September 27th

Sigmund Herland (27-09-1865 - 15-08-1954) Austrian- Romanian composer

Sigmund Herland
[Kartothek A-K page 130]

Sigmund Herland was a chess player and composer
A collection of 327 selected problems by Sigmund Herland was published by Ekaterina Yaremska-Iliescu and can be read and downloaded from [Bibliothèque et Archives Canada / Library and Archives Canada].

Sigmund Herland composed in all genres (studies, direct or fairy problems, in Bohemian or strategic style) and was often very creative and original.
Sigmund Herland also composed what can be considered as the forerunner of the first cyclic Babson task (composed by Peter Hoffmann, Schach 2005). The story of this problem,published by Alain C. White in the Theory of Pawn Promotion, was evoked by Steven Dowd in his "Skittles" on ChessCafe.

Herland, Sigmund
Theory Of Pawn Promotion, 1912
1^st Prize

#4

13 + 8

Show Solution

1.c6-c7 ! (2.c7-c8=Q ~ 3.Qc8-f5 ~ 4.Qf5-g5# or 2.c7-c8=S ~ 3.Sc8-d6 ~ 4.Sd6-f5#)
1...a2-a1=Q/B 2.c7-c8=S
1...a2-a1=S 2.c7-c8=Q
1...a2-a1=R 2.a7-a8=B (3.Ba8-f3 ~ 4.g4-g5#) 2...a3-a2 3.Ba8-e4 ! Kh4xg4 4.Be4-g6#
Promotions Q-S, S-Q, R-B and B-S.

Herland, Sigmund
Tidskrift för Schack, 1908

#5

11 + 7

Show Solution

1.Bc3-h8 ! ZZ

1...g6-g5 2.Sh5-g7 Rb2xb3(c2) 3.Sg7-e6+ Rb3-b2 4.Se6-d4 ~ 5.Sd4-b3(c2)#
1...g6xf5 2.Sh5-f4 f5xg4 3.Sf4-e6 g4-g3 4.Se6-d4 Rb2xb3, Rb2xc2 5.Sd4xb3, Sd4xc2#
1...g6xh5 2.c6-c7 (3.c7-c8=Q ~ 4.Qc8-c3 ~ 5.Qc3xb2#) 2...h5xg4 3.c7-c8=R g4-g3 4.Rc8-c3 Rb2xb3, Rb2xc2 5.Sd4xb3, Sd4xc2#