May 6th

Georgi Hadži-Vaskov (06-05-1947) Macedonian composer

Georgi Hadži-Vaskov
[Thanks to Boško Milošeski]

Georgi Hadži-Vaskov is a helpmate, selfmate and fairy composer as well as an International Judge.

Hadži-Vaskov, Georgi & Milošeski, Boško
Probleemblad, 2001

#2*

11 + 10

Show Solution

Set play:

1...Sf1/Sg4/Sc2 2.Bxf4#[A]
1...Qd4/Qxd5 2.Qxf5#
1...Qxf3 2.Sxc4#[B]/Qxf5#
1...Qc2/Qxb1 2.Sxc4#[B]

1.Qb5! (2.Qe8#)

1...Qxd5 2.Sxc4#[B]
1...Sxd5 2.Bxf4#[A]

Nietvelt, transferred mates.

Hadži-Vaskov, Georgi
BIT Tourney, 2010
5^th Prize

h#2

2 solutions

6 + 13

Show Solution

1.Re5 Qxh4 2.Qd4 Qxd4#
1.e5 Qxf7 2.Qd5 Qxd5#
Two self interferences on e5 and two corresponding sacrifices of the bQ.

Camillo Gamnitzer (06-05-1951) Austrian composer and Grandmaster

Camillo Gamnitzer (right) with Alois Nichtawitz
[Photo: Werner Schmoll, harmonie 125, page 52]

Camillo Gamnitzer is a selfmate composer, the herald of the new strategic selfmate, which in his eyes bear some resemblance with the musical fugue. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugue Some biographical information can be found on Wikipedia (in German) and a selfportrait on this Austrian problem site and many (438) of his problems here.
Camillo Gamnitzer is the first Austrian problemist to receive the title of Grandmaster in chess composition. His problems are, for obvious reasons, feared by solvers...

Gamnitzer, Camillo
Feenschach, 2000
1^st Prize

s#5

10 + 12

Show Solution

1.Bg6-h7 ! (threatens 2.Re4-e2+ g7-g6 3.Re2-e3+ Sd1xe3#)
1...g7-g5 (now 2.Re4-e2 would be mate)
2.Bc5-g1! (threatens 3.Re4-e3+ Kd3-d4 4.Re3-e2+ Sd1-f2/e3#)
2...Qb7xd7 (obtains the flight d5 after 3.Re4-e3+? Kd3-d4 4.Re3-e2+ Kd4xd5!)
3.Bg1-c5! (a gorgeous and surprising switchback: it threatens 4.Re4-e2+ Qd7-f5/Qd7xh7 5.Re2-e3+ Sd1xe3#)
3...Qd7-b5 (it is the only black move that avoids the threat, but it has a defect: it blocks anticipatorily the flight at b5)
4.Re4xc4+! Kd3xc4 5.Sg2-e3+ Sd1xe3#

Gamnitzer, Camillo
Schach-Report, 1992
4^th Prize

s#5

11 + 11

Show Solution

1.Be4-d3 ! (threatens 2.Rf5xh5+ f6-f5 3.Rh5-g5+ h6xg5#)
1...f6xe5 (allows 2.Rf5xh5+? e5-e4!)
2.Bd3-b1 (threatens 3.Rf5xe5+ a2xb1=~ 4.Re5-g5+ h6xg5#)
2...a2-a1=B (2...a2-a1=R/Q? 3.Rf5xe5+ R/Qa1xb1 4.Re5-g5+ h6xg5# or 2...a2-a1=S? 3.Rf5xe5+ Sa1-c2 4.Re5-g5+ h6xg5# do not solve Black's problem; now 3.Rf5xe5#??)
3.Sd7xe5+! Ba1xe5 4.Rh8xh6+ Kg6xh6 5.Rf5-f6+ Be5xf6#

Валерий Анатольевич Евдокимов (06-05-1963) Russian composer (Valery Anatolyevich Evdokimov)

Valery Evdokimov is a twomover composer.

Евдокимов, Валерий Анатольевич
Het Reformatorisch Dagblad, 1989
1^st Prize

#2* v

12 + 9

Show Solution

Set play:

1...b3 2.Qc3#
1...Sh4/Sf4/Se1 2.dxe3#
1...Bd5~ 2.Qc5#
1...Se3~ 2.Rxd5#[A]

1.Rd6[B]? (2.Re4#)

1...Kxe5[a] 2.Rxd5#[A]
1...Bxe5[b] 2.Qxa7#[C]
but 1...gxf5!

1.Rbe6[D]? (2.Qxa7#[C])

1...Sc4 2.Rxd5#[A]
1...Bxe6/Bb7 2.Qc5#
but 1...Bxe5[b]!

1.Qxa7[C]! (2.Rbe6#[D])

1...Kxe5[a]/Bc6 2.Qa1#[E]
1...Bxe5+[b] 2.Rd6#[B]
1...Kc5 2.Sb3#
1...Sc4 2.Rxd5#[A]

Reversal, threat reversal, Urania.

Григорий Яковлевич Слепян (06-05-1952) Belarusian composer and FIDE Master (Grigory Iakovlevich Slepyan)

Grigory Slepyan
[Superproblem.ru]

Grigory Slepyan is an endgame study composer from the city of Minsk, who has a doctorate in mathematical physics and works as a radiotechnical engineer.
More of his studies can be found on his Arves page.

Слепян, Григорий Яковлевич
Golden Fleece Ty Merani, 1988
2^nd Prize

=

4 + 5

Show Solution

1. c8=Q+! Kxc8 2. Ra8+! Kb7 3. Rxa1! Rc7+
[3... Rxa1 4. Kf6+ and after this discovery check White captures bRg5; now Black hopes to capture wRh7]
4. Kf6 Se4+
[4... Rxh7 would allow 5.Kxg5]
5. Ke6 Sc5+
[5... Rxh7 6. Ra7+ Kxa7 stalemate]
6. Kf6 Se4+ 7. Ke6 Rg6+ 8. Kf5 Rf6+ 9. Kg4! Sf2+
[9... Rxh7 10. Ra7+ Kxa7 is another stalemate]
10. Kg5 Se4+ 11. Kg4 Rg6+ 12. Kf5 Rg5+ 13. Ke6 and we're back where we started. Positional draw.