July 15th

János Jakab Löwenthal (15-07-1810 - 20-07-1876) Hungarian - British composer

János Jakab Löwenthal
[Wikipedia]

János Jakab Löwenthal was an excellent chess player who played against Morphy in two matches and wrote the compilation "Morphy's Games of Chess". He also occasionally composed some trifles such as this one:

Löwenthal, János Jakab
The Chess Player's Chronicle, 1851

#3

6 + 5

Show Solution

1.Rxg7 + !
1...Qxg7 2.Se7+ Kh8 3.Sg6#
1...Kh8 2.Rg8+! Kxg8 3.Se7#
Echo pin mates.

Kurt Smulders (15-07-1921 - 01-06-2011) Belgian-Dutch composer and Honorary Master

Kurt Smulders

Kurt Smulders composed in various genres, but was famous for his fairy problems.
He wrote "Sprookjesschaak: fantasieschaak, systematisch benaderd" (1987) about fairy composition.

Smulders, Kurt
24^th TT, Feenschach, 1969
Prize

sh#14

5 + 2

Show Solution

1.Sc5 2. Sb7 3. Kb8 4. Kc7 5. Sa5 6. Sac6 7. Kd6 8. Kc5 9. Sa7 10. Sab5 11. Kb4 12. Ka5 13. Sc7 14. Sa6 Rb5#
Rundlauf of the black Knight without capture.

Smulders, Kurt
Olympic tourney Nice, 1^st Jun 1974
2^nd Prize

#2

b8: Royal Rose a3, h1: Lion d2: Royal Grasshopper

1 + 6

Show Solution

1.rROh8! (2.rROf7#/rROh2#/rROd8#)
1...Sc2 2.rROh2#
1...Sg2 2.rROf7#
1...Sd3 2.rROd8#
1...Sf3 2.rROxf3#
Karlström-Fleck theme.

Pál Benkö (15-07-1928 - 26-08-2019) Hungarian - American composer and International Master

Pál Benkö
[Wikipedia]

Pál Benkö was the well-known o.t.b. GM who left his place in the 1970 Interzonal tournament to Bobby Fischer, who could then win the World Championship title in 1972. He was the Pál Benkö of the Benkö Gambit. But he was also a good composer of studies and problems and was the editor of the problems section of the American magazine "Chess Life". You may read about his biography, written with Jeremy Silman, right here.

He composed direct mates (see this constructional feat in #3 Tanagra) and helpmates. Here is a sample of each:

Benkö, Pál
Magyar Sakkélet, 1974
1^st Prize

#2

11 + 10

Show Solution

Loyd's Organ Pipes are reloaded for a special show: this time, they are used for Black and White and the White organ pipes moves are only tries.
1.Re2?/Be2?/Bd2? e4!
1.Rd2?/Re3? f3!
1.Kg1 ! ZZ

Benkö, Pál
Magyar Sakkélet, 1973 (3822)

h#3

b) bRa8->h8

3 + 6

Show Solution

a) 1. 0-0-0 a8=S 2. h1=B a7 3. Bb7 Sb6#
b) 1. 0-0 a8=Q 2. h1=R Qe8 3. Rh8 Qg6#
Castling on each side, mixed-colour Allumwandlung and model mates.

Jarl Henning Ulrichsen (15-07-1947) Norwegian composer

Jarl Ulrichsen is o.t.b. FM and also an endgame studies composer. Notable are his studies awarded in Olthof-40 JT, or Nunn-50 JT but here is another prize:

Ulrichsen, Jarl Henning
Tim Krabbe-60 JT, 2003
3^rd Prize

=

6 + 8

Show Solution

1. a7 Be1+ 2. Kb5 c6+ 3. Kc5
{3. Kb6 Bf2+ 4. Kxb7 Bxa7}
3... Sxd3+
{3... Bf2+ 4. d4}
4. Kd6
{4. Kd4 Bf2+ 5. Kxd3 dxe4+ 6. Kxe4 Bxa7}
4... Bg3+ 5. f4 !
{the reason for this sacrifice will appear later; if 5. Kxd7 Sc5+ 6. Kc8 Sxa4 7. Kxb7 Sb6 8. Kxb6 Bf2+ 9. Kxc6 Bxa7}
5... Bxf4+ 6. e5 ! Bxe5+ 7. Kxd7 Sc5+ 8. Kc8
{8. Kd8 Se6+ 9. Kc8 Sc7)
8... Sxa4 9. Kxb7 Sb6 10. Kxb6 Bd4+ 11. Kxc6 Bxa7 12. Kxd5 h4 13. Ke4 h3 14. Kf3 =
The e- and f-pawns had to be sacrificed to free the long diagonal for the white King.

Borislav Vitanovski (15-07-1951) Macedonian problemist

Borislav Vitanovski composes direct mates and helpmates.

Vitanovski, Borislav
Orbit, 2012 (3358)

h#4.5

b) wBb1->b7

2 + 5

Show Solution

a) 1...Bf5 2.Kb7 Kd6 3.c5 Ke7 4.Kc6 Bc8 5.Kd5 Bb7#
b) 1...Ba6 2.Kd7 Kb6 3.Ke6 Kc7 4.Kd5 Kd7 5.c5 Bb7#
The Kings rotate around bPc6 in a) anti-clockwise and in b) clockwise.