May 5th

Владимир Иосифович Шиф (05-05-1897 - 31-10-1970) Russian composer (Vladimir Yosifovich Shif)

Vladimir Shif
Problem, February 1968
[Thanks to Александр Никитин ]

Vladimir Schiff composed mostly problems in three moves and many of them in collaboration with Loshinsky. He was also an International Judge.
He was also the problems editor of the magazine "64. Шахматы и шашки в массы".
This monumental threemover showing pericritical Novotny and Grimshaw is explained on Wikipedia (in Russian).

Here is another monument, of course reproduced in the FIDE Album:

Лошинский, Лев Ильич & Шиф, Владимир Иосифович
В.Платов МК 1954
1^st Prize

#4

9 + 11

Show Solution

1.Re4! (2.Sb4+ Rxb4 3.Sb6+ Rxb6 4.Bxc4# or 2…Qxb4 3.Bxc4+ Qxc4 4.Sb6#)

1…Qb8 2.Bb7+ Rxb7 3.Sb6+ Rxb6 4.Qf7#
     2…Qxb7 3.Qf7+ Qxf7 4.Sb6#
1…Qg1 2.Se3+ Qxe3 3.Qxg5+ Qxg5 4.Sb6#
     2…Bxe3 3.Sb6+ Bxb6 4.Qxg5#

Two Plachuttas R-Q and B-Q.

1…Qb3 2.Qe8 (3.Qe6/Qc6#) Rh7+ 3.Kxh7 (4.Qg8/Qe6/Qf7/Qc6#) Qb7+,Sd4 4.Bxb7,Rxd4#
1…Be3 2.Sxe3+ Sxe3 3.Qxg5+ Sf5 4.Qxf5#
1…Qb5 2.Bxb5 (3.Sb6#) Rc7 3.Rxc7 (4.Sb6,Qf7#)

     2…Rh7+ 3.Kxh7,Qxh7
Secondary variations:
1…Rb7 2.Bxb7+ Qxb7 3.Sb6+,Qf7+
1…Rc7 2.Sxc7+ Kc5,Kc6 3.Sa8+,Sd5+
1…Rh7+ 2.Kxh7,Qxh7
Zilahi, Keller paradox, black Loyd-Turton.

Gyula Bebesi (05-05-1915 - 28-05-1991) Hungarian composer and FIDE Master

Gyula Bebesi
[magyarsakkszerzok]

Gyula Bebesi was a talented helpmate composer with a weakness for longer problems, although he also composed twomovers.
The compilation "Dr. Gyula Bebesi: 125 ausgewählte Schachprobleme" was made by Walter Fentze in 1985 (and luckily, the list of errata on the "die Schwalbe" website).

Bebesi, Gyula
7^th TT Problem, 1954
1^st Prize

h#17

9 + 12

Show Solution

Set play: 1...Qe8#
1.Bxg8 Kg1 2.Bh7 Kf1 3.Bg8 Ke2 4.Bh7 Ke3 5.Bg8 Kf4 6.Bh7 Kxg3 7.Bg8 Kf4 8.Bh7 Ke5 9.Bg8 Kd6 10.Bh7 Ke7 11.Bg8 Kf8 12.Bh7 Kg7 13.Bg8 Kxh8 14.Bh7 Kg7 15.Bg8 h7 16.g3 h8=Q 17.Bh7 Qe8#
The wQ is captured but is reborn at the 16th move (Phoenix theme) and the same mate occurs.
The black Pawn g3 must be captured to allow the tempo move 16.g3.

Bebesi, Gyula
Magyar Sakkszövetség, 14^th Nov 1962
1^st Prize

h#2

2 solutions

5 + 10

Show Solution

1. Rh8 Qxh8 2. Rh1 Qxh1#
1. Bh8 Qxh8 2. Sa1 Qxa1#

Corner-to-corner, Black-White Bristol, pin mates.

Jaroslav Pospíšil (05-05-1934 - 08-10-2013) Czech composer

Jaroslav Pospíšil
Prague, September 1993
[Thanks to Rainer Staudte (Wikipedia)]

Jaroslav Pospíšil was a study composer. You may read his obituary for Jindrich Fritz in EG-80 (pp.437-8) and in the same EG issue page 442 a study of his awarded in Fritz-70 MT.

Pospíšil, Jaroslav
Averbach-80 JT EBUR, 2004
3^rd Prize

=

3 + 4

Show Solution

1. Ke4
{1. Ke6? Kc6 2. Kf6 Kd7 3. h5 Sf2 4. Kg6 Ke7 5. h6 Sg4 6. h7 Se5+ 7. Kg7 Sf7 8. Kg6 Ke6 9. Kg7 c5 -+}
1... Kc6 2. Kf3 Kd5 3. Kg3 Sg1
{3... Ke5 4. Kxh3 Kf4 5. d3 c6 6. d4 Kf5 7. Kg3 =}
4. Kf2 Ke4 5. Kxg1 Kf5 6. Kf2
{6. d3 Kf4 7. Kf2 Kg4 8. Ke3 Kxh4 9. Kf4 Kh3 10. Kf3 c6 11. d4 d5 12. Kf4 Kg2}
6... Kf4 7. Ke2
{7. d3? Kg4 8. Ke3 Kxh4 -+}
7... Kg4 8. Ke3 Kxh4 9. Kf4 Kh3 10. Kf3 Kh2 11. Kf2 c6 12. d3
{12. d4? d5 13. Kf3 Kh3}
12... Kh1 13. Kf1 c5 14. d4 $1 c4 15. d5 =

Юрій Васильович Червонюк (05-05-1968) Ukrainian composer (Yuri Vasilovich Chervonyuk)

Yuri Chervonyuk too is an endgame study composer, but he also composes helpmates in collaboration with Ukrainian problemists.

Червонюк, Юрій Васильович & Ковриженко, Анатолій Володимирович
Akobia-70 JT 2007
1^st Special Honorable Mention

+

6 + 5

Show Solution

1. Rb5+
{1. Rxh3+? Kg5 2. Rg3+ Kf4; 1. Be8+?}
1... Kh4 2. Sg6+! Qxg6 3. Rb4+ Kg5 4. f4+ Kf6 5. Rb6+ Be6+ 6. Rxe6+ Kxe6 7. f5+ Qxf5
{7... Kd6 8. fxg6 h2 9. Bc6 Kxc6 10. a7 h1=Q 11. a8=Q+ +-}
8. Bd7+ Ke5 9. Bxf5 h2 10. Be4 Kxe4 11. a7 h1=Q 12. a8=Q+ +-
Classic forks and combination.

Werner Schmoll (05-05-1949) Austrian composer

Werner Schmoll (right) with Camillo Gamnitzer (left) and Alois Nichtawitz (center)
harmonie 132 - 2016

A self-portrait of Werner Schmoll in German can be found on this Austrian problem site as well as 39 of his problems. He is a direct mate composer who sometimes benefits from Camillo Gamnitzer's advice.

Gamnitzer, Camillo & Schmoll, Werner
Schach-Aktiv, 1987
3^rd HM

#3

11 + 11

Show Solution

1.Qc8-f5 ! (2.Bg1xd4+ Kc5xd4 3.Qf5-f2#)

1...Sc1xe2 2.Qf5xd3 (3.Qd3-b5#) 2...Se2-c3 3.Qd3xd4/Bg1xd4# ; 2...Bb3-c4/Bb3-a4 3.b2-b4#
1...d3xe2 2.Qf5-c2+ Bb3xc2/Bb3-c4 3.b2-b4#
1...Sd8xc6 2.Qf5-c8 (3.Qc8xc6#) 2...Bb3-a4 3.b2-b4#
1...Sd8-e6 2.Qf5xd5+ Bb3xd5 3.b2-b4#

The wQ switchback is a nice touch.