June 20th

Horacio L. Musante (20-06-1917) Argentinian composer

Horacio Musante
Problem, November 1957
[Thanks to Александр Никитин]

Problems by Horacio Musante can be seen on the website of Argentinian composers
He composed about 250 problems, of which 15 entered the FIDE Album. He was also an International Judge and collaborated with A. Ellerman at the magazine "Caissa".

Musante, Horacio L.
Bulletin Ouvrier des Echecs, 1950

#2 v

7 + 5

Show Solution

1.Rf5? ZZ

1...g4[a] 2.Qxh6#[A]
1...e6/e5[b] 2.Rd7#[B]
1...Kxh7 2.Rxg5# but 1...exd6!

1.Qd4! ZZ

1...g4[a] 2.Qxg4#[D]
1...e5[b] 2.Qa7#[C]
1...exd6 2.Rf4#
1...exf6 2.Qxf6#
1...e6 2.Rd7#[B]

Pickaninny, changed mates.

You may see here one of Musante's Zagoruikos, but this one is interesting and very clear:

Musante, Horacio L.
Probleemblad, 1956
1^st Prize

#2* v

9 + 12

Show Solution

Set play:
1...Qxe5[a]/Qf7 2.Bf7#[A]
1...Bd6/Bxe5[b]/Bd8 2.Rxd6#[B]
Try:
1.Qf2? (2.Qxd4#)
1...Qxe5[a] 2.Qa2#[D]
1...Bxe5[b] 2.Qxg2#[C]
but 1...Sc6!
1.Qd3! (2.Qxd4#)
1...Qxe5[a] 2.Sc3#[F]
1...Bxe5[b] 2.Se3#[E]
1...Sc6 2.Qxb5#
Zagoruiko.

Vladimir Kos (20-06-1928 - 02-07-2007) Czech composer and FIDE Master

Vladimir Kos was a composer of Bohemian problems, especially threemovers, and an International Judge. Let's see some of his 3ers:

Kos, Vladimír
Československý šach, Apr 1967 (60)
2^nd Prize

#3

6 + 12

Show Solution

1.Kg5-f4 ! (2.Kf4-e4 [3.Sd8-e6/d3-d4#] 2...Bh2-g1, Sa3-c2/b5 3.Sd8-e6#)

1...Sa3-~ 2.Qe8-b5+ Kc5xb5 3.d3-d4#
1...Sa3-c4 2.Sd8-e6+ Kc5xd5 3.d3xc4#
1...Kc5xd5 2.Qe8-h5+ Kd5-d4 3.Sd8-e6#
1...Kc5-d4 2.Qe8-e4+ Kd4-c5 3.d3-d4#
1...b7-~ 2.Qe8-c6+ Kc5-d4 3.Sd8-e6#

Model mates. The checkless and quiet threat is rather rare among Bohemian problems.

Kos, Vladimír
Šachové umění 1984
1^st-2^nd Prize

#3

5 + 8

Show Solution

1.Qh8-b8 ! (2.Ba5-d8+ Ke7-e8/f8 3.Bd8-f6#)

1...Rf4-c4 2.Qb8-d8+ Ke7-d6 3.Qd8-f8#
1...Rf4-f8 2.Sb4-d5+ e6xd5 3.Qb8xe5#
1...Bb5-a6 2.Sb4-c6+ d7xc6, Ke7-f6 3.Qb8-d8, Qb8xe5/Qb8-f8#

Two surprising Knight sacrifices.

Kos, Vladimír
Memor.K.Traxlera, 1966
1^st Prize

#3

8 + 10

Show Solution

1.Sb6-c4 ! (2.Qg8-d5+ Kc5xb4 3.Qd5-b5#)

1...Sd1-c3 2.Qg8-c8+ Kc5xb4 3.b2xc3#
1...Bc2-e4 2.Qg8-f8+ Kc5xc4 3.b2-b3#
1...Kc5xb4 2.a2-a3+ Kb4-c5 3.b2-b4# (2...Kb4-b3 3.Sc4-~#)

Three variations with Pawn mates: this is very difficult to achieve with all this heavy material on the board.

Валентин Володимирович Лук'янов (20-06-1947 - 25-06-1995) Ukrainian composer and International Master (Valentin Volodimirovich Lukyanov)

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

Лук'Янов, Валентин Володимирович
Магаданский комсомолец 1986
1^st Prize

#2

6 + 10

Show Solution

Set play:
1...Sb4[a] 2.Bd4#[A]
1...Rb5[b] 2.Rc6#[B]
1...Se3~ 2.Rd5#[C]
1...Qh3/Qh2/Qh5/Qg3/Qf2/Qe1/Qg5/Qe7/Qd8[d] 2.Qd4#[D]
1.Qb7? (2.Qb6#)
1...Ra6/Rb5[b] 2.Qb5#[E]
1...Sd5[c] 2.Qc6#/Rc6#[B]
1...Qd8[d] 2.Bd4#[A]
but 1...Bxb7!
1.Qb1! (2.Qb6#)
1...Sb4[a] 2.Qxb4#[F]
1...Ra6/Rb5[b] 2.Qb5#[E]
1...Sd5[c] 2.Rc6#[B]
1...Qd8[d] 2.Bd4#[A]
Ideal Rukhlis

Мирон Гнатына (20-06-1939) Ukrainian composer (Miron Gnatyna)

Miron Gnatyna (right)
[Thanks to Александр Никитин]

Гнатина, Мирон
Шаховий Леополіс 2007

#3

4 + 3

Show Solution

1.Rd8-d5 ! ZZ
1...Kf3-f4 2.Sd1-c3 ZZ 2...Kf4-f3, e3-e2 3.Rd5-f5, Sc3xe2#
1...Kf3-e2 2.Kh3-g2 Ke2-e1 3.Ra3xe3#

Николай Геннадьевич Рябинин (20-06-1958) Russian composer and Grandmaster (Nikolay Gennadevich Ryabinin)

Nikolay Ryabinin
[Arves]

Nikolay Ryabinin is an endgame study composer. The selection of his high quality output that can be found on the ARVES website is a must see.

Рябинин, Николай Геннадьевич
Fokin-90 JT 2015
1^st prize

+

5 + 5

Show Solution

1.Rh5 g6+ 2.Kxg6 Be8+ 3.Kh7 Bxh5 4.Bh6+! Ke8 5.Bg5! Kf8!
5...h1=Q 6.d7+ Kf8 7.e7+ Kf7 8.e8=Q#
6.Be7+!
6.d7? Be8! 7.e7+ Kf7 8.d8=S+ Bxd8 9.exd8=Q h1=Q+! 9.exd8=S+ Kf8 10.Se6+ Kf7 11.Sd8+ =
The nasty check h1=Q+ explains why the h-file must be closed by the white Bishop with Bh4.
6...Ke8 7.Bh4 ! Kf8 8.d7 Bd8 !
or 8...Be8 9.e7+ Kf7 10.d8=S+ (10.d8=Q? h1=Q would only draw) 10...Bxd8 11.exd8=Q h1=Q 12.Qe7#
9.Bxd8 Be8 !
Back to e8! The black Bishop occupies the promotion square of the e-pawn and prevents 9...h1=Q 10.e7+ Kf7 11.e8=Q#
10.Bh4 !
In response to the black switchback to e8, White makes a switchback to h4!
10...h1=Q 11.e7+ Kf7 12.d8=S#
A superb conclusion.

Joose Norri (20-06-1971) Finnish composer and solver

K. Karhunen, Joose Norri and Jorma Paavilainen

Joose Norri is an excellent solver who rarely composes chess problems. However his ideas are often original and he likes the surprising manoeuvre of the hideaway.

Norri, Joose
Y.Gruengard MT, 2002
5^th HM

h#2.5

b) wBh3->d3

8 + 11

Show Solution

a) 1...♗g4 2.♗×g4 ♔×g4 3.♔e4 ♘f6#
b) 1...♘g5 2.♕×g5+ ♔×g5 3.♔e6 ♗×c4#
A rare presentation of the Zajic theme for White in helpmate.