Friday, July 27, 2012

July 28th

Marcel Duchamp (28-07-1887 - 02-10-1968) French-American composer

Marcel Duchamp playing chess, by Kay Bell Reynal
[Wikipedia]

Marcel Duchamp is considered as a very notable artist of the 20th century. His peculiarity, beyond his unconventional thought and subversive actions, was that he was so infatuated with the game of chess that he almost completely excluded artistic activities. His chess games can be played on chessgames.com.
One of his most famous quote about the subject, and the more relevant for chess composers, is the following:
"The chess pieces are the block alphabet which shapes thoughts; and these thoughts, although making a visual design on the chess-board, express their beauty abstractly, like a poem. ... I have come to the personal conclusion that while all artists are not chess players, all chess players are artists."
In 1932, Duchamp and Vitaly Halberstadt to publish "L'opposition et cases conjuguées sont réconciliées" (Opposition and corresponding squares are reconciled).

You can see on Ubu "A Chess Sonata in 8 Movements" by Jean Cocteau, Marcel Duchamp and Hans Richter and Duchamp's dada film "Anemic Cinema" (1926).
Here more to understand Duchamp's works.

Duchamp, Marcel
Through the Big End of the Opera Glass, Dec 1943

White to play...[ What is the result? ] 4 + 4

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Grzegorz Grzeban (Bagdasarian) (28-07-1902 - 21-10-1991) Polish composer and Honorary Master  

Grzegorz Grzeban
[Wikipedia]

It is Grzegorz Grzeban's 110th birthday. He was born Bagdasarian in Chișinău and took the name of Grzeban when he moved to Poland after WWII. He composed mainly endgame studies. He was also the Polish delegate at PCCC from 1963 until 1975.

You may see one of his awarded studies from die Schwalbe's Personalia.

Grzeban, Grzegorz
Tsjechoslowaki Ty, 1983
Prize

+ 6 + 5
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Pieter ten Cate (28-07-1902 - 27-06-1996) Dutch composer and International Master


Pieter ten Cate
[Thanks to Александр Никитин]


It is Pieter ten Cate's 110th birthday. He composed more than 1300 problems and published his first problem at the age of 17. He belonged to the Good Companions Club, was an International Judge and composed many helpmates in his later career. Dr Niemeijer published a book including several problems by ten Cate in his series "Probleemcomponisten" in 1961.

Feenschach's 21st theme tourney (1967/1969) had more than 200 entries. 19 of the 39 awarded problems went to Pieter ten Cate. One of them can be seen here.

You may also see one of his awarded twomovers from die Schwalbe's Personalia.

Ten Cate, Pieter
problem (Zagreb) 1961
3rd Prize

h#22.1.1.1 8 + 9

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Ten Cate, Pieter
Magyar Sakkélet, Apr 1965 (3256)
3rd Prize

h#23.1.1.1 8 + 5

Show Solution



Михаил Борденюк (28-07-1940) Russian composer (Mikhail Bordenyuk)

Mikhail Bordenyuk is an endgame studies composer.

Борденюк, Михаил
Командное первенство СССР 1978
15th Prize

+ 5 + 5

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Михаил Васильевич Кройтор (28-07-1981) Moldovan composer (Mihail Croitor)


Mihail Croitor
[Facebook]



Mihail Croitor is a young chess player, solver and composer. He is the captain of the Moldovan composition team. He composes direct mates, endgame studies and helpmates.
His spectacular study 1st Prize in Tel Aviv-100 composed in collaboration with Sergey Didukh deserves a look, as well as his 4th Prize in Mat Plus 2009:

Кройтор, Михаил Васильевич
Mat Plus, 2009 (33/1247)
4th Prize

+  4 + 5

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Кройтор, Михаил Васильевич
ЮК А. Мельничук - 50, 2008
3rd Prize

#3 vv  4 + 2

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