June 8th

Ladislav Prokeš (08-06-1884 - 09-01-1966) Czech composer and International Master

Ladislav Prokeš
[Wikimedia Commons]

Ladislav Prokeš composed more than 1100 endgame studies and was an excellent player and an International Judge. In 1951 he published a collection of studies "Kniha šachových studií" (read and download it here). The Wikipedia page dedicated to Prokeš also shows the Prokeš maneuver, a drawing tactic in R vs PP endgame.
He was called "the player's composer", since his endgame studies resembled positions from practical play.
In his obituary in EG (no.5, 1966, pp.13-14), A.J.Roycroft placed Prokeš among the immortals.
He also composed direct mate problems.

Prokeš, Ladislav
Československý šach, 1955

+

4 + 5

Show Solution

1. Bc8+ Sd7
{Novotny}
2. Bxd7+
{2. Rxd7? dxc4 (2... Qe8 3. Sd6 )}
2... Kf7 3. Be8+
{3. Sd6+ Kg8}
3... Kxe8 4. Nd6+ Kf8 5. Ra8+ Kg7 6. Sf5+ +-
A neat combination.

Pierre Monréal (08-06-1916 - 2002) French composer

Pierre Monréal
Source: Bulletin Ouvrier des Echecs nr.96, February 1955 [Thanks to Alain Pallier]

Pierre Monréal was an International Judge.
He was the editor of the problem column of the Bulletin Ouvrier des Echecs starting from 1955.
In 1967 he was the inventor of a particularly popular and prolific fairy condition, Circe chess (captured pieces are replaced on the board, on their home squares) which in fact led to the creation of many other conditions belonging to the Circe family. He also invented the Kamikaze piece (a piece that disappears when making a capture).
Pierre Monréal edited "Le Minotaure", the Fairy Chess Supplement of the French publication "Problème". He composed problems (mostly twomovers) in collaboration Jean-Pierre Boyer, Louis Scotti or François Michel.

Monréal, Pierre & Scotti, Louis
Schlesinger-Turnier, 1956
1^st Prize

#2

7 + 7

Show Solution

1...e5[a] 2.Rxb6#[A]
1...Se5[b] 2.Rd4#[B]
1.Qg5! (2.Sb5#)
1...Kxc7/e5[a] 2.Qd8#[C]
1...Se5[b] 2.Qe7#[D]
1...Bxc7[c] 2.Rd4#[B]
1...Sxc7[d] 2.Rxb6#[A]
Rukhlis.

Henricus (Henk) le Grand (08-06-1935) Dutch composer and FIDE Master
Pieter (Piet) le Grand (08-06-1935 - 14-08-2021) Dutch composer and FIDE Master

Henk le Grand & Marko Klasinc, Crete 2010

Piet le Grand & Johan de Boer, Halkidiki 2004

Henk and Piet le Grand are twin brothers and composers. They both became International Judges in 1964.
Piet was until recently the president of the Dutch Chess Problem Society and the two- and threemover editor of the Dutch magazine Probleemblad.
They have composed many problems together and one of their best problems may well be the following:

Le Grand, Henk & Le Grand, Piet
6^th WCCT, 1^st May 1998
1^st Place, 1996-2000

#3

10 + 12

Show Solution

1.Qb7-c7 ! (2.Qc7xd6+ Kf6xf7 3.Bf5xg6#)
1...Be3-f4 2.c3-c4+ Bf4-e5 3.Bf5-g4# (or 2...Kf6xf5 3.Sf7xd6#)
1...Be3-d4 2.Bf5-g4+ Bd4-f2 3.c3-c4#
Self-interference by Black and interference of a black Rook by the 2nd white move, followed by the interference of the 2nd black Rook at the 3rd white move.
1...g6xf5 2.Sf7-h6 (threatening 3.Qc7xd6/Qc7-g7#)

František Sabol (08-06-1966) Czech composer and FIDE Master

Václav Kotěšovec & František Sabol, Prague 2006
[ V.Kotesovec ]

František Sabol recently composed many successful problems with the fairy condition Mars Circe (example below), but he composed orthodox direct mates as well.

Sabol, František
13^th TT Chess Composition Microweb, 15^th Feb 2004 (F06)
1^st Prize

s#6

MarsCirce

8 + 3

Show Solution

In the initial position, the black Rook d1 is pinned by the white Queen.
1.Qa8!
1...fxg6 2.Ke2 g5 3.Kf1 g4 4.Kg2 g3 5.Kh1 g2 6.Qa1 Rxa1#
1...fxe6 2.Kc2 e5 3.Kb1 e4 4.Ka1 e3 5.Bb1 e2 6.Qa2 Rxa2#
Two chameleon echo mates in corners: a difficult achievement in selfmate.