December 8th

Alois Nagler (08-12-1907 - 30-05-1996) Swiss composer

Alois Nagler
[from his book "Schweizer Problemkomponisten", Chess History]

Alois Nagler was a chess tourney organizer (Zurich 1953) and composed direct mates.
He wrote the book "Schweizer Problemkomponisten" (1951).

Nagler, Alois
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 1933

#3

8 + 5

Show Solution

1.Rb7-b3 ! ZZ

1...Kc5-d5 2.Rb3-c3 d4xc3 3.e2-e4#
1...d6-d5 2.Rb3-b6 Kc5xb6 3.Bf2xd4#

Two Rook sacrifices.

December 7th

Hans Werner Gomoluch (07-12-1903 - 06-03-1974) German composer

Hans Gomoluch composed direct mates and helpmates.

Gomoluch, Hans Werner
Die Welt, 1948
1^st Prize

#4

7 + 2

Show Solution

1.Sf3 !
1...Kxf3 2.Sf4! Kxf4 3.Be4! Kxe4 4.Qg4#
The vacuum cleaner.
The source of this fourmover is registered in PDB as "Hamburger Problem-Nachrichten 1947 - Preis, Nolcken TT".

Gomoluch, Hans Werner
Schach-Echo, 1973 (7458)

h#3

4.1...

3 + 8

Show Solution

1. Sa4 Rxd7+ 2. Kc4 Red3 3. Sc5 R7d4#
1. Bf5 Rd3+ 2. Ke4 Rcxd7 3. Re5 R7d4#
1. Rc5 Rb7 2. Kc6 Reb3 3. d5 R3b6#
1. d6 Rf3 2. Ke6 Rff7 3. Rd5 Rce7#
4 echo mates.

December 6th

Bertil Einar Gedda (06-12-1912 - 08-03-1991) Swedish composer

Bertil Gedda
[skkamraterna.se]

Bertil Gedda was a poet, chess player and composer. An article by Sven-Göran Malmgren in Swedish about his achievements can still be found on skkamraterna.se.
He excelled at selfmates.

Gedda, Bertil Einar
2^nd WCCT F, 1980
3^rd Place, 1980-1983

s#3

12 + 11

Show Solution

1. Bf6 ! (2. Rxd2+ Bxd2 3. Rxb6+ Rb7#)

1... Rxd1 2. c4+ Sxc4 3. Rxb6+ Rb7#
1... e3,exf3 2. Se7+ Rxe7 3. c4+ Qxc4#
1... e5 2. Rc5+ Ke6,Kd4 3. Qd5+ Rxd5#
1... Ra7 (~) 2. fxe4+ Qxe4 3. c4+ Qxc4#

Battery play, pins.

Gedda, Bertil Einar
Schach-Echo, 1971 (6650)

s#4

11 + 7

Show Solution

1. Rb6 ! (2. Rd6+ Kc3 3. Qa5+ Kb2 4. Rd2+ Bc2#)

1... Rxa2 2. Sc1+ Kd4 3. Qd6+ Kc3 4. Qd2+ Rxd2#
1... Bxa2+ 2. Sc1+ Kd4 3. Qd6+ Kc3 4. Rb3+ Bxb3#
1... e3 2. Sa5+ Kd4 3. Rd6+ Ke4 (Kf5) 4. Qd3+ Bxd3#

Difficult play with four different and long variations.

December 5th

Estanislao Puig Ambrós (05-12-1911 - 27-02-1960) Spanish composer

Estanislao Puig Ambrós
[Ajedrez365]

Estanislao Puig Ambrós composed direct mates in two and three moves.

Puig Ambrós, Estanislao
Magasinet, 1948
1^st Prize

#2

12 + 7

Show Solution

Set play:
1...Bb3 2.Sxb3#[A]
1...Qxd8/Qf8/Qg8/Qxh8/Qc6 2.Sc6#[B]
1.e5! (2.Qe3#)
1...Sg4/Sg8/Sh5/Sh7 2.Sf5#
1...Se4 2.dxe4#
1...Sd5 2.Sb3#[A]
1...Sd7 2.Sc6#[B]
Transferred mates, black correction.

Puig Ambrós, Estanislao
El Ajedrez Español, 1943
1^st Prize

#3

14 + 11

Show Solution

1.Sa2-c3 ! (2.Re3xe4+ Re1xe4 3.Rd6xd5#)

1...Sd3-~ 2.Rd6xd5+ Be4xd5 3.Bc7-e5#
1...Sd3xf4 2.Qd1xg4 (3.Qg4-g7#) 2...Be4-g6/Sf4-h5/Sf4-g6 3.Rd6xd5#
1...Sd3xb4 2.Qd1-a4 (3.Qa4xa7#) 2...Sb4-~, a7-~ 3.Qa4xc4, Bc7-b6#
1...Be4-h1/g2/f3 2.d7-d8=S (3.Sd8-c6/Sd8-e6#)

December 4th

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

Google  Books

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#

December 3rd

Walter Irving Kennard (03-12-1860 - 31-05-1936) American composer

According to A. C. White and Kenneth Howard, Walter Kennard composed problems without the chess board. He composed many problems that have solver-entertainment value.

Kennard, Walter Irving
Checkmate, Feb 1904

#2

8 + 11

Show Solution

1.Qg1! (2.Bd4#)

1...Kxf6 2.Qg7# Nice switchback of the wQ
1...Rd5 2.Sd7#
1...Se3/Sxf2 2.Qa1#
1...Qxd6 2.Rf5#
1...Sxf6 2.Qh2#

Kennard, Walter Irving
Checkmate, 1904

#3

13 + 2

Show Solution

1.Rf3-f4 ! (2.Rf4-b4/Rf4-d4 ~ 3.Rb1/Rd1#)

1...g5-g4 2.Rf4-b4 ~ 3.Rb4-b1#
1...g5xh4 2.Rf4-d4 (3.Rd4-d1#) 2...h4xg3+ 3.f2xg3#
1...g5xf4 2.Se6xf4 ZZ 2...Kf1xf2 3.Sf4-g2#

Karlström-Fleck.

And the most difficult one as a conclusion:

Kennard, Walter Irving
American Chess Bulletin, 1915

#4

7 + 6

Show Solution

1.Rf1-c1 ! ZZ An amazing key, placing the wR behind tripled pawns.

1...b6-b5 2.c4-c5 b5-b4 3.c3xb4+ Ka5-b5 4.c2-c4#
1...c6-c5 2.Rc1-d1 ! b6-b5 3.Rd1-d5 b5xc4 4.Rd5xc5#

December 2nd

Eustachy Wolański (02-12-1904 - 17-09-1969) Polish composer

Eustachy Wolański composed direct mates, helpmates and selfmates.

Wolański, Eustachy
Polski Zadaniowiec, 1929
1^st HM

s#2

Setplay

11 + 10

Show Solution

Set play:
1...Ra7xb7 2.Qd8xa8 g3-g2#
1...Ba8xb7 2.Rg5xe5+ Ke4xe5#
1.Qd8-b6 ! ZZ
1...Ra7xb7 2.Qb6-b1+ Rb7xb1#
1...Ba8xb7 2.Qb6xe3+ Ke4xe3#
Changed variations and mates.