December 16th

George Hume (16-12-1862 - 14-01-1936) British composer

George Hume
[Changing Fashions; Scan by M. McDowell]

[Chess Antiquarian]

George Hume was one of the main actors of the "Good Companion" Chess Club. He collected twomovers and used this collection to detect anticipations.
He participated to the edition of many books of the White Christmas Series such as "Changing Fashions", "Valves and Bi-Valves", "Flights of Fancy in the Chess World" or "The Good Companion Two-Mover" published in 1922.

Hume, George
Good Companions (April Complete Blocks) 1922
3^rd Prize

#2*

8 + 6

Show Solution

Set play:

1...Kxd4 2.Qg1#
1...Sb2~ 2.Sa4#

1.Sxa2! ZZ

1...Kxd4 2.Qg1#
1...Sb2~ 2.Bxb4#
1...Sd3 2.Qc3#

Mutate.

Hume, George
Brighton Society, 1897
1^st Prize

s#2

8 + 9

Show Solution

1.Be2-g4 ! ZZ

1...e3-e2 2.Bg4xf5+ Rb5xf5#
1...b4xa3 2.Qb3-b1+ Rb5xb1#
1...Qa5-d8/Qa5xa3 2.Qb3-d3+ Qxd3#
1...Qa5-b6 2.Re8xe6+ Rb5-e5/Qb6xe6#
1...Qa5-a4 2.Qb3-c2+ Qa4xc2#
1...f5xg4 2.Sh3-g5+ Rb5xg5#
1...Re6-e5/Re6-e7/b7-b6 2.Re8xR+ or 1...Re6xe8 2.Rf8xe8+ and 2...Rb5-e5#
A spectacular block problem.

This complete block s#2 is also interesting.

Hume, George
Bristol Mercury, 1893
1^st Prize

s#3

8 + 9

Show Solution

1.Qf3-f1 ! ZZ

1...Bf5-g4 2.Re6-g6+ h7xg6 3.Qf1-f6+ e7xf6#
1...Bf5xe4 2.Qf1-g1+ Be4-g2 3.c5-c6 Kg5-g4#
1...Bf5-g6 2.Qf1-g2+ h3xg2 3.Re4-g4+ Kg5xg4#
1...Bf5xe6 2.Qf1-a6 Be6-~ 3.Qa6-f6+ e7xf6#

Another good exercise for solvers:

Hume, George
Chess Monthly, 1895
1^st Prize

s#3

13 + 7

Show Solution

1.b7-b8=S ! (2.Rc7-d7+ Kd5-c4 3.Qd1-f1+ Rc1xf1#)

1...Rc1xc2 2.Sb5-c3+ Rc2xc3 3.Qd1-f3+ Rc3xf3#
1...Rc1xd1 2.Sc8-e7+ Kd5-e6 3.Sb5xd4+ Rd1xd4#
1...Qh8xe8 2.Rc7-c5+ Kd5-e6 3.Rc5-e5+ Bd4xe5#
1...Qh8-f8 2.Qd1-h1+ Rc1xh1 3.Re8-e5+ Bd4xe5#

Amazingly, two pairs of variations.