December 1st

Ivan O. Kos (01-12-1846 - 26-11-1907) Slovenian composer

Ivan Kos
[Wikimedia]

Ivan Kos was a talented composer of direct mates and selfmates.
"Slovenski glasnik" was the first Slovene language magazine with a chess column, which was edited by Josip Ogrinec and Ivan Kos.

He composed the first realization of a very productive selfmate idea discussed on Mat Plus forum in 2007. Here is this seminal selfmate in 8 moves:

Kos, Ivan O.
Шахматный вестник 1886

s#8

6 + 2

Show Solution

1.Rb1? Bd5? 2.Be4 Bc6 3.Bd5 Bb7 4.Bc6 Bxc6# but 1...Be4! and White has no tempo move.
1.Rh4!
1...Bd5/Bc6 2.Rh7! Be4 3.Rc7 Bd5 4.Be4 Bc6 5.Bd5 Bb7 6.Rc1! Bc6 7.Rb1! Bb7 8.Bc6 Bxc6#
The aim of the long manoeuvre of the white Rook (b4-h4-h7-c7-c1-b1) is to lose one tempo.

This mate in 5 was included in the collection published by John Augustus Miles "Chess gems: Some of the finest examples of chess strategy, by ancient and modern masters" (1878) which can be downloaded from archive.org.

Kos, Ivan O.
Deutsche Schachzeitung, 1869
1^st Prize

#5

9 + 8

Show Solution

1. Rc4! (2. e4+, Be4+)
1... bxc4 2. Bxd5 (3. e4+ Kxf4 4. Rf2#)
2... Rxb2 3. Bd2 (4. e4#)
3... Rxd2 4. Sg6 (5. Se7#)
4... Kxg6 5. Be4#
Deflection of the black Rook, sacrifices.

November 30th

Gustaaf Josephus Nietvelt (30-11-1897 - 15-11-1961) Belgian composer

Gustaaf Nietvelt
[Article by G. Nietvelt about the Schiffmann Defence
Revista de Sah 1928 p.131]

Gustaaf Nietvelt was the founder of the Belgian magazine "De Problemist" (1927-1931) which later merged with "Het Schaakleven".
He mostly composed twomovers. His name was given to a black defence.
"Nietvelt defence: A black unit selfpins itself because the threat must unpin it by withdrawal. The selfpinning must be used thereafter."

Nietvelt, Gustaaf Josephus
Skakbladet, 1931
2^nd Place

#2*

9 + 6

Show Solution

Set play:

1...Kd4[a] 2.Sc3#[A]
1...Kc6[b] 2.Qd7#[B]
1...Rd4 2.Sc7#
1...Rxe4 2.Qxe4#

1.Qh1! (2.Sc3#[A])

1...Kd4[a] 2.Sec5#[C]
1...Kc6[b] 2.Sd6#[D]
1...Rd4 2.Sc7#
1...Rxe4 2.Qxe4#

Changed mates.

November 29th

Georg Marco (29-11-1863 - 29-08-1923) Romanian-Austrian composer

Georg Marco
[Roger Paige]

Georg Marco was a chess player born in Bucovina and editor of the "Wiener Schachzeitung" during 18 years. He also composed a few problems and wrote "Meister des Problems" with Eduard Mazel (1924).

Marco, Georg
Wiener Hausfrauen-Zeitung, 1883

#3

7 + 4

Show Solution

1.Bg5! h6 2.Bd2 cxd2 3.c4#
Not too difficult, was it?

November 28th

Thomas Rayner Dawson (28-11-1889 - 16-12-1951) British composer

Thomas Rayner Dawson
[Wikipedia]

Thomas Rayner Dawson was an incredibly active problemist: inventor of many fairy pieces (Grasshopper, Nightrider, etc) and conditions, composer of thousands of problems (fairy, directmates, selfmates, endings), founder-editor of "The Problemist" and of "The Problemist Fairy Chess Supplement" which became "The Fairy Chess Review", writer of numerous books and problem collections.

His biography by George Jelliss can be found on "The Problemist" website, as well as a presentation of "The Early Work of T.R. Dawson".

Some of his books can be read online:

• "Ultimate Themes" (1938)
• "Caissa's Fairy Tales" (1947)
• "Caissa's Wild Roses" (1935)
• "Caissa's in Clusters" (1937)
• "Retrograde Analysis" (1915, with W.Hundsdorfer)
• Finally, Fabel & Kemp's "Schach ohne Grenzen" (Chess unlimited,1969) is a selection of problems by T.R.Dawson, with parallel text in English and German.

Dawson, Thomas Rayner
The Gambit, 1928
1^st Prize

s#3

Maximummer

10 + 9

Show Solution

1.h5!

1…fxe1Q 2.b8Q Qa1 3.Qe5+ Qxe5#
1…fxe1R 2.b8R Ra1 3.Rb1 gxh5#
1…fxe1B 2.b8B Bxg3 3.Bxg3 gxh5#
1…fxe1S 2.b8S Sxg2 3.Rxg2 gxh5#

Babson task.

One of his Grasshoppers problems:

Dawson, Thomas Rayner
The Problemist Fairy Chess Supplement, Feb 1936 (2212)
In memory of C. M. Fox

h#2

f6, a5, c5, g4: Grasshopper

10 + 13

Show Solution

1.d4xc3 ep.+++ Kd2xc3+ 2.g7-g5 h5xg6 ep.+++# Mate by triple check.
White's last move can only have been c2-c4, not Ke3-d2 (illegal triple check at e3)

November 27th

Heinrich S. Eichstädt (27-11-1823 - 23-04-1905) German composer

Heinrich S. Eichstädt was a precursor of the German school.

Eichstädt, Heinrich S.
Neue Berliner Schachzeitg, 1867

#5

6 + 7

Show Solution

1.Sc5-d3+ !
1...Ke5xe4 2.Sd3-c5+ Ke4-e5 (back to the initial position, but the wSe4 has been captured and square e4 is now free)
3.Bf2-d4+ Ke5xd4 4.Rf6-e6 ~ 5.Re6-e4#

Eichstädt, Heinrich S.
Schachzeitung, 1856

#5

5 + 5

Show Solution

1.Bg3 ! (2.Bf2+ Rd4 3.Bxd4#)
1...Rd2 2.Bh4! d6 3.Bg3! ZZ Rd~ 4.Bf2+ Rd4 5.Bxd4#

November 26th

Carl Kockelkorn (26-11-1843 - 16-07-1914) German composer

Carl Kockelkorn and Johannes Kohtz published their first common chess problem when they were 17 and being in total accord after a short while they decided to publish their problems as co-productions. After Carl Kockelkorn died in 1914, Kohtz still published his problems under both authors names.

Together they founded the logical school of chess composition, in reaction against the old German school founded by Johann Berger.

Kohtz, Johannes & Kockelkorn, Carl
The Times, 26^th Sep 1902 (No.176)

#3

8 + 4

Show Solution

1. R3h1! ZZ (Indian)
1... Kg5 2. Bh2 ZZ 2... Kg4, Kxh6 3. Rg1, Bf4#
Other variations:
1... g5 2. Bh2+ Kg4 3. Rg1#
1... Kg4/Kg3 2. Rxg6+ Kf4 3. Bh2/Rh4#

November 25th

Hyacinth R. Agnel (25-11-1799 - 10-02-1871) American composer

Hyacinth R. Agnel
[Sarah's Chess Journal]

Hyacinth R. Agnel was a professor (taught French) and Army Colonel at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a chess problemist. In 1845, he formed the first chess club at West Point.

He was the author of the popular 1848 chess book, "Chess for Winter Evenings", for which he did his own engravings.

Agnel, Hyacinth R.
American Chess-Nuts, 1868 (4-moves / 2)

#4

6 + 3

Show Solution

1.Ra4-a5 ! ZZ
1...Kb6xa5 2.Rd7-d6 ZZ 2...b7-b6 3.Rd6-d4 ZZ 3...c5xd4 4.b2-b4#
Double Rook sacrifice and continuous zugzwang.

Agnel, Hyacinth R.
American Chess-Nuts, 1868 (4-moves / 11)

#4

5 + 9

Show Solution

1.Ba3 + !
1...Kxa3 2.Qb4/Qc5+ Kb2 3.Qa3+ Kxa3 4.Sc4#
Again a double sacrifice.
A better form of the problem, without useless wBe6 and without dual at the 2nd white move, could be {White: Kb5 Qc4 Be7 Sd2 (4) / Black: Black Kb2 Ra8 Rb8 Bc2 Ba1 Pb6 Pa4 Pb3 Pc3 Pa2 (10)}.
This problem seems to be a precursor of Herbert Grasemann's 2nd Prize, Deutsche Schachblätter 1950.

November 24th

Леонид Антонович Исаев (24-11-1899 - 02-09-1932) Russian composer (Leonid Antonovich Isaev)

Leonid Isaev
[Задачи и этюды 5/1928]

Leonid Isaev was a twomover composer and is considered as one of the creators of the modern twomover, with Barulin.
He collaborated with many magazines, such as "Задачи и этюды" (Zadachy i etyudy) "Шахматы" (Shakhmati) or "64", and wrote a few problem books like "Шахматная задача" (1925), "300 шахматных задач" (1933).

Исаев, Леонид Антонович
Задачи и этюды 1928
1^st Prize, 1927

#2

7 + 14

Show Solution

1.Rg5? (2.Qd5#) Bg6! (2.Kg5# impossible due to self-obstruction)
1.Rf5? (2.Qd5#) Rg6! (2.Kf5# impossible due to self-obstruction)
1.Rch5! (2.Qd5#)

1...Qa5/Sc3 2.Kxe3#
1...Rg6 2.Kf5#
1...Bg6/Rg5 2.Kg5#
1...Qd3/Qc5/Sb4 2.Qc5#
1...bxc6 2.Qe5#

White Bristol.

November 23rd

Charles Henry Waterbury (23-11-1816 - 23-03-1882) American composer

Charles Henry Waterbury
[Chess Archaeology]

Charles Henry Waterbury composed direct mates and also fairy problems such as the mate in 11 moves to 9 black Kings mentioned by Edward Winter in his Chess Notes 7631.

Waterbury, Charles Henry
American Chess-Nuts, 1868 (2-moves / 367)

#2

8 + 7

Show Solution

1.Qf4! (2.Qxd6#/Nbxa6#)
1...Rxf4 2.Rxc8#
The perfect key sacrifices the Queen and annihilated the existing white battery Q-S.

November 22nd

Andrés Clemente Vázquez (22-11-1844 - 21-02-1901) Cuban-Mexican composer

Andrés Clemente Vázquez
[adligmary]

Andrés Clemente Vázquez published in 1898 "En el ocaso", a compilation of his articles (source). He also published in 1874 "Análisis del juego de ajedrez".
He was the first chess club president of Mexico and composed direct mates.

Vázquez, Andrés Clemente
Enigmas Problemas, 1890

#3

5 + 1

Show Solution

1.Sd4-e6 !
(2.Bf3-h5+ Kf7-f6 3.Re8-f8# or 2.Bf3-e4 [3.Re8-f8#] 2...Kf7xe8 3.Be4-g6#)
1...Kf7-f6 2.Bf3-e4 ~ 3.Re8-f8#
1...Kf7-g6 2.Bf3-e4+ Kg6-h6/h5 3.Re8-h8# or 2...Kg6-f6/f7 3.Re8-f8#

November 21st

Frederick E. Gamage (21-11-1882 - 24-12-1956) American composer

Frederick Gamage
[Source: Illustrated Western Weekly News, cca 1910
scan © Michael McDowell]

Frederick Gamage was specialized in two and three-movers and was one of the precursors of the American composition.
In 1941 Alan White published "Frederick Gamage. An artist in Chess problem" which contains 100 selected problems and can be downloaded and read from here.
In 2004 Mike Prcic published the anthology "Frederick Gamage".

His name was given to a problem theme.
Gamage theme: White can directly unpin a black piece because Black has just interfered with it.

Gamage, Frederick E.
The Brisbane Courier, 1915
1^st HM

#2

9 + 8

Show Solution

1.Rc1! (2.Rc4#)
1...Sd6 2.Qxe7#
1...Bc3 2.Qb1#
1...e6 2.Qh7#
Three Gamage variations (bRc6 is unpinned by the Queen move, because it was interfered by the previous black move Sd6, Bc3 or e6)
Secondary variations:
1...Bb6 2.Qxc6#
1...Se3 2.Sf2#
1...Sd2 2.Re1#

Gamage, Frederick E.
The Falkirk Herald, Keeble MT, 1940
1^st Prize

#2

10 + 7

Show Solution

1.Qb1! (2.Qc1#)

1...Rxa3 2.Sg6#
1...Rxg4+ 2.Sxg4#
1...Bc4 2.Sf7#
1...Bd7 2.Sc4#
Four battery mates by wSe5.
1...Sb3 2.Qxb3#
1...Sc4/Rac4/Rcc4/Bd3 2.Rd3#

Gamage, Frederick E.
The Pittsburgh Leader, 1910
1^st Prize

#3

11 + 10

Show Solution

1.Qc1-c2 !
(with two threats: 2.Be4-f3 [3.Bf3-g4#] 2...Rd3xf3 3.Qc2-e4# and 2.Se2xd4+ Rd3xd4 3.Be4-f5#)

1...Sa1xc2 2.Sf6-d7 [3.Sd7-c5#] 2...Ke6xd7 3.Be4-f5#
1...Rd2xc2 2.Be4-f3 [3.Bf3-g4#] 2...Rd3xf3 3.Qc2-e4#
1...Ba4xc2 2.Be4-c6 [3.Bc6-d7#] 2...Sa7xc6 3.c7-c8=Q/B#

Secondary variation:
1...Rd2xe2 2.Qc2xd3 [3.Be4-f5/Be4-d5/Qd3-c4/Qd3-h3#]

November 20th

José Tolosa y Carreras (20-11-1846 - 28-04-1916) Spanish composer

José Tolosa y Carreras
[Wikipedia]

José Tolosa y Carreras was a chess player, composer and writer. He was a pupil of Joan Carbó i Batlle, and master of Josep Paluzie i Lucena and Valentí Marín i Llovet.

Tolosa Y Carreras, José
Tourney of Barcelona, 1913
Dedicated to Esteban Puig y Puig

#3

8 + 9

Show Solution

1.Qg7-f6 ! (2.f5xe6+ Kf4-g4 3.Ba8-f3#)

1...Bd4xe5 2.Qf6-h4+ Kf4xf5 3.Ba8-e4#
1...e6xf5 2.Qf6-h6+ Kf4-g4, Kf4xe5 3.f2-f3, f2-f4#

Echo mates.

Tolosa Y Carreras, José
La Stratégie, 1893
Dedicated to Ernest Bertrand

s#4

12 + 7

Show Solution

1.Be4-h1 ! ZZ

1...Qd4xc3 2.Rh3-e3+ Ke5-d4 3.Qb7-e4+ Kd4xc5 4.Qe4-b4+ Qc3xb4#
1...a6-a5 2.Qb7-g2 ZZ 2...Qd4xc3 3.Sc5xd7+ Ke5-d4 4.Qg2xb2 Ba1xb2/Qc3xb2#

White Bristol.

November 19th

Frank Healey (19-11-1828 - 17-02-1906) British composer

Frank Healey
[Wikipedia]

Frank Healey is remembered for his amazing problems, compiled in "A collection of 200 chess problems" (1866) which can be downloaded and read from here.
In Healey's own words:

“Problems are indeed the poetry of chess. The same depth of imagination, the same quick perception of the beautiful, the same fecundity of invention, which we demand from the poet, are to be found, under a different form, in the humble labours of the problematist. Surely, without pressing the analogy too far, we may say that the thirty-two pieces form the alphabet of the composer, while the Chess board is the paper, and the positions finally resulting may be fairly likened to so many stanzas.”

Die Schwalbe presented one of his problems as a precursor of the Plachutta theme.
One of Healey's problems in particular spectacularly presented the clearance that was named Bristol theme, after the tourney won by the problem:

Healey, Frank
Bristol-Turnier, 1861 (1)
1^st Prize

#3

12 + 7

Show Solution

1.Rd1-h1 ! ZZ
1...Bb5-e8/d7 2.Qg6-b1 (3.Qb1-b4#) 2...Be8-b5 3.Qb1-g1#
The aim of the key is a clearance of the 1st rank; the white Rook will not be used after the key.

This twomover is also famous:

Healey, Frank
Chess Monthly, 1885
1^st Prize

#2

10 + 9

Show Solution

1.Ra6! ZZ is the only move keeping the set mates. 1.Bxf5? g6!
1...Ke5 2.Sd3#
1...Qb7/Qd6+/Qa7 2.Qd6#
1...Qa8 2.Qd6#/Qc7#
1...Qc7 2.Qxc7#
1...Qe5 2.Se2#
1...Sf6~ 2.Bg3#
1...Bd7/Be6/Bb7/Bxa6 2.Qxb8#

November 18th

Harold Maurice Lommer (18-11-1904 - 17-12-1980) British-Spanish composer and International Master

Harold Lommer
[Ajedrez365]

Harold Lommer was born in England from German parents and moved to Spain after WWII. He wrote "1234 Modern End-Game Studies" with M.A. Sutherland in 1938 and a sequel "1357 End-Game Studies. The best chess compositions 1935-1973" in 1975. More details about him can be found (in Spanish) on Ajedrez365.
He composed problems and studies.

Lommer, Harold Maurice
Journal de Genève, 1933
1^st Prize

+

8 + 7

Show Solution

1.gxh7+!

1....Qxh7 2.exf8=Q#
1....Kh8 2.exf8=R+ Kxh7 3.gxh5 wins
1....Kg7 2.exf8=B+ Kxh7 3.gxh5 wins
1....Kxh7 2.exf8=S+ Kg8 3.gxh5 wins
1....Kf7 2.exf8=Q+ K~ 3.gxh5(+) wins

White Allumwandlung in a study. The difficult task explains the ugly key.

Lommer, Harold Maurice
Feenschach, 1966

h#8

2 + 5

Show Solution

1. c1=S Kb1 2. Sd3 exd3 3. d1=B d4 4. g1=R d5 5. Rg4 d6 6. Ba4 d7 7. Kb3 d8=Q 8. Rb4 Qd3#
Mixed-colour Allumwandlung.

November 17th

Михаил Владимирович Тронов (17-11-1892 - 07-12-1978) Russian composer (Mikhail Vladimirovich Tronov)

Mikhail Tronov
[Wikipedia]

Mikhail Tronov was a climatologist and composed direct mates in the Bohemian style.

Тронов, Михаил Владимирович
Шахматы 1926
3^rd Prize

#3

10 + 9

Show Solution

1.Qf1-d3 ! (2.Qd3-e4 [3.Bd5-b7#] 2...d6xc5 3.Qe4-e6#)

1...Rh3-h6/Rh3xh7 2.c5xd6 ~ 3.c4-c5#
1...d6xc5 2.Qd3-g6+ e7-e6 3.Qg6xe6#
1...e7-e5 2.Qd3-c2 (3.Qc2-a4#) 2...d6xc5 3.Qc2-g6#
1...e7-e6 2.Bd5-a8 (3.Qd3xd6#) 2...d6-d5 3.c4xd5#

A fine set of mates.

November 16th

Володимир Михайлович Чорноус (16-11-1933) Ukrainian composer (Vladimir Chernous)

Vladimir Chernous
[Grigory Popov]

Vladimir Chernous composes problems and studies.

Чорноус, Володимир Михайлович
Шахматная поэзия 2001 (1158)
3^rd Prize

+

4 + 3

Show Solution

1... e2+ ! 2. Ke1 !
{For the reason of this move instead of directly 2.Kxe2 , see the note below}
2... Rb1+ 3. Kxe2 Rb6 ! 4. Sg4 !
{4. Bf7 ? Rxf6 5. Bd5+ Kg1 ! = ; 4. Bg7 ? Re6+ 5. Kf1 Rxe8 6. Sg4 Re7 7. Bf6 Re8 ! 8. Bg7 Re7 = ; 4. Bg5 ? Re6+ 5. Kf1 Rxe8 6. Sg4 Rf8+ ! =}
4... Re6+ 5. Kf2 ! Rxe8 6. Kf1 ! Re6 7. Bg5 ! Rg6 8. Sf2+ Kh2 9. Bf4+ Rg3 10. Se4
{10. Bb8 ? stalemate}
10... Kh1 11. Sxg3+ +-
{11. Bxg3 ? stalemate}
Note: and now it is clear that after 2. Kxe2 ? Re4+ 3. Kf1 ! Rxe8 ? 4. Sg4 ! White would win, but Black has 3... Rf4+ ! obtaining the draw.

November 15th

Joseph Edmund Peckover (15-11-1896 - 16-04-1982) British-American composer

Joseph Peckover was an endgame study composer. According to Bill Wall and EG-48,
Joseph Peckover was the best known American chess composer in the early 20th century. He was born in England but emigrated first to Canada, where he edited an endings column in the "Regina Daily Reader" and to New York in 1921. He was the endgame editor for the American Chess Quarterly from 1961 to 1965. He has worked principally as a free-lance portrait artist, concentrating in the 1970s on coloured pencil portraits of children.

Peckover, Joseph Edmund
problem (Zagreb) 1958
1^st Prize

=

3 + 3

Show Solution

1.Kd8 Rd6+ 2.Ke7 Rc6 3.Kd7 Rh6 4.Bf6 ! Bb1 5.Ke6 Rh5 6.Bg5 ! Rh8 7.Bd8 Rh5 8.Bg5 ! draw

November 14th

Max Otto (14-11-1882 - 31-12-1957) German composer

Max Otto composed direct mates.

Otto, Max
Arbeiter Schachzeitung, 1926 (1413)

#3

10 + 9

Show Solution

1.Sg4-f6 ! (2.Sf6-d5/Sf6-e4#)

1...Rh6xf6 2.Rg5-c5 (3.Rc5xc4#) 2...Be8-f7 3.Bh4xf6#
1...Rf8xf6 2.Rg5-g1 (3.Rg1-c1#) 2...Be8-g6 3.Bh4xf6#

Echo variations.
Secondary variation:
1...Be8xc6 2.Rg5-c5 (3.Rc5xc4#) 2...Bc6-d5 3.Sf6xd5#

November 13th

Frederick Forrest Lawrie Alexander (13-11-1879 - 01-04-1965) British composer

Bob Meadley wrote about Frederick Alexander in "A Letter to Bert":

"He was Vice President and President of the BCPS and being an accountant started a permanent fund that placed the Society in a strong financial position. (...) On his play he defeated Bogoljubov and Golombek at Southsea in 1950, played for Surrey for 40 years and was 7 times champion of the Battersea Chess Club. (...) Clearly a friend of Guy Chandler."

He composed direct movers.

Alexander, Frederick Forrest Lawrie
The British Chess Magazine, 1911

#2

9 + 7

Show Solution

Have you got it?
1.Qg8! ZZ and fine royal battery play in the ensuing variations.

November 12th

Арвид Иванови Куббель (12-11-1889 - 11-01-1938) Russian composer (Arvid Ivanovich Kubbel)

Arvid Kubbel
[Wikipedia]

Arvid Kubbel was Evgeny and Leonid Kubbel's brother and like them he was a chess player and composer. He composed problems and studies, mostly Bohemian threemovers.

Куббель, Арвид Иванович
Neue Leipziger Zeitung, 1933
2^nd Prize

#3

7 + 6

Show Solution

1.Se8-d6 ! (2.Qg4-g5+ Ke5-d4 3.Sc7-b5#)

1...Sg1-f3 2.Qg4-g7+ Ke5-f4 3.Sc7-d5#
1...Ke5-f6 2.Sc7-d5+ Kf6-e5 3.Qg4-e4#
1...Sd8-e6 2.Qg4-g3+ Ke5-f6, Ke5-d4, Se6-f4 3.Sc7-d5, c2-c3, Qg3-c3/Qg3-g7#
1...Sd8-f7 2.Sd6-c4+ Ke5-f6 3.Sc7-d5#

Model mates

November 11th

Anton A.C. Trilling (11-11-1892 - 16-02-1947) German composer

Anton Trilling was specialized in strategic multimovers.
He was the first president of the "Die Schwalbe" association.

Trilling, Anton A. C.
Die Schwalbe, 1938
Prize

#5

10 + 9

Show Solution

1.g2-g3 ! (2.Bh3-g2#)
1...Rc6-c2 2.Bh3-g4 (3.Bg4-f3#)
2...Rc2-f2 3.Bg4xd7 (4.Bd7-c6/Bd7-e6#)
3...Rf2xf6 4.Bd7-c6+ Rf6xc6 5.e3-e4#
Rundlauf of the black Rook that opens the diagonal of the wBg7.

November 10th

Josef V. Mařík (10-11-1880 - ?) Czech composer

Josef V. Mařík composed direct mates.

Mařík, Josef V.
Národní politika, 1941
1^st Prize

#3

5 + 12

Show Solution

1.Be4-f5 ! (2.Bb4-c3 ~ 3.Qb7-b3#)

1...Rg5xf5 2.Bb4-c5 (3.Qb7-b3#) 2...Rg7-g3 3.Qb7xd7#
1...d6-d5 2.Bb4-e7 (3.Qb7-b3/Qb7xd7#)
1...Rg5-g3/e6-e5/e6xf5 2.Qb7-b6 (3.Qb6xa5#) 2...a5xb4 3.Qb6-a6#

Good decoys.

November 9th

Domenico Lorenzo Ponziani (09-11-1719 - 15-07-1796) Italian composer

Source

Domenico Ponziani was "an 18th-century Italian law professor, priest, chess player, composer and theoretician." In 1769 he wrote "Il giuoco incomparabile degli scacchi".
Nuestro Circulo #156 presented an article about Ponziani.

One of the very first selfmates:

Ponziani, Domenico Lorenzo
Il Giuoco Incomparabile degli Scacchi, 1769

s#5

7 + 4

Show Solution

1.Rc8-g8 + !
1...Kg4-h4 2.Bd2-g5+ Kh4-g4 3.Se2-g1+ Sb2xd1 4.Bg5-e3+ Kg4-h4 5.Be3-f2+ Sd1xf2#