August 24th

Aurél Kárpáti (24-08-1916 - 22-12-2006) Hungarian-American composer and International Master

Aurél Kárpáti
[magyarsakkszerzok]

Aurél Kárpáti was an excellent representative of the Hungarian helpmate school and he also composed selfmates.
He was for a short time the editor of "Magyar Sakkvilag" and he wrote "Ábrand és valóság : Kárpáti Aurél válogatott feladványai" (Fact and fiction: Selected problems of Aurel Karpati)

Kárpáti, Aurél M.
Magyar Sakkszövetség, 1968

h#2

b) wQa4-->a5

8 + 11

Show Solution

a) 1.Rf3-f8 Qa4-d1 2.Se5-f7 Qd1-g4#
b) 1.Rg2-g8 Qa5-d8 2.Se6-g7 Qd8-h4#
Well-tuned critical moves and interferences.

Kárpáti, Aurél M.
Magyar Sakkélet, Dec 1968 (3561)

h#2

7 + 9

Show Solution

1.Sd5-c7 Rd6-e6 2.Kd3xc4+ Re6-e3#
1.Sd5-b6 Bg8-d5 2.Kd3xd4+ Bd5-f3#
Halfpins were one of his pet themes.

Hendricus B.F.Henk Boumeester (24-08-1917 - 13-01-2004) Dutch composer

Henk Boumeester composed mostly heterodox problems.

Boumeester, Hendricus B. F. Henk
Arbejder-Skak, 1952

s#5

9 + 5

Show Solution

1.Ba4-d1 ! ZZ
1...Bb8xc7+ 2.Ka5-a4 a6-a5 3.Sd4-f5 a7-a6 4.Bc3-b4 a5xb4 5.Qe5-b5+ a6xb5#

Dragutin Bišćan (24-08-1923 - 14-12-2004) Croatian composer

Drago composed direct mates, helpmates and selfmates. Let's just quote this homage by Nikola Predrag [broken link] just after his death:

"For the achievements in pedagogy, journalism and chess composition he was highly awarded. He earned the title of national chess problem master in 1971. More than 500 of his compositions were published, one fourth of them awarded, in various domestic and international magazines. Croatian problemists have lost a deserving colleague and above all a good friend. The inspiring memory of Drago Biscan, his animating temper and unique art, remains vivid."

Bišćan, Dragutin
Probleemblad, 1966
2^nd Prize

#6

11 + 12

Show Solution

1.Se3-g4 ! (2.Sg4xf2#)
1...h2-h1=S 2.Rf6-f3 (3.Rf3-e3#)
2...f2-f1=S 3.Ba2xc4 (4.Bc4xd3#)
3...c2-c1=S 4.Sa7xb5 (5.Sb5-c3#)
4...b2-b1=S 5.a3-a4 ZZ and mate follows.
A series of 4 Holst promotions.

Vladimir Zabunov (24-08-1928) Bulgarian composer and FIDE Master

Vladimir Zabunov composes selfmates and direct mates, sometimes with fairy pieces and/or conditions. He is also an International Judge.
The Zabunov theme requests that the front piece of a battery is then rear piece of another battery.

Zabunov, Vladimir N.
1^st WCCT, 1972
1^st Place, 1972-1975

s#2

11 + 13

Show Solution

1.Sd4-c2 ! (2.Re5-f5+ e6xf5#)

1...Ba1xc3 2.Qg1xg5+ Qh5xg5#
1...Rh2-g2 2.Re5xe4+ Sd2xe4#
1...e4-e3 2.Sc3-d5+ e6xd5#

Pin play.

Bernd Ellinghoven (24-08-1953 - 13-11-2023) German composer and International Master

bernd ellinghoven, Messigny 2000
[Christian Poisson]

Bernd Ellinghoven, or bernd ellinghoven as he usually signed, composed generally helpmates or fairy direct mates. He became International Master in 2005. He was also an International Judge, the chief editor of the German magazine "feenschach" and together with Denis Blondel, prematurely deceased in summer 2012, he was the co-editor of the FIDE Albums and of a remarkable chess problems book collection, "Feenschach - Phenix".
He enjoyed composing with his friends - Hans Peter Rehm, Fadil Abdurahmanovic, Zdravko Maslar, Hans Gruber, Kjell Widlert, etc.

Ellinghoven, Bernd & Rehm, Hans Peter
feenschach, 1990
1^st Prize

h#3

b) Kc5->g2

7 + 11

Show Solution

a) 1.Re2 Qg8 2.Bxf3 Qd8 3.Qxd4+ Qxd4#
b) 1.Rd2 Qa5 2.Qxd4 Qa8 3.Bxf3+ Qxf3#
Ambush of the white Queen followed by Bristol.

Abdurahmanović, Fadil & Ellinghoven, Bernd
idee & form, 2000
2^nd Prize

h#5

2 + 4

Show Solution

1.Ba2 ! Sb3 2.Kf8 Kxe6 3.e1R+ Kf6 4.Re8 Sc5 5.Bg8 Sd7#
Nice critical first move. The e-file must be opened by the white King who captures the black pawn.

Hans Gruber (24-08-1960) German composer

Hans Gruber & Volker Gülke, 2006

Hans Gruber is a composer and very strong solver specialized in fairy chess and retro problems. He has been collaborating with "feenschach" since 1978 and he is also the president of die Schwalbe, the German association of problemists.
He has displayed a tremendous activity as an International Judge.

Gruber, Hans
Problemkiste, 1983

PG 8.5

2.1.1...

16 + 16

Show Solution

1. e4 f6 2. Be2 Kf7 3. Bg4 Kg6 4. Bh3 Kg5 5. f4+ Kh6 6. Kf2 Kg6 7. Kg3 Kf7 8. Kh4 Ke8 9. Qh5+ diagram
1. f4 f6 2. Kf2 Kf7 3. Kg3 Ke6 4. Kh4 Kd5 5. e4+ Kd6 6. Be2 Ke6 7. Bg4 Kf7 8. Bh3 Ke8 9. Qh5+ diagram
The solutions are brilliantly differentiated by a different circuit by the black King and a different move order by White.

Michael McDowell (24-08-1962) British composer

Michael McDowell, Jesi 2011

Michael McDowell is the vice president of the BCPS and editor of the BCPS website.
He wrote the booklet "A Selection of Chess Problems by G.C.Alvey" (2004)
Michael McDowell is an International Judge and FIDE Master in solving.

Mcdowell, Michael
The Observer, 1987
1^st Prize

#2 v

9 + 8

Show Solution

1.Qf1? (2.Qf5#)
1...Bf4 2.Qxf4#
1...Qh5/Qxf1/Qe4 2.Re4#[A]
1...Rxf1 2.Bxc3#[B]
but 1...Qf3!
1.Qxc5! (2.Qc7#)
1...Bf8 2.Rg5#
1...Rd4 2.exd4#
1...Rxd5 2.Bxc3#[B]
1...Qxd5 2.Re4#[A]
1...Sc4 2.Qe7#
1...Sc6 2.Qd6#
Nietvelt defence on d5: A black unit selfpins itself because the threat must unpin it by withdrawal. The selfpinning must be used thereafter.
Two mates (A and B) are transferred.

Mcdowell, Michael
15^th TT Chess Composition Microweb, 30^th Sep 2004 (H06)
2^nd HM

h#2

5.1.1.1.

7 + 5

Show Solution

1.Ra3 Bxa3 2.Kxe5 Bb2#
1.Rd1 Rxd1 2.Kxf5 Rf1#
1.Rc3+ Kxc3 2.Kxe5 Kc4#
1.Rd4+ Sxd4+ 2.Kxe5 Sf5#
1.Rf3 Sxf3+ 2.Kxf5 Se5#
Five switchbacks by the white officers. In the last three solutions, a new white battery is built by White.

Veikko August Hynönen (24-08-1920 - 22-05-1985) Finnish composer and FIDE Master

Veikko Hynönen
[Hynonen.pdf]

Veikko Hynönen composed problem in all genres (studies, direct mates, helpmates, selfmates and fairy problems) in the spirit of the strategic and logical schools.
Matti Myllyniemi, Kari Valtonen and Jorma Paavilainen wrote an anthology of his problems.
A selection of his studies can be found on the ARVES site.

Hynönen, Veikko August
Die Schwalbe, 1981 (3497)
4^th Prize

#6

8 + 5

Show Solution

1.♖c8! (2.b8=♕#)
1...♖×c8 2.d×c8=♘+! ♕×c8 3.b×c8=♗! ♔a8 4.♗×a6 ♔a7 5.c8=♖! ♔×a6 6.♖a8#
Allumwandlung with stalemate avoidance.