September 8th

Vojtěch Košek (08-09-1861 - 01-10-1936) Czech composer

Vojtěch Košek was a Bohemian composer.

Košek, Vojtěch
České listy šachové 1897

#3

7 + 8

Show Solution

1.e2-e3 ! (2.Re4xe5+ Kd5-c4 3.Re5-c5#)

1...Sd2-f3 2.Bh7-g8+ Kd5xe4 3.Sd3-c5#
1...Sd2-c4 2.Re4-d4+ e5xd4 3.e3-e4#

Three model mates.

Max Irmscher (08-09-1908 - 14-09-1978) German composer

Max Irmscher composed direct mates with a logical fragrance.

Irmscher, Max
Schach (magazine) 1977 (8433)

#5

8 + 9

Show Solution

1.Bg4 ! (2.Be6#)
1...Sf4 and now 2.Rd4+? Kxe5 3.Rd1# does not work because after Kxe5 the white King is in check by the black Queen. Hence:
2.Bd7 ! (3.Bd7-c6#) 2...Rg6 3.Bc6+ Rxc6 4.Re4-d4+ Kxe5 5.Rd1#
The black Rook is attracted to a square where it anticipatorily unpins the white Rook.

László Talabér (08-09-1910 - 25-10-1986) Hungarian composer

László Talabér
[magyarsakkszerkzok]

László Talabér composed in all genres, but was especially successful in helpmates.

Talabér, László
Tipografia T.E. 1975

h#2

2.1.1.1

5 + 9

Show Solution

1.Rd5-f5 Qe4-e5 2.Sc5-d7 Rd3xd4#
1.Se6-g7 Rd3-b3 2.Sc5-d3 Qe4xd4#
Halfpins, selfpins, exchange of functions, pinmates.

Talabér, László
Tipografia T.E. 1975

h#2

7 + 10

Show Solution

1.Kd5xe5 Qb4-c5+ 2.Ke5-f6 Sg3-e4#
1.Sg6xe5 Bg8-h7 2.Rh6xe6 Bh7-e4#
1.Sg6-e7 Qb4-c3 2.d4-d3 e2-e4#
1.Qa7-c5 Ka3xa4 2.d4-d3 Qb4-e4#

4 mates on e4 by 4 different pieces: a difficult task.

George Teodoru (08-09-1932 - 31-01-2025) Romanian-German composer

George Teodoru & Valeriu Petrovici, August 2012

George Teodoru was one of the founders of the Romanian chess problem magazine "Buletin Problemistic" in 1971 with Octav Costăchel and Anatole Felix Ianovcic.
His 80th birthday was celebrated by the Romanian Chess Federation (FRS) and an interview (in Romanian) was published on the FRS website.

He composed direct mates, studies and retro problems. Some more details about him can be read on Wikipedia.

Teodoru, George A.
Revista Română de Şah, 1957 (36)
3^rd Prize

#2

6 + 6

Show Solution

1.Bd4! (2.Qg4#)

1...Kxd4 2.Qf4#
1...Kf5/Bxd4 2.Bd3#
1...f5/Rf5/Rg5 2.Qe3#
1...Rxd4 2.Re5#

Novotny.

Микола Дмитрович Мансарлійский (08-09-1954) Ukrainian composer (Mykola Dmitrovich Mansarliyskiy)

Mykola Mansarliyskiy composes direct mates, studies, helpmates and selfmates.

Мансарлійский, Микола Дмитрович
Шахматы в СССР 1978
1^st Prize

#3

6 + 8

Show Solution

1.Se5-c4 ! (2.Re7-e5+ Kd5xc4 3.Qa2-a4#)

1...Bd3xc4 2.Qa2-a8+ Rc5-c6, c7-c6 3.Qa8xc6, Qa8-g8#
1...Rd4xc4 2.Rb3xd3+ Bf2-d4 3.Qa2-g2#
1...Rc5xc4 2.Rb3-b5+ c7-c5 3.Qa2-a8#
1...Kd5xc4 2.Rb3-b2+ Kc4-c3 3.Qa2-b3#

The paradoxical key closes the line of the white battery and offers Black 4 possibilities of captures. Each possibility is differentiated with a different battery move (3 moves by the front piece, 1 move by the rear piece).

Мансарлійский, Микола Дмитрович
Mongolian Thematic Ty, 1978
Prize

=

3 + 5

Show Solution

1. Sg3+ Rxg3 2. a8=Q+ Reg2 3. Qf3 Rg4 4. Qe4 Rg5 5. Qd5 Rg6 6. Qc6 Rg7 7. Qb7 Rg8 8. Qa8 Kg1 9. Qa7+ Rf2 10. Qg7+ Rg2 11. Qa7+ = draw by perpetual check or repetition of position.

Itzhak Kelson (08-09-1939 - 17-02-2025) Israeli composer

Professor Itzhak Kelson was a prominent Israeli nuclear physicist, academic, and entrepreneur best known as the co-inventor of Alpha DaRT™ (Diffusing Alpha-emitters Radiation Therapy), a revolutionary targeted radiation technology used to treat solid tumors. He spent decades advancing the field of nuclear science before transitioning his expertise into oncology therapeutics, ultimately serving as the Chief Physics Officer of Alpha Tau Medical.
He composed a few chess compositions in his youth. We select a nice threemover with a paradoxical key:

Kelson, Itzhak
Israel Problemists Association-10 JT, 1955-1956
3rd Prize

#3

11 + 10

Show Solution

1.♔d5! (2.♖×d2+ e×d2 3.♕×d2#)
1...♘c7+ 2.♔c4 (3.♘c1#) ♖×c2 3.♕×c2# or 2...♕e1 3.♖×e1#
1...♘f6+ 2.♔e6 (3.♘c1#) ♖×c2 3.♕×c2# or 2...♕e1 3.♖×e1#
1...♘×e7+ 2.♔c5 (3.♘c1#) ♖×c2 3.♕×c2# or 2...♕e1 3.♖×e1#
1...♘f6+ 2.♔c6 (3.♘c1#) ♖×c2 3.♕×c2# or 2...♕e1 3.♖×e1#