June 6th

Bedrich Formánek (06-06-1933 - 19-11-2023) Slovak composer and FIDE Master

Bedrich Formánek
[© Hannu Harkola]

Bedrich Formánek was president of the PCCC from 1994 until 2002, composed about 400 problems and has written chess problem columns and brochures or books: "Šachové žarty - Chess Jokes" (2000), "Kompozičný šach na Slovensku" in 1984, etc.
You can see two of his problems on Juraj Lörinc's blog and more biographical details about him on Juraj's CCM.

Formánek, Bedrich
Hungary - Slovakia, 1971
1^st Place

h#2

b) wKf7-->e7

6 + 13

Show Solution

a) 1. Sd4 Bf4 2. Se2 Be4#
b) 1. Sd3 Be4 2. Kc5 Bd4#
Anticipatory interference, echo mates, half-pin and unpinning are on the program of this show.

What can you do with a board filled with Grasshoppers?

Formánek, Bedrich
Schach-Echo, 1972

h#2

2.1... Grasshoppers

8 + 56

Show Solution

1.Ga5xa7 Gb7xd5 2.Gd7-b7 Gxc8#
1.Gd7xb7 Ga7xa5 2.Gc7-a7 Gxc8#
A witty problem.

Andreas Thoma (06-06-1943) German composer

Andreas Thoma
[Lüneburger Problemfreundetreff 2014 - Niedersächsischer Schachverband]

Andreas Thoma published in 2009 "Perlenfischer. 715 Schachprobleme, veröffentlicht in den Jahren 1973-2009", a compilation of his own problems.
One of his pet fairy condition is Maximummer and an example can be found below.
His remarkable miniature achievement of the Valladao task in selfmate can be seen on his own website.

Thoma, Andreas
Schach-Echo, Aug 1983 (10785)

s#2

Circe Maximummer b) Add black Re8 c) Add black Be8 d) Add black Se8

5 + 10

Show Solution

a) 1.dxe8Q(Qd8)+! Kh6,Kh4 2.Bh3 Qxd3(Rh1)#
b) 1.dxe8R(Ra8)! Rd8 2.Rd4 Rxd4(Ra1)#
c) 1.dxe8B(Bc8)+! Rxe8(Bf1) 2.Rdd5 Bxf5#
d) 1.dxe8S(Sg8)! Bd4 2.Sf6+ Sxf6#
Very specific Circe play, enjoyable in all phases.