December 4th

John Augustus Miles (04-12-1817 - 23-07-1891) British composer

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John Augustus Miles wrote several books about chess and chess problems: "Poems and Chess Problems" (1882, on archive.org), "Chess Gems: Some of the Finest Examples of Chess Strategy, by Ancient and Modern Masters" which can be downloaded from archive.org, "Chess Stars: A Galaxy of Self-Mates" which can be read on archive.org. He composed direct mates and selfmates.

Miles, John Augustus
Norwich Mercury, 1889

s#3

6 + 6

Show Solution

1. Qe4 ! (2. Qxg4+ Sxg4 3. Sf2+ Sxf2# or 2. ... Qxg4 3. Bxg2+ Qxg2#)

1... g3 2. Sf2+ gxf2 3. Bxg2+ Qxg2#
1... gxf3 2. Bxg2+ fxg2+ 3. Qxg2+ Qxg2#
1... Qd4/Qa7 2. Sf2+ Qxf2 3. Bxg2+ Qxg2#

Abraham Meurs (04-12-1904 - 21-02-1946) Dutch composer

Abraham Meurs composed in all genres.

Meurs, Abraham
De Problemist, 1929

#2* v

7 + 6

Show Solution

Set play:

1...Kd3[a] 2.Bxa6#[A]
1...d3[b] 2.Rxc3#[B]
1...c2[c] 2.Rxc2#[C]

1.Bc8? ZZ

1...Kd3[a] 2.Bxa6#[A]
1...d3[b]/c2[c] 2.Bxe6#[D]
but 1...Kd5!

1.Bf3! ZZ

1...Kd3[a] 2.Sb2#[E]
1...d3[b] 2.Rxc3#[B]
1...c2[c] 2.Rxc2#[C]

Changed mates, mutate.

Jean-Claude Gandy (04-12-1943) French composer

Jean-Claude Gandy composes in all genres. He held a retroanalysis column in "Diagrammes" for several years.

Gandy, Jean-Claude
Problemas, 1979

h#6

2 + 7

Show Solution

1.f2-f1=B a2-a4 2.Bf1-b5 a4xb5 3.f3-f2 b5-b6 4.f2-f1=S b6xc7 5.b2-b1=R c7-c8=Q+ 6.Rb1-b8 Qc8xa6#
Mixed-colour Allumwandlung.

Gandy, Jean-Claude
diagrammes 6^th TT, 1982
3^rd HM

h#2

4.1...

3 + 8

Show Solution

1. Qc3 Re7 2. Rd2 Qe4#
1. Rd2 Rf7 2. Ke2 Qf3#
1. Ke2 Rg7 2. Kf1 Qxg2#
1. Rc3 Rd7+ 2. Kc4 Qd5#
Four echo mates.