December 22nd

Dawid Przepiórka (22-12-1880 - 27-08-1942 04-1940) Polish composer and FIDE Master

Dawid Przepiórka
[Wikipedia]

Dawid Przepiórka was a chess player and composed mostly strategic moremovers. A compilation of his compositions was published by Henri Weenink in 1932 "D. Przepiórka: a Master of Strategy".
He collaborated with the Polish magazine "Swiat sachowy" from 1926 to 1935.

Przepiórka, Dawid
Teplitz-Schönauer Anzeiger, 1921
1^st Prize

#3

7 + 8

Show Solution

1.Qb2-c2 ! (2.Qc2-d3 ~ 3.Se3-c2#)

1...d5-d4 2.Se3-c4 (3.Qc2-d2#)
1...d5xe4 2.Bg2-f1 (3.Qc2-c3#) 2...Rf7xf1 3.Se3-g2#
1...Rf7-f3 2.e2xf3 (3.Qc2-f2#)
1...Sg7-f5 2.Se3-f1 (3.Qc2-d2#)
1...Rf7-f2 2.Sd1-b2 (3.Qc2-d1/Sb2-d3#)

Precise variations show the perfect cooperation between the white pieces.

Виталий Александрович Чеховер (22-12-1908 - 11-02-1965) Russian composer and International Master (Vitaly Alexandrovich Chekhover)

Vitaly Chekhover
[liveinternet.ru]

Vitaly Chekhover was a pianist, a chess player and composer of endgame studies.
He was an International Judge and wrote with Yuri Averbakh "Comprehensive Chess Endings: Knight Endings" and "Comprehensive Chess Endings: Queen v. Rook/Minor Piece Endings".

Чеховер, Виталий Александрович
Bulletin UdSSR-Championat, 1947

=

3 + 3

Show Solution

Two tries:
1. Kg6? d2 2. Rd7 e2
1. f5? d2 2. Rg2 Kd3
1. Kf8! and two variations:

1...d2 2. Rd7 e2 3. Rxd2+ Kxd2 4. f5 e1=Q 5. f6 =
1...e2 2. Re7 Kc3 3. f5 d2 4. Rxe2 d1=Q 5. f6! Qxe2 6. f7 =

რევაზ თავარიანი (22-12-1922 - 06-11-1996) Georgian composer and FIDE Master (Revas Tavariani)

Revas Tavariani
[Akobia]

Revas Tavariani composed direct mates and endgame studies. He was an International Judge.

Tawariani, Rewas
Lelo, 1958
1^st Prize

#3

6 + 6

Show Solution

1.Ke8-d8 ! (2.Sd7-f6 ~ 3.Sf6-e8#)

1...Ba2-b3 2.Sd7-c5 ~ 3.Sc5xb7#
1...Rc2-c3 2.Sd7-e5 ~ 3.Se5xf7#

Black self interferences. After 1...Rc3, 2...c3 is no longer possible. Similarly after 1...Bb3, 2...Rb2 no longer controls b7.

Tawariani, Rewas
Chavchavadze MT, 1987
Special Prize

+

5 + 5

Show Solution

1. Bxe3+
{1. Bc1 ? Kxf1 2. Bxe3 Kxg2 3. Bf4 g5 =}
1... Kxf1
{1... Kxe3 2. Bc4 Kf2 (2... Kd4 3. Bf7) 3. Bd5 Kxg3 4. Kxd6 g5 5. Ke5 f4 6. Bf3 g4 7. Ke4 gxf3 8. gxf3 +-}
2. Kxd6 Kxg2 3. Bf4 Kf3 4. Ke5 Kg4 5. Kf6 g5
{5... Kh5 6. Be5 +-}
6. Ke5! gxf4 7. gxf4 +-

Emiliano F. Ruth (22-12-1922 - 01-02-2009) Argentinian composer

Emiliano Ruth composes fairy problems.

Ruth, Emiliano F.
The British Chess Magazine, 1972
1^st Prize

ser-h=27

13 + 13

Series-help-stalemate in 27 moves.

Show Solution

1.c1=B 2.Bb2 3.Ba1 4.b2 5.Sa4 6.Sb6 7.Sa8 8.b6 9.Bc8 10.Bh3 11.Bxg2 12.Bh1 13.g2 14.Sg3 15.Sxh5 16.Sf4 17.Sg6 18.Sh8 19.g6 20.Qxf8 21.Qe8 22.Qxc6 23.Kd7 24.Bd6 25.Be7 26.Bd8 27.Kc8 dxc6=
A difficult series.

Ralf Krätschmer (22-12-1957) German composer and International Master

Ralf Krätschmer
[superproblem.ru]

Ralf Krätschmer composes mostly moremovers, but also fairy problems.
His favourite theme is the Berlin theme and his website bears the theme's name. (Berlin theme: In the try, White fails because Black can mate faster.)
Erik Zierke has selected and commented many of Ralf's best problems in the 126-page "AUSGEWÄHLTE SCHACHPROBLEME VON RALF KRÄTSCHMER" (2nd version 2012) and his problems published in 2012 can be found on this page. The following problems are probably not his best, but they are representative of his centers of interest.

Krätschmer, Ralf
3° K.Winsener Rochade Thematurnier, 1991
3^rd Prize

#4

9 + 7

Show Solution

1.0-0-0 ? (2.Rd1-h1#) Bb4-a3# ! Berlin theme.
1.f3-f4 ! (2.Bg8-f7+ Kh8-h7 3.Bf7-g6+ Kh7-h6 4.Rf8-h8#)
1...Ba2xg8 2.0-0-0 ! (3.Rd1-h1#) 2...Bb4-a3+ 3.Kc1-b1 ~ 4.Rd1-h1#

Krätschmer, Ralf
Problem Online, 28^th Apr 2006 (I0003)

hs#4

5 + 6

Show Solution

1.Ke4 Kg2 2.Be5 Bg1 3.Kd4+ Kh2 4.Be4 Bxf2#
Platzwechsel between white pieces and between black pieces.

Yosha Iglésias (22-12-1987) French composer

Yosha Iglésias (formerly known as Joachim Iglésias) is a chess trainer who composes sporadically in all genres and used to publish problems on France-Echecs forum. Yosha's problems are usually solver-oriented.

Iglésias, Joachim
France-échecs, 2006

+

4 + 6

Show Solution

1. Rc1+ e1=Q 2. Rxe1+ Bf1 3. Rfxf1+
{3. Rexf1+ ? g1=S+ 4. Kg4 stalemate; or 3. Rb1 ? g1=B }
3... g1=S+ 4. Kg4 Kg2 5. Rf5 ! h1=Q 6. Rh5 captures the bQ and wins.

Caillaud, Michel & Iglésias, Joachim
J. Lois-60 JT, 2006
3^rd Prize

PG 16.0

16 + 13

Shortest Proof Game in 16 moves.

Show Solution

1.Sc3 g5 2.Sd5 g4 3.Sxe7 g3 4.Sg6 Bc5 5.Sf3 d6 6.Rg1 Bh3 7.gxh3 Se7 8.Bg2 Rg8 9.Bh1 g2 10.Rf1 g1=Q 11.Sh8 Qg3 12.Bg2 Sg6 13.Rh1 Qf6 14.Sg1 Qa3 15.Bf1 Qfc3 16.bxc3 Ke7
Switchback of the white Kingside. Notice the Rook tempo on White's 6th move.

Robert A. Lincoln (22-12-1937 - 19-10-2017) American composer

Robert Lincoln
[superproblem.ru]

Robert Lincoln mostly composed miniature twomovers. He published two books on this topic: "Fun with Chess Miniatures: 540 Puzzles for Novice and Expert" and "More Fun with Chess Miniatures". He held a regular column for Chess Life and was also a regular contributor of the chess problem magazine StrateGems.

Lincoln, Robert
The Problemist, 2001
1^st Prize

#2

4 + 3

Show Solution

Set play:
1...Sd4 2.Qc1#
1...Bg1 2.Sg3#

Tries:
1.g3/g4? (2.Qd5#) 1...Sd4 2.Qc1# but 1...Sd2!
1.Qg3? (2.Qh2#) 1...Bd6 2.Qe1# but 1...Bg1!
1.Qe5? (2.Qh2#) 1...Bg1 2.Sg3# but 1...Bd6!
1.Qh4? (2.Kg3#) 1...Bg1, Bd6/Be7 2.Sg3, Qe1# but 1...Bf2!

1.Qf4! (2.Qh2#) 1...Bg1, Bd6 2.Sg3, Qf1#

Hans-Christoph Krumm (22-12-1931 - 14-06-1994) German composer

Hans-Christoph Krumm
[Die Schwalbe Fragebogen 1960 page 89]

Hans-Christoph Heinz Otto Krumm was a meteorologist. He developed an interest for chess problems thanks to Schach-Expreß and Herbert Grasemann.
He was a top solver for most German chess magazines for decades and attracted many chess players to chess composition. Not long after he took over Herbert Grasemann's column in Deutsche Schachblätter, he died in an accident. More about his life and three interesting problems of his can be found in Thomas Brand's article in die Schwalbe.
He composed direct mates, helpmates and selfmates.

Krumm, Hans-Christoph Heinz Otto
Deutsche Schachzeitung, 1972

#6

6 + 4

Show Solution

1.♘b4! (2.♘c2#)
1...♔e3 2.♘c2+ ♔f4 3.♔g2 (4.e3#)
3...♗g1 4.e3+ ♗×e3 5.♘b4 (6.♘d5#)
A nice circuit by ♘d5.