July 16th

August Alexander Johann von Cywinski de Puchala (16-07-1829 - 01-01-1905) Austrian composer

August von Cywinski de Puchala composed direct mates. Ralf Krätschmer quotes Kohtz & Kockelkorn, who wrote in their book "Das indische Problem" in 1903: "Wir halten ihn für einen der größten Schachstrategen" [We consider him as one of the greatest chess strategist] while Walther von Holzhausen thought he was the most significant foreplan master of the early period ("als den bedeutendsten Vorplan-Meister der Frühzeit").

Ralf Krätschmer provides more details on his site berlinthema.de.

Von Cywinski De Puchala, August Alexander Johann
Illustrirtes Familien-Journal, 1858

#4

8 + 10

Show Solution

1. Sf3! (2.Qxd4#)
1...Bxf3 2. Be4
       2...Bxe4 3. Qc3 (4.Qxb4#) bxc3, Rd1 4. b4, Qxc4#
       2...cxb3 3. Qxb3 Rxe4 4. Qd5#
Secondary variation:
1...Qxf3 2.Sd7+ Kd5 3.Qxf3+ Re4 4.Qxe4#
After 2...Bxe4 the black Rook is obstructed and can no longer guard c4 and in the same time free the flight square d4 for the black King.

James C. Rayner (16-07-1859 - 04-06-1898) British composer

James Rayner
[NewInChess]

James Rayner was Thomas Rayner Dawson's uncle, but this is not the only reason why he is cited here. He was himself a "noted chess problemist who edited B.C.M. problem pages from 1889 until his death in 1898" (The Problemist website). His successor at BCM was B.G. Laws.
He also wrote in 1890 the book "Chess problems: their composition & solution".

Rayner, James
Lebanon Herald, 1889
1^st Prize

#3

6 + 9

Show Solution

1.Bg4-e2 ! ZZ
1...Bh1-e4 2.Qc2-a2+ Sd2-c4 3.Be2xc4/Qa2xc4# or 2...Sd2-b3 3.Qa2xb3#
1...Bh1-f3 2.Qc2-c4+ Kd5-e4, Sd2xc4 3.Qc4xe6, Be2xf3#
1...Bh1-g2 2.Be2-c4+ Sd2xc4 3.Qc2xg2#
1...c6-c5 2.Qc2-a2+ Kd5-e4, ~ 3. Qa2xe6, Qa2-a8#
1...e6-e5 2.Sd7-b6+ Kd5-e6 3.Qc2-g6#
1...h6-h5 2.Rg1xg5+ e6-e5 3.Sh3-f4#
Lively and varied play.

Владимир Ильич Ст. Нейштадт (16-07-1898 - 16-04-1959) Russian composer (Vladimir Ilich Neistadt)

Vladimir Neistadt

Vladimir Neistadt was a poet, journalist, writer and translator who was also a chess player interested in chess history and chess composition. He composed mostly endgame studies.

Нейштадт, Владимир Ильич Ст.
Шахматы 1929 (393)
5^th-6^th Prize

+

6 + 6

Show Solution

1. Bd2+ Ka6 2. h6 Bb1 3. e4 ! Bxe4 4. Be2+ and now:
4...Kb6 5.Be3 and 6.e7 follows
4... Kb7 5. Bf3 and 6.h7 follows
Echo variations.

Róbert Darvas (16-07-1903 - 12-02-1957) Hungarian composer

Róbert Darvas was a helpmate and direct mate composer.

Darvas, Róbert
Revista Română de Şah, 1949

h#3

4 + 10

Show Solution

1.Se6-f8 Sh3-g1 2.f2xg1=S g7xf8=S 3.Sg1-h3 Sf8xg6#
Phoenix theme (captured piece is reborn as a promoted pawn) for both sides.

Gideon Husserl (16-07-1922 - 18-11-2013) Israeli composer

[Gideon Husserl
Photo from the book “The Art of Israel Chess Composition” 1983 -
Variantim 62]

Gideon Husserl composed helpmates, fairy problems but mostly retro problems.
Among his most notable fairy successes we may mention the 1st place in 2nd WCCT 1980 composed in collaboration with Uri Avner and Shorek Mordechai.

Husserl, Gideon
Tourney of Solidarity, 1976
1^st Prize

h#2

b) wRf8->d8 c) wRf8->c8

6 + 10

Show Solution

a) 1. Sg5 [a] Rf2 2. Rf5 [b] Sxb2#
b) 1. Rf5 [b] Rd2 2. Rb6 [c] Sxb2#
c) 1. Rb6 [c] Rc2 2. Sg5 [a] Sxb2#
Black line closings by black and white pieces, cycle of black moves AB-BC-CA.

Husserl, Gideon
Israel Ring Tourney, 1966
Prize

Colour the pieces! What was the last move?

+ 9

Show Solution

The Kings' positions, Rd8 and Qc6 imply that one King is in double check (both Kings cannot be simultaneously in check). The only solution is wKd6, wQc6, wRd8 and bKc8, with a double check c7xd8=R++.
The colour of the other pieces can be easily deducted.
Position:
White: Kd6 Qc6 Rd8 Rf6 Ba8 Se8 Pa7
Black: Kc8 Pb7.
Last move: by White, c7xd8=R++

Владимир Павлович Шумарин (16-07-1941) Russian composer (Vladimir Pavlovich Shumarin)

Yakov Vladimirov and Vladimir Shumarin

Vladimir Shumarin favours miniature direct mates.

Шумарин, Владимир Павлович
ЮК В. Кожакин - 50
, 2007
1^st-2^nd Prize

#2 vvvv

6 + 1

Show Solution

1.Re4? (2.Qe8#[A]) but 1...Ka4[a]!
1.Ra8? (2.Sd6#[B]) but 1...Kc4[b]!
1.Sd6+[B]?
1...Ka5 2.Ra8# but 1...Ka4[a]!
1.Qg6? (2.Qa6#)
1...Kc4[b] 2.Qd3# but 1...Ka4[a]!
1.Re3! ZZ
1...Ka4[a] 2.Qe8#[A]
1...Kc4[b] 2.Sd6#[B]
Dombrovskis, changed mates, aristocratic position (without pawns).

Lennart Werner (16-07-1969) Swedish composer and FIDE Master

Kjell Widlert, Lennart Werner and James Quah, Wageningen 2006
[franziska-iseli.ch]

Lennart Werner composes helpmates and fairy problems.

Werner, Lennart
Springaren, 1999 (9272v)
4^th Prize

h#3

2 solutions

5 + 8

Show Solution

1.Rh3 Bc3 2.Rg4 Re4 3.Qg3 Bf6#
1.Qg5 Rd1 2.Bg3 Bf2 3.Rg4 Rxh1#
Pelle moves, Bristol, diagonal orthogonal correspondence.

Werner, Lennart
Springaren, 1997

#4

MarsCirce

5 + 2

Show Solution

1.f8Q! Ka2 2.b8R+ Kb2 3.g8S B~ 4.h8B#
A very clean and economical Allumwandlung with only one black technical piece.

Eugène Ferber (16-07-1875 - 16-04-1941) French composer

Eugène Ferber
[Les Cahiers de l'Echiquier Français, Nov.-Dec. 1933, p.208]

Eugène Ferber composed direct mates and selfmates.
Louis Mandy wrote a short article about him in Pat 29 (March 1938) and he was also quoted as the author of more than 1000 problems in Les Cahiers de l'Echiquier Français, Nov.-Dec. 1933, p.208.

Ferber, Eugène
Karlovački Šahovski Klub
1^st Prize

#2

8 + 10

Show Solution

1.♗d4! (2.♗f6#)
1...♖h6+ 2.♘f6#
1...♖g6+ 2.f6#
1...♕c3/♕a1 2.♗×e3#
1...♗×d4 2.f4#
Two variations with provoked checks and cross-checks, battery mates.