December 24th

Eduard Mazel (24-12-1859 - 27-12-1943) Czech composer

Eduard Mazel
[Wikimedia]

Eduard Mazel composed direct mates in the Bohemian style.

Mazel, Eduard
Paleček, 1882 (38)

#3

10 + 13

Show Solution

1.g2-g3 ! ZZ

1...Sa2-~ 2.Qf3(x)c3+ Kc4xd5 3.Se6xf4/Se6-c7#
1...b3-b2 2.Qf3-d3+ Sc1xd3 3.Bb1xa2#
1...f4xg3 2.Qf3-c3+ Sa2xc3 3.Sd5-e3#

Emanuel Lasker (24-12-1868 - 11-01-1941) German composer

Emanuel Lasker
[Wikipedia]

Emanuel Lasker was a mathematician and also one of the very best chess players ever, World Champion for 27 years.
He also played bridge and Go. He wrote many chess books (for instance "Lasker's Manual of Chess") and his "Lasker's Chess Magazine".

Lasker, Emanuel
Lasker's Chess Magazine, 1906

#2

6 + 7

Show Solution

1.Sh4! (2.Sxc6#/Sg6#)

1...Ke5/d5/Sf5/Se6/Bd5/Bb5/Bxa4 2.Sg6#
1...Be8 2.Sc6#
1...Be4 2.Qg3#
1...Bf3/Bxg2 2.Sdxf3#

Karlström-Fleck theme.

A didactic endgame showing how to win in this position:

Lasker, Emanuel
Deutsches Wochenschach, 1890

+

3 + 3

Show Solution

1. Kb7 Rb2+ 2. Ka7 Rc2 3. Rh5+ Ka4 ! 4. Kb7 Rb2+ 5. Ka6 Rc2 6. Rh4+ Ka3 7. Kb6 Rb2+ 8. Ka5 Rc2 9. Rh3+ Ka2 10. Rxh2 ! wins by pinning the black Rook.

Геoргій Вaсільевіч Aфaнaсьеў (24-12-1909 - 26-03-1971) Belarusian composer (Georgyi Vasilyevich Afanasyev)

Let's quote his obituary from "EG 26", October 1971 (page 14) from materials provided by Evgeny Dvizov (or in German here as mentioned by Peter Krug):
"Georgy Afanasiev published his first study in 1927 in the magazine "64" . During 45 years of composing activity he published about 110 studies, of which 60 were in collaboration with E.I. Dvizov from about 1965 onwards."

Афaнaсьеў, Геoргій Вaсільевіч
Советский воин 1950

+

4 + 4

Show Solution

1. Sc6+ Ke8 2. Sh5 Bd8 3. Kg8 Rd7 4. e7 !
{Novotny}
4...Rxe7
{4... Bxe7 5. Sg7#}
5. Sf6#

Alexander Hildebrand (24-12-1921 - 03-08-2005) Swedish composer and International Master

Alexander Hildebrand
[© Hannu Harkola]

Alexander Hildebrand was born in Estonia and became Swedish in 1944. He was an International Judge. He collected chess-themed stamps.
He composed endgame studies and problems. He was the editor of the studies column of "Tidskrift för Schack" and of "Stella Polaris".

Hildebrand, Alexander
Червоний гірник 1983
3^rd Prize

+

5 + 3

Show Solution

1. Sd3 Rxe6
{1... Bxd1 2. Sxe5 Kb6 3. Kd5 Kc7 4. e7 Bh5 5. Ke6 Be8 6. Kf5 Kd6 7. Kf6 +-}
2. Sc5+ Ka5 3. Rb1! Rxc6 4. Rb8 Rc7 5. Ra8+ Kb6 6. Ra6#
White sacrifices the two advanced pawns to obtain an attack on the ill-placed black King.

Hildebrand, Alexander
Springaren, 1955
1^st Prize

s#3

11 + 8

Show Solution

1. d6!

1... exf6 2. f8=R+ Kxa6 3. Rxf6 Bxc2#
1... exd6 2. f8=B+ Kxa6 3. Bxd6 Bxc2#
1... e6 2. f8=S+ Kxa6 3. Sxe6 Bxc2#
1... e5 2. f8=Q+ Kxa6 3. Qe8 Bxc2#
(1... Kxa6 2. Ra5+ Kb7 3. Bxe4 Bxe4#)

Conjugated Pickaninny and Allumwandlung with battery play.

Gerd Giebel (24-12-1933 - 26-05-2004) Brazilian composer

Gerd Giebel
[oproblemista]

Gerd Giebel composed direct mates. He was the captain of the Brazilian composing team for the WCCT and translated chess works from German to Brazilian Portuguese. More details about him can be found on oproblemista.

Giebel, Gerd
Mirador, Sep 2004 (i024)

#4

8 + 9

Show Solution

1. Rg1 ZZ
1... f2 2. Rbf1 e2 3. Qe1 and mate at the next move in a very peculiar Zugzwang position.
(1... e2 2. Rbe1 f2 3. Rxe2)
Nice line clearances by the Rooks and Queen.

Boško Milošeski (24-12-1945) Macedonian composer and FIDE Master

Boško Milošeski

Boško Milošeski composes in all genres and until now has published more than 1250 problems. He is an International Judge and, since Batumi 2013 WCCC, FIDE Master for Chess Composition.

Here are two of his recent successes at the Olympic tourneys 2008 and 2012:

Milošeski, Boško
Dresden Olympic Tourney, 2008
1^st Prize

#7

2 + 10

Show Solution

This is a logical problem with thematic try:
1.Rb1? (2.Rh1#) d1=Q 2.Rxd1 Be1 3.Rd5 Ra5! doesn't work because the black Rook can defend.
1.Rb5! (2.Rh5#) c5 2.Rxc5? avoiding the first rank fails too: 2... d5! 3.Rxd5 e5! 4.Rxe5 Ra7+! (that black Rook is a pest).
1.Rb5!(2.Rh5#) c5 2.Rb1!! (3.Rh1#)
After the obstruction of the 5th rank is made, White returns to the initial plan.
2...d1=Q 3.Rxd1 Be1 4.Rd5 (5.Rh5#) e5 5.Rxe5
The black Rook can not intervene: the 5th rank is closed and the 7th rank as well.
5...Bd2 6.Rh5+ Bh6 7.Rxh6#

Milošeski, Boško
London Olympic Tourney, 2012
1^st Prize

#13

6 + 16

Show Solution

1.Ka3! Ka1 2.Kb4+ Kb1 3.Ra2! Kxa2 4.Rc3+ Ka1 5.Ra3+ Kb1 6.Ba2+ Ka1 7.Bb1+! Kxb1 8.Ra2! Kxa2 9.g8Q+! Ka1 10.Qa8+ Kb1 11.Ka3 Ka1 12.Kb3+ Kb1 13.Qa2#
Comments by judge Jorg Kuhlmann:
Three thematic sacrifices on a2, two of them quiet, plus a ‘similar’ mating move to a2 with six white pieces are a wonderful performance. 3.Ra2, 6.Ba2+ (after 4.Rc3+) and 8.Ra2 keep Black busy and show clearances for Qa8-a2 and Qg8-a2 plus a line-opening for Bd5-a2.

A study and a fairy problem show that Boško Milošeski can readily compose in many genres:

Milošeski, Boško
WCCT 2, 1981
17^th Place

+

4 + 3

Show Solution

1. f7 Rxf7
{1... Kg7 2. gxh7 Rxf7 3. exf7 +-}
2. exf7 Bg8 3. f8=R!
{3. f8=Q ? stalemate}
3... Kg7 4. Re8
{4. Rd8 ? Kh6 5. Rd6 (5. Kg4 Be6+) 5... Bb3 6. Kg4 Bc2 wins the pawn and draws}
4... Kh6
{4... Bb3 5. Kg5 +-}
5. Kg4 Bb3 6. Kf5 Bc2+ 7. Kf6 +-

Milošeski, Boško
5^th WCCT, 1^st Mar 1995
6^th Place, 1993-1996

h#2

3 solutions AndernachChess

8 + 10

Andernach Chess:
On making a capture, a unit (except a King) changes colour (more exactly, it takes the colour of the opposite side: a neutral piece moved by White becomes black...).

Show Solution

1.Rxg5(bR) Rxb1(bR) 2.Rh1 Rg1#
1.Bxh6(wB) Bxb2(bB) 2.Bh8 Bg7#
1.Rxb7(wR) Rxa2(bR) 2.Ra8 Ra7#
Specific Andernach manoeuvres and pin mates.