December 14th

Antonín Klír (14-12-1864 - 29-01-1939) Czech composer

Antonín Klír 1925
[Wikipedia] 

Antonín Klír was a Bohemian-style composer.
More about him on Wikipedia (but his chess problem activity is not mentioned).

Klír, Antonín
Časopis českých šachistů 1907 (252)
1^st Prize

#3

7 + 7

Show Solution

1.Rc4-c6 ! (2.Rc6-f6+ Sh7xf6 3.Sg8-e7# or 2.Rc6-d6 [3.Sg8-e7#])

1...Rf2-f4 2.Sg8-h6+ Kf5xe4 3.Rc6-e6#
1...Kf5xe4 2.Rc6-c4+ Ke4-~ 3.Qb7-e4# Switchback of wRc4

Battery play.

Jan Hendrik Timman (14-12-1951) Dutch composer and FIDE Master in composition

Jan Timman
[Wikipedia]

Jan Timman was and still is a top player (o.t.b. GM and World no.2 at the beginning of the 1980s), but he is also an endgame studies composer and has always expressed interest for chess composition.He is one of the chief editors of the magazine "New In Chess". He recently wrote the remarkable book "The Art of the Endgame - My Journeys in the Magical World of Endgame Studies".
His selected studies are presented on JMRW's website.

Timman, Jan Hendrik
Chess Life and Review, 1982
2^nd Prize

=

3 + 4

Show Solution

1. Re3 Bg1 2. Bxg2+ Kd7 3. Bf1 Rd6+
{3... Kc7 4. Bc4 Rc6 5. Bf7 Rf6 6. Ke5 =}
4. Ke4 Re6+ 5. Kf3 Rxe3+ 6. Kg2 and White wins back the black Bishop.

Timman, Jan Hendrik
Nunn-50JT, 2005
6^th Prize

+

7 + 6

Show Solution

1. g7 Re8+ !
{1... Re5? 2. Bd1+ Kxc3 3. g8=Q +-}
2. Bxe8 Se7 3. c4
{The reason for this move, instead of the immediate 3.g8=Q?, will be revealed on the last move of this study}
3... Bxc4
{3... Kxc4 4. g8=Q Bxg8 5. Bf7+ Bxf7 6. Kg7 Bd5 7. h8=Q wins}
4. g8=Q ! Bxg8
{4... Sxg8 5. Kg7 +- }
5. Bf7+ !
{5. hxg8=Q+ ? Sxg8 6. Kxg8 Kc3 =}
5... Bxf7 6. Kg7 Sg6
{6... Bc4 7. h8=Q +-}
7. Kxf7 Sh8+ 8. Kg7 a4 9. Kxh8 a3 10. Kg8 a2 11. h8=Q and wins, thanks to the long diagonal that was opened by the 3rd move.
More detailed solution on YACPDB.

Dieter Werner (14-12-1957) Swiss-German composer and International Master

Dieter Werner (left) with Thomas Maeder
[harmonie 127, page 94]

Dieter Werner is a direct mate composer who also ventures into the genres of selfmates, helpmates and fairy problems.
His award of the Werner-50 JT can be read on dieschwalbe.de.

Werner, Dieter
H.P.Rehm-60 JT, Die Schwalbe, 2004 (208/)
2^nd Prize

#5

9 + 10

Show Solution

1.Bb2-a1 ! ZZ
1...Bg7-h8 2.Ra4-a2 ~ 3.Ra2-c2 ~ 4.Rc2-c4 (5.Rc4xd4#)
4...Sf6~, dxc4 5.Be6xd5, Be6xf5#
The necessary waiting move forces the black Bishop to go to the corner and allows the long detour Ra4-a2-c2-c4.

Werner, Dieter
harmonie 13 TT, 2006
1^st Prize

s#10

6 + 11

Show Solution

1. Bg5 ! (2. Re3+ Bxe3#)
1... Qc2! 2. Sc6 (3. Bxe2+ Qxe2#)
2... Qb1! 3. Sbd4 Qc2 4. Re5 (5. Sb4+ Kxd4 6. Sc6+ Kd3 7. Bxe2+)
4... Sa7 5. Se6 Qb1 6. Scd4 Dc2 7. Bf4 ~ 8. Sc5+ Kxd4 9. Se6+ Kd3 10. Bxe2+ Qxe2#
Complicated manoeuvres by the wS and pendulating bQ.