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.

Frank Melville Teed (01-12-1856 - 25-05-1929) American composer

Frank Melville Teed
[July-August 1929 American Chess Bulletin, quoted by Edward Winter]

According to the January-February 1950 American Chess Bulletin quoted by E.Winter, Frank Melville Teed "[back in the 1880s] was treasurer of the Manhattan Chess Club and a member of the Steinitz-Zukertort match committee. He was one of the strongest players of that time and a composer of chess problems".

Teed, Frank Melville
200 Bauernumwandlungs-Schachaufgaben, 1907

#4

5 + 3

Show Solution

1.b6-b7 ! ZZ

1...b4-b3 2.b7-b8=R Kd5-e5 3.Rb8-f8 ~ 4.Rf8-f5#
                      or 2...Kd5-c5 3.Rb8xb3 Kc5-d5 4.Rb3-b5#
1...Kd5-e5 2.b7-b8=Q+ Ke5-f6 3.Qb8-g8 (4.Qg8-g7#) 3...Kf6-e5 4.Qg8-g5#
(1...Kd5-c5 2.b7-b8=R b4-b3 3.Rb8xb3 Kc5-d5 4.Rb3-b5#)

Promotions differentiated by black choice of defence.
Kindergarten problem (only Kings and Pawns).

Hans Klug (01-12-1907 - 11-03-1996) German composer

Hans Klug, 1956
[Wikimedia]

Hans Klug composed endgame studies.

Klug, Hans
Schach, 1985 (10840)

\+

5 + 4

To solve this study, focus on the corresponding squares of the position.
Show Solution

1. Kf1 ! Ka6
{1. .. Kb7 2. Kf2 Kc7 3. Ke1 Kc6 4. Kd1 Kb6 5. Ke2 Kb5 6. Kd2 Ka5 7. Ke3 Kb6 8. Kf4 Kc6 9. Ke5}
2. Ke1 Ka5 3. Kd1 Kb6 4. Ke2 Kc6 5. Ke3 Kc7 6. Kd2 Kb6 7. Kc3 +-

Oto Mihalčo (01-12-1957) Slovak composer

Oto Mihalčo

Oto Mihalčo composes direct mates and helpmates.

Mihalčo, Oto
Pat a Mat, 2006
1^st-2^nd Prize

#7

8 + 13

Show Solution

1.Rg1? (2.Rg6#) hxg1 2.Qxg1 fails because of the possible flights.
1.Rd1! (2.Qf6#)
1...Re5 (1st block)
2.dxc7! (3.Qd6#) 2...Bd5 (2nd block)
3.Qc5! (4.Qe7#) 3...Rd6 (3rd block)
4.Sc6! (5.Sxd4#/Sd8#) 4...Qxc6 (blocking Bd5 & Rd6)
5.Rg1!! (6.Rg6#) and two variations:

5...f4 6.Rg6+ Kf5 7.Sh6#
5...hxg1~ 6.Qxg1 ~ 7.Qg6#

Mihalčo, Oto
Geissler-50 JT, 2008
1^st HM

h#7

b) bPb5->d5

2 + 11

Show Solution

a) 1.Bg8 Bxa4 2.Rb3 Kxa2 3.Rf7 Kxb3 4.Rf8+ Kb4 5.Kf7 Kxb5 6.Ke8 Kc6 7.Bf7 Kc7#
b) 1.Kf5 Bxb3 2.Rd2 Bc2 3.Kf4 Kxa2 4.Ke3 Kxa3 5.d4 Bxa4 6.Kd3 Kb3 7.Re3 Bb5#
The judge (N.Geissler) mentioned in his award that the first solution with the various interferences was better than the second one, which includes only the wB switchback.