Chess Composers: November 9th

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

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

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Charles Masson Fox (09-11-1866 - 11-10-1935) British composer

[Wikipedia]

The Problemist

Charles Fox is still renowned as one of the greatest ever exponents of fairy chess or, as Chris Feather put it, "Britain’s leading helpmate composer and perhaps the second most important British figure (after T. R. Dawson) in unorthodox composition at the time." http://www.theproblemist.org/chess-composers/56-c-m-fox/135-c-m-fox
On that same page, Chris Feather introduces us to the art of C.M.Fox showing 6 of his problems.
The blog "Bernoulli's experience" also presented a series of helpmates in three moves by Fox.
His best problems are presented in T.R.Dawson's book "C.M.Fox: His Problems" (1936) which can be read and downloaded here.

Fox, Charles Masson
Wolfgang Pauly MT, Revista Română de Şah, 15^th Jan 1935 (1/604-605)
2^nd Prize, 1934-1935

h#2

b) -bPb4

5 + 6

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His favourite fairy piece was the Grasshopper:

Fox, Charles Masson
Pittsburgh Sun, 1927

d6, a4, d4, g4, d2: Grasshopper

5 + 8

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Семён Семёнович Левман (09-11-1896 - 31-03-1943) Russian composer (Semen Semenovich Levman)

Semen Levman
[Grigory Popov]

Semen Levman was a twomover and threemover composer. He wrote in Russian newspapers (Pravda and Trud) and in magazine "64". He gave his name to a type of defence in twomovers.

Левман, Семён Семёнович
De Problemist, 1932
2^nd Prize

7 + 8

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Левман, Семён Семёнович
«64» 1938
1^st Prize

8 + 10

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Paul Leibovici (09-11-1907 - 08-10-1968) Romanian composer

Paul Leibovici was a member of the Romanian solving team that was placed 5th at the world championship at Prague in 1948. He lived in the same city as Octav Costăchel. He attracted other players to chess problems, such as Volodea Vaisman who wrote later an homage article in "Supliment nr.5/1977" of magazine "Buletin Problemistic". He was an International Judge.

Leibovici, Paul
L'Echiquier, 1930
6^th HM