June 18th

Edgar Bettmann (18-06-1866 - 13-02-1945) American composer

FindAGrave

Edgar Bettmann was Henry Wald Bettmann's brother and he composed almost always in collaboration with Henry.

Bettmann, Edgar & Bettmann, Henry Wald
St. John Globe, 1884
1^st Prize

#3

7 + 5

Show Solution

1.Qh5-e2 ! (2.d3xe4/Qe2-a2/Qe2xe4#)

1...Sf5-e3+ 2.d3xe4+ Kd5xe4 3.Bd7-c6#
1...Sf5-g3+ 2.d3xe4+ Sg3xe4 3.Qe2-a2#
1...Sf5-d6+ 2.d3xe4+ Kd5-e5, Sd6xe4 3.Bc7xd6, Qe2-a2#
1...Sf5-h4+ 2.Kg6-f6! (3.d3xe4/Qe2-a2/Qe2xe4#) 2...Be4xd3 3.Qe2-e6#
1...Sf5-e7+ 2.Kg6-g5! (3.d3xe4/Qe2-a2/Qe2xe4#) 2...Be4xd3 3.Qe2-e6#

The excellent key unpins bSf5 and allows 7 different checks, of which 5 allow long variations.

Валентин Филиппович Ударцев (18-06-1935) Russian composer and FIDE Master (Valentin Filipovich Udartsev)

Valentin Udartsev
Problem, May 1979
[Thanks to Александр Никитин]

Valentin Udartsev is a direct mate composer.
You can read more about him on Valery Surkov's blog (in Russian): an article by Rauf Aliovsadzade that highlights Udartsev's creativity and his ties with composers from Azerbaijan and co-authors such as Valentin Shavyrin.

Ударцев, Валентин Филиппович
Shakhmaty (Baku) 1987
1^st Prize

#2

11 + 6

Show Solution

Try:
1.d7? (2.Rd6#)
1...Ra3/Rf3[a] 2.Re5#[A]
1...Bxd4[b] 2.Rdf5#[B]
1...Rf4 2.Rxf4#
but 1...Bf3!
1.Kf6! (2.Qe8#)
1...Rf3+[a] 2.Rf5#[B]
1...Bxd4+[b] 2.Re5#[A]
1...Bg4/Rf4+ 2.Rf4#
Reciprocal exchange of mates.

Ударцев, Валентин Филиппович
Шахматы в СССР 1978
1^st-2^nd Prize

#4

10 + 12

Show Solution

1. Qf1! (2. Qf4! Bxf4 3. Sxe5+ Bxe5 4. Se3# or 2... Qxf4 3. Se3+ Qxe3 4. Sxe5#)
1... exd4 2. S6f4! Bxf4 3. Rc7+ Bxc7 4. Qxc1# or 2... Qxf4 3. Qxc1+ Qxc1 4. Rc7#
1... Sf2 2. S2f4! Bxf4 3. Sxe5+ Bxe5 4. Qxc1# or 2... Qxf4 3. Qxc1+ Qxc1 4. Sxe5#
Plachutta threat and two Plachutta variations which deserve to be reproduced in anthologies.

René Jean Millour (18-06-1943 - 18-06-2024) French composer

René Millour and wife Bernadette, Crete 2010

René Millour did not have any title in chess composition because he never sent his problems for publication in the FIDE Album. The mere 2.5 points he got in the FIDE Album are due to problems composed in collaboration with other composers. However, there cannot be any doubt about the high level of René Millour's compositions. About one fourth of his published problems have been awarded a prize.

René Millour was the French champion at the first (and only, until now) French composition championship in 1983-84. He composed in all genres, but prefered retro and fairy problems. He invented the fairy condition Mars Circe.
He prefered problems with promotions and has composed many Babson-task problems. One of them is the following:

Millour, René Jean
f-50 JT, feenschach, 1999
1^st Prize

ser-h#3

4 solutions Anticirce

9 + 6

Show Solution

1.f2-f1=Q 2.Qf1xc1[bQc1->d8] 3.Qd8-e8 b7xa8=Q[wQa8->d1]#
1.f2-f1=S 2.Sf1-d2 3.Sd2xb1[bSb1->g8] b7xa8=S[wSa8->b1]#
1.f2-f1=R 2.Rf1-f2 3.Rf2-c2 b7xa8=R[wRa8->h1]#
1.f2-f1=B 2.Bf1xd3[bBd3->c8] 3.Bc8-e6 b7xa8=B[wBa8->f1]#
Babson Task.

Another Babson-task Anticirce sh#3 can be admired here.