July 8th

Karl Kaiser (08-07-1867 - 03-07-1934) German composer

Karl Kaiser composed direct mates.
He was part of the Arbeiterschach movement. More details about his activity in this movement can be read in this "die Schwalbe" Personalia.

Kaiser, Karl
Deutscher Arbeiter-Schach-Bund, 1922
1^st Prize

#3

7 + 11

Show Solution

1.Ka4-b4 ! (2.Sb3-c5 [3.Bc8-b7/Bc8-d7#] 2...b6xc5+ 3.Qh5xc5#)

1...Bd8-e7+ 2.Kb4-c4 (3.Qh5-e8/Qh5-d5#)2...Re6-d6 3.Sb5-a7#
1...e4-e3 2.Qh5-f3+ Re6-e4+ 3.Qf3xe4#
1...Re6-e5 2.Sb5-a7+ Kc6-d5/d6 3.Qh5xe5#

Дмитрий Фёдорович Петров (08-07-1909 - 09-05-1987) Russian composer (Dmitri Fyodorovich Petrov)

Dmitri Petrov was an endgame studies composer.

Петров, Дмитрий Фёдорович
Вечерний Новосибирск 1973
1^st Prize

+

5 + 5

Show Solution

1. Re6+ Kf7 2. Se5+ Kg8 3. d6 !
{Beware the move interversion: 3. Rg6+ ? Kh8 4. d6 Rxd6 5. Rxd6 cxd6 6. Sg6+ Kg8 7. Bd5+ Rf7 8. Bxb3 d5 9. Bxd5 stalemate}
3... cxd6
{3... b2 4. Rg6+ Kh8 5. Bd5 b1=Q 6. Rg8+ Rxg8 7. Sf7#}
4. Rg6+
{4. Bd5 ? dxe5}
4... Kh8 5. Rg8+ !! Kxg8 6. Bd5+ Rf7
{6... Kh8 7. Sg6#}
7. Sxf7 ! Re8
{7... Rb8 8. Se5+ Kf8 9. Sd7+ ; 7... Rd7 8. Se5+}
8. Se5+ Kf8 9. Sg6#
A spectacular all-out attack. The Rook sacrifice is unexpected.

Árpád Földeák (08-07-1917 - 13-07-2004) Hungarian composer

Árpád Földeák
[magyarsakkszerzok]

Árpád Földeák, International Judge in 1964, composed preferably long direct mates or helpmates.
Here is a shorter, but not less hard helpmate in three:

Földeák, Árpád
Christmas Card, 1950

h#3

5 + 9

If White could play, he would mate in three: 1.Ke1/Ke2 2.Kf1 3.Rxb3#
What is the solution?

Show Solution

No, 1.h1=R+ Ke2 2.Rh2 Kf1 3.??? Rxb3# does not work, because of the lack of Black tempo move. The solution is:
1.a2-a1=Q+ Kd1-e2 2.Qa1-e5+ Ke2-f1 3.Qe5-b5 Ra3xb3#
In fact all the whole sequence of Black moves is a big tempo. In case of other promotion, Black would not have at his disposal the hideaway moves which are available with the Queen promotion.

Сергей Николаевич Осинцев (08-07-1960) Russian composer and International Master (Sergey Nikolayevich Osintsev)

Sergey Osintsev
[popovgl.narod.ru]

Sergey Osintsev is a successful endgame studies composer. More of his studies can be seen on jmrw's website. One of his most spectacular works is the following win study:

Осинцев, Сергей Николаевич
Шахматная неделя 2003
1^st Prize

+

7 + 7

Show Solution

1.e7 Rh8 2.gxf7 Rg7! 3.e8=R! Kg4+ 4.Rxh8 Rh7+ 5.Bh6
{5.Rxh7 ? f1=S+ 6.Rxf1 stalemate or 6.Kh1 Sg3+ 7.Kh2 Sf1+ with repetition of position}
5... Rxh8 6.f8=B !
{6.f8=Q ? Rxh6+ 7.Qxh6 f1=S+ draws}
6...fxg1=Q+ 7.Kxg1 Kg3 8.Kf1 Rg8 9.Bhg7 Kg4 10.Kf2 Kf4 11.g3+ Kg4 12.Kg2 Kf5 13.Kf3 Kg5 14.g4 Kg6 15.Kf4 Kf7 16.Kf5 Rxg7 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Kg5 and White wins the pawn endgame.

Uwe Karbowiak (08-07-1962) German composer and International Master

Uwe Karbowiak
[© Uwe Karbowiak]

Uwe Karbowiak is a composer of logical moremovers. He received the title of FIDE Master of Chess Composition at the 2014 Congress at Berne.

He was drawn to chess composition by his good friend Rupert Munz, a composer of logical moremovers as well.
He organizes a biannual meeting of German composers known as the Zweikönigstreffen (mentioned on his blog by Siegfried Hornecker).

Here are two examples of his talent, in order of growing difficulty:

Karbowiak, Uwe
Schach in Schleswig-Holstein, 2012 (39)
1^st Prize

#7

7 + 9

Show Solution

Tries:
The main plan is the following: 1. Bg3? (2.Be5#) Bh2 2.Sh6 g4 3.Bh4+ Ke5 4.Sf7#
but it simply fails on 1...Rxg3!
Is it possible to have a foreplan preparing Bg3? Let's deviate black Rook g2:
1. Be1? (2.Bc3#) Rc2 2. Bg3 (3.Be5#) fails on 2...Rc8+!

The solution includes a first foreplan by the white Rook preparing the second foreplan by the white Bishop that prepares the main plan:
1. Rb4! (2.Rb6#) b5
2. Rc4 (3.Rc6#) bxc4 and now the c file is closed for the black Rook, which means that White can play:
3. Be1 (4.Bc3#) Rc2
4. Bg3 (5.Be5#) Bh2
5. Sh6 (6.Sg4#) g4
6. Bh4+ Ke5 7. Sf7#

Karbowiak, Uwe
Problem-Forum, 2010 (M320)
1^st Prize

#9

8 + 13

Show Solution

1. Sxc4? (2.Sd2#) Sxc4!;
1. Se2? (2.Sc3#) Sb5!;
1. Sh5! (2.Sf6#) Kd5 2. Rf6? Be4+ 3. Kxh6 Sf5+!;
1. Sh5! Kd5 2. Re8! (2.Sf6#) Sxe8 3. Sf4+ Ke4 4. Sxc4? (5.Sd2#) Sf3 5. Sd6+ Sxd6!;
1. Sh5! (2.Sf6#) Kd5
2. Re8 (2.Sf6#) Sxe8 {the good defender Sd6 has been attracted away from d6}
3. Sf4+ Ke4
4. Se2! (5.Sc3#) Kd5 {the good defense 4...Sb5 is no longer possible}
5. Rf6! (6.Sc3#) Sxf6 {now Se8 no longer guards d6}
6. Sf4+ Ke4
7. Sxc4 (8.Sd2#) Kf3 {if 7...Sf3 then 8.Sd6#, taking advantage of the 5th move}
8. Sd2+ Kf2
9. e4#