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The Modern Magic of Mario Matouš

11/30/2019 – The enjoyment to be gained from solving a well-crafted chess composition can be seen from the sentiment that closes this Study of the Month column. After a long day of work at the board, what does a hungry chess player require? "Something to eat from the pub and something to solve from Matouš". Study of the Month columnist SIEGFRIED HORNECKER dives into the live and work of Mario Matouš.

Exploring the history of world chess composition tournaments

10/27/2019 – Closing our three-parter about the most important official chess composition contests (for composers, i.e. solving tourneys would require a separate article), we will need to have a look at the World Chess Composition Tourneys, but mainly from the perspective of endgame studies. Pictured: Genrikh Kasparyan (Soviet Union) composed the 1st place study in the first WCCT (1972-1975): White to move and draw.

FIDE Albums: The official anthology for chess composition

9/28/2019 – In this second part of an "understanding chess composition competition" trilogy, Study of the Month columnist SIEGFRIED HORNECKER surveys the official FIDE Album, an anthology of the best chess compositions. His selections include a study co-composed by Levon Aronian. | Photo: Arves.org

Understanding chess composition competition

8/31/2019 – This month Study of the Month columnist SIEGFRIED HORNECKER looks at the WCCI, or World Championship in Composing for Individuals, and the legacy of Nenad Petrović (pictured). As per a rather new rule, the best compositions there automatically qualify for the official FIDE Album, which will be covered in a follow-up article. | Photo: Arves.org

Vanishing Act

7/27/2019 – Study of the Month columnist SIEGFRIED HORNECKER outdoes himself this month with a tour de force including eight studies! You can truly spend the entire month with this one. Featured first is Sergiy Didukh (pictured), a Ukrainian studies composer who invented the term “thematic wrong try”. Enjoy! | Photo: Arves.org

Hillel Aloni: Patience and perseverance

6/29/2019 – When on May 26th 2017, in Netanya, a man died during the preparations to celebrate his 80th birthday, the jubilee turned into a memorial for one of the greatest study composers from Israel. Many chess composers have an endless love and passion for chess, but he also had it for raising other young talents. | Photos: Arves.org

Ready for Reti (part 2)

6/1/2019 – Many will know the Austro-Hungarian (and later Czechoslovakian) Richard Réti as a world-class player, but also as a great composer of endgame studies, so — in time for his 130th birthday — we continue our exploration of European chess composers with him. (Read part 1) | Photo: Ernst & Cesanek, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Ready for Reti

5/25/2019 – Many will know the Austro-Hungarian (and later Czechoslovakian) Richard Réti as a world-class player, but also as a great composer of endgame studies, so — in time for his 130th birthday — we continue our exploration of European chess composers with him. As it would go too far to analyse his entire biography, just the important details will be given here, while also exploring the history of the Réti manoeuvre. | Photo: Ernst & Cesanek, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Hard work pays off

4/27/2019 – It's the last Saturday of the month, so time once again to enjoy some studies and compositions (plus some Eastern philosophy) curated by our expert SIEGFRIED HORNECKER, whose April subject is Iuri Akobia of the Georgian School of composition. Photos contributed by David Gurgenidze. | Image: Robbert van der Steeg [CC BY-SA 2.0] via Flickr

Check Czech Chess V: Artur Mandler

3/30/2019 – It's the last Saturday of the month, so time once again for a featured study (actually "studies" as there's rarely been just one!) from our expert SIEGFRIED HORNECKER, who focuses his attention in March on Artur Mandler (1891 to 1971) a prolific chess composer. | Photo: Archiv Bondarenko [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons

The Life and Times of Mark Liburkin

2/23/2019 – Composer Mark Liburkin is the focus of "Study of the Month" author SIEGFRIED HORNECKER. Little is known of this study composer born in 1910, but his "chameleon echo" is sure to delight and we fill in the biographical gaps as best we can. And, as usual, don't miss the instructive studies!

Check Czech Chess IV: Oldřich Duras

1/26/2019 – "Study of the Month" author SIEGFRIED HORNECKER returns to his deep dive into Czech chess composers with a fascinating column on Oldřich Duras. The fourth column in this mini-series builds upon his research from the second half of 2018. See also: Part 1: Prokop’s poetry, Part 2: Prokeš from Prague and Part 3: Miroslav Havel. Of course, don't miss the instructive studies!

A White Christmas

12/29/2018 – The final "Study of the Month" examines the legacy of American composer Alain C. White. Our study guide and expert SIEGFRIED HORNECKER explains how White "was far ahead of his time — half a century or more". In fact, Hornecker is already looking ahead to 2022 when many of White's works are slated to enter the public domain, much to the benefit of chess study fans (and future Study of the Month columns) everywhere.