se7# Boros theme (The mating move uses the pinning of a piece indirectly pinned by that move)
1…Rxg7 2.c4#
1…Re7+ 2.Sxe7# Dentist theme (a indirectly unpins A, A moves then a mates by indirect check.)
1…Rxb4 2.Qe5#
1…Kxc6 2.Qd7# pin mate

Give and take key, changed mates.

Андрій Миколайович Фролкін (12-05-1957) Ukrainian composer and International Master (Andrey Mikhailovich Frolkin)


Andrey Frolkin is specialized in Retroanalysis problems, but he also composes helpmates. All in all, he has composed at least 800 problems, alone or in collaboration with other problemists and he is already a living legend among retro composers.
The Ceriani-Frolkin theme, a typical retroanalytical theme, bears his name (A promoted unit is captured). He holds the record of the longest proof game - in 57.5 moves.

He also composed many other types of retro problems, but here is an excellent Proof Game of his, a natural-looking position hiding many secrets:

Фролкін, Андрій Миколайович
Die Schwalbe, Aug 1990 (7053)
2^nd Prize

PG 19.0

14 + 15

Show Solution

1.e4 c5 2.Bd3 c4 3.Se2 cxd3 4.0-0 dxe2 5.c4 e1=R 6.c5 Re3 7.c6 Rf3 8.c7 Rf4 9.f3 e5 10.Kf2 Bc5+ 11.Ke1 Se7 12.Rh1 0-0 13.cxd8=R Sec6 14.Re8 Sd8 15.Re6 Sbc6 16.Rg6 f6 17.Rg3 Kf7 18.Qb3+ Ke8 19.Qd5 Rh8
Both white and black castles happen during the solution, but the Kings and Rooks paradoxically return to their initial squares.