April 7th

Fricis Apšenieks (Frantz Apscheneek) (07-04-1894 - 25-04-1941) Latvian composer

Fricis Apšenieks
[Chess History]

Fricis Apšenieks was a chess player who played for Latvia at seven Chess Olympiads. He also composed problems, like another prominent Latvian chess player, Herman Mattison.

Apšenieks, Fricis
Deutsches Wochenschach, 1924

#3

4 + 3

Show Solution

1.Qh8-e5 ! (2.Qe5xe6+ Kd7-c7 3.Re8-c8/Be3-f4/Be3xb6#)

1...Kd7-c6 2.Be3xb6 Kc6xb6, Kc6-d7 3.Re8xe6, Qe5xe6#
1...Kd7xe8 2.Qe5xe6+ Ke8-f8, Ke8-d8 3.Be3-h6, Be3xb6#

A nice sacrifice key.

April 6th

Walter Hood Thompson (06-04-1873 - 28-02-1938) British (Scottish) composer

The following information is quoted from this genealogical site about the Thompson family.

He published "A list of books containing chess problems" in 1908, and contributed to "Ceské melodie: eine sammlung von 202 schachaufgaben" by Josef Pospíšil also published in 1908. Walter played (and lost) in a memorable chess game against Daniël Noteboom in Ramsgate in 1929.

Thompson, Walter Hood
Les Tours de Force, 1906

#2 v

11 + 12

Show Solution

1.Rxc5? (2.Rc4#/Rd5#)

1...dxe6 2.Sc6#[A]
1...Rxc5 2.Sb5#[B]
but 1...Sxc5!

1.Qg7! ZZ

1...a3 2.Sb3#
1...g3 2.Sf3#
1...Rxa6/Rb5 2.Sb5#[B]
1...h5 2.Kg5#
1...f4 2.Re4#
1...dxc6 2.Sxc6#[A]
1...dxe6 2.Kxe6#
1...d6/Sd6 2.Ke7#
1...d5 2.Kxf5#
1...Sd8 2.Qxd7#
1...Qxb6 2.Rc4#
1...Sxg6 2.Kxg6#
1...Sf7 2.Kxf7#

Pickaninny, Black correction, Transferred mates

April 5th

Arthur Gehlert (05-04-1833 - 13-01-1904) German composer

The model mates of this threemover might interest the reader. We selected another spectacular threemover that captures the spirit of its time:

Gehlert, Arthur
Deutsche Schachzeitung, 1900

#3

6 + 8

Show Solution

You might guess the key 1.Qg1 ! (threatening 2.Qg7#) with the variation 1...Sd7 2.Qg7+ Sf6 3.Qxf6#. but what can you find against 1...Sg6, which seems to hold everything?
The answer is 2.Kxa3 Zugzwang! After any black move, White has a prepared mate.

April 4th

Paul (Pál) Faragó (04-04-1886 - 01-12-1970) Hungarian-Romanian composer and International Master

Paul Faragó and his book

Paul Farago published his first study at the age of 13. He won the gold medal at the Munich Chess Olympiads in 1936 and was International Judge for studies. He held the chess study column of both magazines "Revista Română de Şah" and "Magyar Sakkvilág". He was renowned for his very difficult compositions, where Black often has hidden possibilities and White prevails after a tough battle.
Farago exposed his ideas regarding endgame studies in his book "Idei noi în şahul artistic" (New ideas in chess composition, 1956).

His studies being hard to solve, we propose you the following fourmover:

Faragó, Pál
W.Pauly MT, 1935
1^st Prize

#4

5 + 6

Show Solution

1.Bb7! (2.Bxd5 ~ 3.Bf7+ Kf8 4.Bg7/Be7#)
1...Rxb7 2.Bd8! ~ 3.g7+ K~ 4.g8=Q#
2...Kxd8 does not change anything: 3.g7 Kc8 4.g8=Q/R#
Anticipatory selfblock.

April 3rd

Antonín Marjánek (03-04-1874 - 09-03-1943) Czech composer

Antonín Marjánek composed direct mates and selfmates.
You may try to solve the s#4 below, but this s#3 or this s#8 are worth a look too.

Marjánek, Antonín
Lidové noviny, 3^rd Apr 1926 (1353)

s#4

13 + 6

Show Solution

1. Sh7 ! ZZ

1...Re8+ 2. Kf4+ Re3 3. Rg4 Qxc7+ 4. Qe5+ Qxe5#
1... Rd8 2. Kf4+ Rd4+ 3. Kg5 Qxc7 4. Qe5+ Qxe5#
1... Rxh7 2. Rxh7 or 1...Rg8 2.Rxg8 or 1... Rxc8 2. bxc8=S or 1... Rf8 2. Sxf8, all followed by 2... Qxc7 3. Qd6+ Qxd6 4. d4+ Qxd4#

April 2nd

Julius Buchwald (02-04-1909 - 09-08-1970) American composer

Julius Buchwald, 1930 [Wikimedia]

Julius Buchwald was born in Austria and migrated to Great Britain before WWII and to the USA afterwards. He composed about 3,000 two- and threemovers. He was also International Judge for composition. The collection "Selected Compositions of Julius Buchwald" was published by Mike Prcic in 2005.
Let's quote Dr S. Dowd from the USCF website:

He also composed music, having graduated from the Vienna Volkskonsortium. He supported himself first as a button-maker and then ran a store for philatelists in New York. You can find an mp3 of one of his songs at http://klangwege.orpheustrust.at/musikschaffende_e.php?detail=9 .

Among his remarkable achievements, one may quote his doubling of the Stocchi theme.

Buchwald, Julius
Die Schwalbe, 1928
Prize

#4

6 + 8

Show Solution

Logical try: 1.Sc7? (2.Se8#) but 1...Bg6!
1.Bf2 ! (2.Bxc5#)
1...Se4 2.Sc7 (3.Se8#)
2...Sf6 3.Bg3 (4.Bxe5#)
3...Sf6~ 4.Se8#
The good defender (Bb1) has been replaced by the bad defender (Sf6).

Buchwald, Julius
BCF 038. Ty.
1^st Prize

#3

10 + 10

Show Solution

1.Be1-d2 ! (2.Qb6-c5 [3.Se8-d6#] 2...Rf1-f6, Ba3xc5 3.Se8xf6, Sd3xc5#)

1...Rf1xf7 2.Qb6-f6 (3.Qf6xe5 / Sd3-f2 #) 2...Ba3-d6+, Rf7xf6 3.Se8xd6, Se8xf6#
1...Bg6xf7 2.Qb6-f2 (3.Se8-f6 / Bd7-f5#) 2...Ba3-d6+ 3.Se8xd6#
1...Ba3-f8/Ba3-e7 2.Qb6-d6 (3.Qd6xe5 / Sd3-c5#)
1...Rh1-h6 2.Sd3-f2+ Rf1xf2 3.Qb6-b1#

April 1st

Віталій Іванович Шевченко (01-04-1939 - 07-04-2022) Ukrainian composer (Vitaly Ivanovich Shevchenko)

Vitaly Shevchenko was a journalist who mostly composed moremovers in collaboration with other Ukrainian composers but had lately a preference for helpmates, such as he displayed on his website [broken link]. You may find an example of a successful joint helpmate below.
Vitaly Shevchenko was also the editor of two chess problem magazines "Козацька Шахівниця" (Kozatska Shakhivnitsya) and "Приазовський Літопис" (Priazovsky Litopis).
He wrote many books and was the author of over 800 problems.

Колесник, Микола Іванович & Шевченко, Віталій Іванович
ЮК М.Гершинский-70, 2006
1^st Prize

h#3

b) wSg3->g8

6 + 9

Show Solution

a) 1. Qxc3 Sxb1 2. Qxb4 Sc3 3. Kc5 Sge4#
b) 1. Sxa3 Bxd2 2. Sxb5 Bf4 3. Kc6 Se7#

Reciprocal captures.