May 29th

Francis (Frank) Bradley Phelps (29-05-1847 - 16-05-1916) American composer

Frank Bradley Phelps' grave
[FindAGrave]

Francis Bradley Phelps was a direct mate composer.

Phelps, Frank Bradley
Checkmate, 1904

#3

7 + 7

Show Solution

1.Ra4-e4 ! ZZ

1...Kg4xf5 2.Re4xf4+ Kf5-e5 3.Rf4-f5#
1...e6-e5 2.Kc8-d7 Kg4xf5 3.Re4xf4#
1...e6xf5 2.Bb1-a2 f5xe4 3.Ba2-e6#

A good flight-giving key and three motivating variations.

Walther Freiherr von Holzhausen (29-05-1876 - 09-08-1935) German composer

Walther Freiherr von Holzhausen
[Wikipedia]

Walter von Holzhausen was inspired by "Das indische Problem" (1903, Johannes Kohtz and Carl Kockelkorn). He published in 1926 the famous "Brennpunktprobleme", a compilation of articles published in Deutsche Wochenschach in 1908-1909 about focal squares. In 1928 he published "Logik und Zweckreinheit im neudeutschen Schachproblem", a reference work about logic and strategic chess problems.

He also gave his name to a moremover theme.
Holzhausen intersection : A ‘linear’ piece interferes with a ‘linear’ piece with similar way of movement and it is forced to become its substitute. (definition by E.Manolas)

You can find an example of this theme in one of today's problems.

Here are two simple but elegant twomovers:

Freiherr von Holzhausen, Walter
Deutsches Wochenschach, 23^rd Oct 1904

#2

6 + 5

Show Solution

1.Kh5! (2.Rg6#)
1...Rxa4 2.Qxb5#
1...g5 2.Qc6#
The key is difficult to find if you can't see it immediately, but proves to be rewarding.

Freiherr von Holzhausen, Walter
Akademische Schachblätter, 1901 (9C)

#2

7 + 2

Show Solution

1.Sa7! ZZ
1...Kxc7+ 2.bxa8S#
1...Kxa7+ 2.b8S#
1...Rxa7 2.Rc8#
Block, counter-checks, two S-promotions: a successful miniature.

Fritz Schonert (29-05-1904 - 15-03-1996) German composer

Fritz Schonert was a chess solver from Meerane who started composing after a certain age. His chess problem collection counted 65,000 problems and is now in Mirko Degenkolbe's care. A part of this collection (ca. 45,000 direct mates) was digitalized and given to Dmitri Turevski, who loaded them into the YACPDB. http://www.yacpdb.org/#SearchHelp (information from R.Binnewirtz) http://www.binnewirtz.com/Sammler1_3.htm

Schonert, Fritz
Schach (magazine) Mar 1993 (12882)

h#3

b) wSe8->f8

4 + 4

Show Solution

a) 1.Sd5 Bh8 2. Ke3 Sg7 3. Kd4 Sf5#
b) 1.Rg3 Bh7 2. Re3 Sg6 3. Kd3 Sf4#
Echo mates.

Anders Uddgren (29-05-1947) Swedish composer

Anders Uddgren is International Judge for helpmates, fairy and retro problems.

Uddgren, Anders
stella polaris, 1966
2^nd Prize

h#2

2.1.1.1

6 + 8

Show Solution

1.Rc3-c5 Se3-d5 2.Rf3-c3 Bh6-c1#
1.Rf3-f2 Se3-d1 2.Rc3-f3 Bh6-f8#
Unpins of the wS and reciprocal Holzhausen interferences of the black Rooks.