June 11th

Alois Wotawa (11-06-1896 - 12-04-1970) Austrian composer and International Master

Alois Wotawa
[jmrw]

Alois Wotawa was a Viennese publich prosecutor (Staatsanwalt) and composed direct mate problems and endgame studies with brilliant, paradoxical and very hidden solutions.
Friedrich Chlubna's obituary of Alois Wotawa "An artist has left us" was published in EG 20 (August 1970) and can be read here.

Alois Wotawa's "Auf Spurensuche mit Schachfiguren - 150 Endspielstudien" is a compilation of endgame studies (1965).
The following quote by A.Wotawa, extracted from this book, was quoted by A.J.Roycroft in EG 100 :

"Wir zählen die Schachstudie... jenem Teilgebiete der Kunst zu, das die rein rationalen Schöpfungen erfasst, sofern diese hinreichend Gefühle ästhetischer Befriedigung vermitteln"
"We place the chess study in that domain of art that encompasses purely rational creations insofar as these adequately transmit feelings of aesthetic satisfaction" (translation by A.J.Roycroft)

Here are two studies that may convey this feeling:

Wotawa, Alois
Schach-Echo, 1962

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8 + 5

Show Solution

1. a6! bxa6 2. Bc6+ Kd8 3. Be8! Kxe8 4. Sd5 Kd8 5. Sf4 and the black Queen will be captured by the wS after the ingenious Bishop sacrifice on e8 cleverly prepared by the Pawn sacrifice on a6.

Wotawa, Alois
Deutsche Schachzeitung, 1960

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5 + 7

Show Solution

1. f8=Q Rxf8 2. gxh5+ Kf7 3. Rh8 !! {Surprising sacrifice} 3... Rxh8 {Distant selfblock} 4. Rf1+ Kg8 5. h6 ! {closing the trap} 5...gxh6 6. Ke7 b2 7. Rg1#