July 11th

Santi Pirrone (11-07-1920 - 12-06-2006) Italian composer

Santi Pirrone was just a solver when he was encouraged to compose by his friend composer Umberto Castellari.

Pirrone, Santi
L'Italia Scacchistica, 1966
1^st Prize

#2 vvv

10 + 5

Show Solution

1.Qb7? (2.Qg2#)
1...Rc1[a] 2.Qd5#[A]
1...Rxe3[b] 2.Qb2#[B] but 1...Sc6!
1.Qa7? (2.Rg2#)
1...Rc1[a] 2.Qd4#[C]
1...Rxe3[b] 2.Qxe3#[D] but 1...Bb6!
1.Qh7? (2.Qh2#)
1...Rc1[a] 2.Qd3#[E]
1...Rxe3[b] 2.Qc2#[F] but 1...Sh6!
1.Bc5! (2.Rg2#)
1...Rc1[a] 2.Qd6#[G]
1...Rxe3[b] 2.Bxe3#[H]
Zagoruiko.

Юрий Георгиевич Фокин (11-07-1925 - 16-02-2018) Russian composer (Yuri Georgevich Fokin)

Yuri Fokin
[popovgl.narod.ru]

Yuri Fokin has been composing since 1946. He is an International Judge and composes in all genres.

Фокин, Юрий Георгиевич
Buletin Problemistic, 1978

#2* vv

6 + 11

Show Solution

Set play:
1...d3[a] 2.Rxc4#[A]/Bf3#[B]
1...f4 2.Qh7#
1...Sb2/Sb6/Sc3/Sc5 2.Sc5#
1...h5 2.Sg5#
Tries:
1.Rxc4[A]? (2.Qb1#[C])
1...Sb2/Sb6/Sc3/Sc5 2.Sc5# but 1...Bxb7!
1.Qb1[C]? (2.Rxc4#[A])
1...d3[a] 2.Bf3#[B]
1...Sb2/Sc3/Sc5 2.Sc5# but 1...c3!
1.Sf4! (2.Bf3#[B])
1...d3[a] 2.Rxc4#[A]
1...exf4 2.Qe7#
Le Grand, Urania, threat Reversal.

Wichard von Alvensleben (11-07-1937 - 02-05-2016) German composer

Wichard von Alvensleben
[Schachclub Bad Salzdetfurth ]

Wichard von Alvensleben was a direct mate and helpmate composer and also a Go player (four times European champion in the 1960s).

Von Alvensleben, Wichard
Die Welt, 1994

h#2

2.1.1.1

5 + 9

Show Solution

1.Rf1xe1 Sf3xg1 2.Re1-e3 Sg1-e2#
1.Rf1xf3 Se1xg2 2.Rf3-b3 Sg2-e3#
Orthogonal-diagonal correspondence in the mates, exchange of functions between the wSs.

Neculai Chivu (11-07-1938 - 28-07-2023) Romanian composer

Neculai Chivu is specialized in selfmates and was a long time solver of the French magazine "Phenix". He also collaborated during a long time with the Romanian magazine "Buletin Problemistic".

Chivu, Neculai
Buletin Problemistic, 2001

s#6

3 + 4

Show Solution

1.Rb1-b4 ! ZZ
1...Kh2-h1 2.Qa3-a8+ Kh1-h2 3.Rb4-e4 ! Kh2-g3 4.Qa8-g8+ Kg3-h2 5.Re4-e2 Kh2-h1 6.Qg8-g2+ h3xg2#

Reto List (11-07-1960) Swiss composer

Reto List composes direct mates and helpmates.

List, Reto
idee & form
2^nd Prize, 1990-91

h#2

4 solutions

7 + 8

Show Solution

Two pairs of solution:
1. Qd2 Se3+ 2. Kxc3 Sd1#
1. Qb5 Sd5+ 2. Kxc4 Sb6#
and
1. Qe3 Be6 2. Kxc3 Rxe3#
1. Qd5 Rf3 2. Kxc4 Bxd5#

Torsten Linß (11-07-1967) German composer and International Master

Torsten Linß

Torsten Linß was the founder and editor of the German magazine "Harmonie" which was taken over by Frank Richter in 1996.
He has lately had many successes in (very) long selfmates. He himself said [broken link] that he has "mainly focused on direct twomovers with complex modern themes and white line combinations and logical moremovers."

Since Torsten is a very organized person, two years ago you could find on his website the list of his problem publications, the list of his problems published in the FIDE Album, the list of all his problems awarded prizes and all all his 966 published problems. But the website unfortunately no longer exists.

In 2015 Torsten also achieved the number of FIDE Album points needed to obtain the title of Grandmaster.

Linß, Torsten
МК В.Брон-100, 2009
Special Prize

s#14

4 + 2

Show Solution

1.Sc3? (A) a6!(a)
1.Sa3?(B) a5! (b)

1.Kg4!
1...a5(b) 2.Sc3(A) a4 3.Sa2 a3 4.Qf5+ Kd4 5.Kf3 Kc4 6.Rb6 Kd4 7.Ke2 Kc4 8.Kd2 Kd4 9.Rd6+ Kc4 10.Kc1 Kb3 11.Kb1 Ka(c)4 12.Ka1 Kb3 13.Qb5+ Kc2 14.Qb2+ ax2#
1... a6 (a) 2.Sa3(B) a5 3.Kf3 a4 4.Qb5+ Kd4 5.Re6 Kc3 6.Ke2 Kd4 7.Kd1 Kc3 8.Kc1 Kd4 9.Kb1 Kc3 10.Re4 Kd2 11.Qe2+ Kc3 12.Ka1 Kb3 13.Sb1 a3 14.Qb2+ axb2#
Echo mates.