June 5th

Михаил Николаевич Платов (05-06-1883 - 1938) Russian composer (Mikhail Nikolayevich Platov)

The Platov brothers
["64" 24/1928 page 10]

The Platov brothers (Vasily and Mikhail) were two Latvian endgame study composers who followed Troitzky's steps. Vasily was celebrated on March 24th, now it is Mikhail's turn. Please refer to the post March 24th.

Iosif Schlarko (05-06-1890 - 04-07-1947) Hungarian-Romanian composer

Iosif Schlarko
[Revista Română de Șah 1/1948 page 4]

Iosif Schlarko mostly composed fairy problems and was the fairy editor of the "Revista de Sah".
He also composed direct mates and studies. You can find a short obituary in Revista Română de Șah 1/1948 with 8 of his problems.
He also held the chess column of "Temesvari Hirlap" and discovered the composer Izabella Keller.

Schlarko, Iosif
Die Schwalbe, 1934
1^st Prize

s#4

Maximummer

5 + 5

Show Solution

1.Sf7-g5 ! ZZ
1...Re5-e1 2.Rc2-e2 + Sd6-e4+ 3.Kf6-g7 Re1-h1 4.Sg5-h7 Rh1xh7#
                              2...Sf8-e6 3.Sg8-h6 Re1-h1 4.Re2-e5 Rh1xh6#
1...Re5-a5 2.Rc2-c8+ Sd6xc8 3.Bd1-a4+ Sf8-d7+ 4.Kf6-e6 Ra5-e5#
The variations and mates are not so easy to find.

Armand Lapierre (05-06-1899 - 24-01-1968) French composer

Armand Lapierre
[Thèmes 64 25/1962 page 386]

Armand Lapierre was the president of the French Problemists Association. He was presented in an article published in Thèmes 64 25/1962 pages 386-387.
He is renowned for this particularly clear presentation of mutually exclusive castlings:

Lapierre, Armand
Themes 64, 1959
4^th HM

#2

7 + 7

Show Solution

Let's quote the crystal clear solution given in the Retro Corner:

Here Black and White can't be both allowed to castle. Indeed, consider the Rook on d4. If it is the original QR, then obviously White can't castle anymore. If it is the original KR, then the white King had to let it out of the SE corner, and he can't castle anymore.
Another (real) possibility is that the Rd4 is a promoted R. Then it must have left the 8th rank through square d8, or f8, or h8. In any case the bK (or the bKR) must have moved and B can't castle anymore.

In conclusion: it can be proved that the two castlings are mutually exclusive, but none may be proven impossible in itself.
Now, who can castle?
In such a case, the general default convention is that whoever castles first is allowed. Once this is done, the other castling becomes forbidden because, then, it can be proven impossible). Lapierre's problem is a very pedagogical illustration.
The try 1. Rad1?, threatening 2. Rd8 mate fails on 1 ... O-O!
The solution is 1. O-O-O! and now 2. Rd8 mate can't be avoided because 1 ...O-O? is illegal.

Luigi Vitale (05-06-1924 - 17-05-2003) Italian composer

Luigi Vitale composed direct mates and helpmates.

Vitale, Luigi
The Problemist, 2001 (H2448)
3^rd HM

h#6

2 solutions

2 + 7

Show Solution

1.h4-h3 Kg4xg3 2.Kd3-e3 Kg3-g4 3.Ke3-f2 Kg4-f5 4.Kf2-g3 Kf5-e5 5.Kg3-h4 Ke5-f4 6.h6-h5 g2-g3#
1.Kd3-e3 Kg4*h4 2.Ke3-f4 Kh4-h3 3.Kf4-g5 Kh3xg3 4.Kg5-h5 Kg3-f4 5.e2-e1=B Kf4-f5 6.Be1-h4 g2-g4#
Chameleon echo mates.

Petrache C. Popa (05-06-1930) Romanian composer

Petrache Popa composes direct mates.

Popa, Petrache C.
Revista Română de Şah, 1984

#2* v

6 + 1

Show Solution

Set play: 1...Kc7[a] 2.Qb8#[A]
1.Qe6+?
1...Kc7[a] 2.Qd7#[C]
1...Kc5[b] 2.Nd3#[B] but 1...Kxe6!
1.c7! ZZ
1...Kxc7[a] 2.Qb8#[A]
1...Kc5[b] 2.Qf8#[D]
1...Kxe5 2.Qd5#
1...Ke7 2.c8S#
Changed mates, star flight of the black King.

Harmut Laue (05-06-1951) German composer and International Master

Hartmut Laue, 2007
[Die Schwalbe]

Hartmut Laue is a direct mate and selfmate composer.

Laue, Hartmut
Schach-Echo, 1980
2^nd Prize, 1980-1981

s#3

12 + 10

Show Solution

1.Be2-d3 ! (2.Bd3-c2 - 3.Ba3xb4+ a5xb4#)
1...Rg6xg4 2.d7-d8=S (3.d5-d6+ Bh8xe5#) 2...Rg4-g7 3.Qe5-e7+ Rg7xe7#
1...Rg6-h6 2.Sb6-c8 (3.Qe5-d4+ Bh8xd4#) 2...Rh6-f6 3.Qe5-d6+ Rf6xd6#
1...e4-e3 2.Sd2-b3+ a4/c4xb3 3.Ba3xb4+ a5xb4#
Two Dentist variations with unpinning of the wQ and black battery play.