June 27th

Paavo Visa Kivi (27-06-1905 - 28-10-1995) Finnish composer and FIDE Master

Paavo Kivi

Visa Kivi was a chess player, an International Judge and Finland's most distinguished endgame composer - at least until Pauli Perkonoja.
You may see one didactic endgame of his here.

Kivi, Paavo Visa
Kivi JT, 1981
6^th Prize

+

4 + 4

Show Solution

1. Ra8+
{1. Ra1? Sg3+ 2. Ke6 Sf1 3. Kd6 Kb8!}
1... Kd7
{1... Kc7 2. Se6+ Kb6 3. Rg8}
2. Ra1 Sg3+ 3. Kf6 Sf1 4. Rd1+ Kc7
{4... Ke8 5. Se6}
5. Se6+ Kb6
{5... Kc6 6. Sd4+}
6. Rd6+ Ka7
{6... Ka5 7. Rd5+ b5 8. Rg5}
7. Sd4! g1=Q 8. Sb5+ Kb8 9. Rd8#

Władysław Rosolak (27-06-1936 - 09-02-2006) Polish composer

Władysław Rosolak
[Wikipedia]

Władysław Rosolak was a composer of threemovers or of selfmates in three. Between 1973-83 he was the editor of the problem column of "Szachy" magazine. He also judged the Wola Gulowska composing tourney and became International Judge in 1971.

An example of block selfmate in three can be seen here, but here is another, better one:

Rosolak, Władysław
Israel Problemists Association-10 JT, 1956
1^st Prize

s#3

8 + 6

Show Solution

1.h7-h8=R ! ZZ

1...Ba8-e4 2.Qe6-e5+ Kc3xc4 3.Rh8-h4!
1...Ba8-d5 2.Bc2-d1+ Kc3-d3 3.Rh8-d8!
1...Ba8-c6 2.Qe6-e5+ Kc3xc4 3.Rh8-c8!
1...Ba8-b7 2.Bc2-b1+ Kc3-b3 3.Rh8-b8!

and after this pinning of the black Bishop, 3...f3-f2# follows in all variations.

Mikhail Satanovsky (27-06-1947) Ukrainian-American composer

Mikhail Satanovsky is a direct mate composer.
He often composes in collaboration with L.Lyubashevsky, as for instance this amazing #5 awarded in StrateGems 2009.

Satanovsky, Mikhail
StrateGems, 2005

#3

10 + 9

Show Solution

1.d2-d3 ! (2.Ba6-c4+ Sd6xc4 3.d3xc4#)
1...Re5-e4 2.Sg8-f6+ Kd5-d4 3.Sg1-e2#
1...Rf5-f4 2.Sg8-e7+ Kd5-d4 3.Sg1-f3#
Secondary variation:
1...Sd6-b5 2.Ba6-b7+ c7-c6 3.Bb7xc6#
Reciprocal selfpin of the half-pinned black Rooks, which are pinned on the fourth rank after the 2nd black move.

Игорь Константинович Авраменко (27-06-1950) Russian composer (Igor Konstantinovich Avramenko)


Igor Avramenko is a direct mate composer.

Авраменко, Игорь Константинович & Марандюк, Михаил Назарович
Schach (magazine) Apr 1973

#2* v

8 + 6

Show Solution

Set play:
1...d3+[a] 2.Rxc3#[A]
1...Rxd5+[b] 2.Qxd5#[C]
1...cxd6+[c] 2.Sxd6#[D]
1...Rc6 2.Qxc6#/Qb4#[B]
1...Ra5 2.Qb4#[B]
Try:
1.Kf6? (2.Se5#)
1...Rxd5[b] 2.Qb4#[B]
1...cxd6[c] 2.Sb6#[E] but 1...d3+[a]!
1.Kf4! (2.Se5#)
1...d3[a] 2.Se3#[F]
1...Rxd5[b] 2.Qb4#[B]
1...cxd6[c] 2.Sb6#[E]
Changed mates.

Олександр Петрович Скриннік (27-06-1956 - 14-11-2009) Ukrainian composer (Oleksandr Petrovich Skrinnik)

Oleksandr Skrinnik too is a direct mate composer.

Скриннік, Олександр Петрович & Сизоненко, Віктор Миколайович
The Problemist
1^st HM

#2* v

7 + 9

Show Solution

Set play:
1...Rxd6[a] 2.Se7#[A]
1...Rxe4[b] 2.Rc5#[B]
1...cxd6[c] 2.Se3#[C]
1...Bxc4[d] 2.Rxe5#[D]
1...exf5 2.Qxe5#
Try:
1.Bb4[E]? (2.Se3#[C]/Se7#[A])
1...Qa3/Rb7/Rb8/Ra6/Rc6/Rd6[a] 2.Se7#[A]
1...Rxe4[b] 2.Rc5#[B]
1...Bxc4[d] 2.Rxe5#[D]
1...c6 2.Se3#[C]
1...exf5 2.Qxe5# but 1...c5!
1.Sd2[F]! (2.Rxe5#[D]/Rc5#[B])
1...Rxd6[a] 2.Se7#[A]
1...Qa1/Rxe4[b] 2.Rc5#[B]
1...cxd6[c] 2.Se3#[C]
1...Rb7/Rb8/Ra6/Rc6/Qa3/Bxc4[d] 2.Rxe5#[D]
1...exf5 2.Qxe5#
Rudenko.

Андрій Валерійович Новіков (27-06-1971) Ukrainian composer (Andryi Valeryovich Novikov)

Finally, Andryi Novikov is also a direct mate composer.

Новіков, Андрій Валерійович
Всероссийский конкурс 110 лет В.И.Ленину 1980
3^rd Prize

#2* v

7 + 7

Show Solution

Set play:
1... exf4 2. Bf5#
1... exd4 2. Sd2#
Try:
1. Sf5? (2. Sxg3#)
1... exf4 2. Sd2#
1... Kxf4 2. Sd6# but 1... Rg7!
1. Sb5! (2. Sc3#)
1... Sd5 2. Sd2#
1... Sa2 2. Bc6#
1... Kd5 2. Sd6#