If chess is an art then its composers are indeed its finest artists. A journalist by profession, based in Denmark, Steffen Nielsen possesses an undoubtedly first-rate creative mind. He became seriously interested in chess composition less than a decade ago – considering the fact that a good many composers have careers spanning across three or four decades, he is still relatively new and yet, as many of his colleagues will readily attest, he has already climbed the topmost echelons of his field.

The Danish maestro has etched out a unique style for himself, a style that he himself describes as highly tactical or visual in nature, drawing heavily on problem themes. This can be attributed in part to his diverse interests, apart from composing endgame studies. He likes participating in over-the-board tournaments as well as in solving competitions. Interestingly, he is keenly drawn to the genre of helpmates too. He actually quotes the following as one of his most loved problems of all time. This shows his distinctive taste, his penchant for the viscerally tactical; something that lends him an outlandish aura and makes him stand apart from his other esteemed peers.
(1) Ofer Comay, 10th WCCT 2016, 1st Place
(2) Ofer Comay, 10th WCCT 2016, 1st Place
Recall that in a helpmate Black moves first and then both sides cooperate or in other words, help each other, to achieve the aim of checkmating the black king in the stipulated number of moves. The solution in this case involves a striking cross-check effect. 1.Ne3+ Kf4 2.Nd5+ Kxe5 3.Nc3+ Nxa5#. Black delivers consecutive checks in all three moves with one of his knights. White in turn takes this chance to transfer his king to a favourable square, and then meets the third and the final check by capturing the checking piece – the black queen – while simultaneously unleashing checkmate.
The problem also has a second part or a twin, where a small change is made to the position to get a second thematically related solution. In the second diagram (with the white knight on e1 is shifted to b7) and we see how the solution is altered. 1.Ne4+ Ke2 2.Nc3+ Kxd2 3.Nd5+ Nbxa5#. Black delivers the consecutive checks with his other knight now, and White metes out the final checkmate with the knight on b7, instead of the one on c6. In both the solutions the black knights not only deliver consecutive checks but also crucially help close the lines of bBd2, bQa5, and bRd5 which allow White to move his king to the squares desired: e5 in the first position and d2 in the second.

The above diagrams show the action of the knights in both problems
Complex visual effects like these occur frequently in problems but less so in studies. Steffen however is motivated by them, and his creations are often distinguished by such problem-like tactical schemes. The following "short" study for instance, won a special prize in the Mario Garcia 70 years Jubilee tourney and illustrates this well.
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1.Rc8! Qxg7 2.Rc6+ Kxd5 2...Kd7 3.Rg6++- 2...Ke7 3.Rc7++- 3.c4+ Kd4 3...Ke4 4.Bc2+ Kd4 5.e3# 4.e3+ Ke4 5.Rg6‼+- Qxg6 5...Rxg6 6.Ng5+ Rxg5 7.Bc6# 6.Bc6+ Qxc6 7.Ng5# 1–0 - Start an analysis engine:
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Steffen S. Nielsen | - | White to play and win | - | 1–0 | | | Garcia 70 JT 2018, Special Prize | |
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Just like the way top chess players of the world are incredibly adept at finding resourceful moves over the chessboard, the top chess composers too are able to quickly spot ideas that might crystallize into their next original production. They find inspiration rather spontaneously and you would be greatly impressed how efficiently they are able to move from a concept to its actualization. Steffen is no exception in this regard. Take for instance the position below that occurred in a game between the Chinese superstar Ding Liren and the Russian phenom Daniil Dubov from the recently concluded Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge.
Unless you have been living under a rock during the lockdown, you must have followed the Lindores Abbey online rapid Challenge. Daniil Dubov surprised all by emerging as the champion of this event ahead of hot favourites such as Magnus Carlsen and Ding Liren. The Russian clinched the prize title by coming out on the top of Hikaru Nakamura in what was an absolutely roller-coaster finals | Photo: Lennart Ootes
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1.Rc8! Qxg7 2.Rc6+ Kxd5 2...Kd7 3.Rg6++- 2...Ke7 3.Rc7++- 3.c4+ Kd4 3...Ke4 4.Bc2+ Kd4 5.e3# 4.e3+ Ke4 5.Rg6‼+- Qxg6 5...Rxg6 6.Ng5+ Rxg5 7.Bc6# 6.Bc6+ Qxc6 7.Ng5# 1–0 - Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Steffen S. Nielsen | - | White to play and win | - | 1–0 | | | Garcia 70 JT 2018, Special Prize | |
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Dubov crushed Liren in just 21 moves in this game, and the final blow that led the Chinese no.1 to resign was 21...Bg2! It will look like just a routine tactic that appeared in an encounter between two extremely strong grandmasters. Of course, White is hopeless here in view of the impending Rh1+ followed by Qh3.
When Steffen saw this he perceived much more than just that. "The fun thing about this combination is that it only works against the pawn formation f2/f3/g3. Even the pawn on d2 is needed or White could simply play 22.g4 Bxf3 23.Bxh8 and run with the king. So even though it may seem standard it is in fact quite special," he explained in a Facebook conversation. No wonder these observations quickly led him to put together the following remarkably ingenious study.
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1.Bh2! Nf5 2.Bg3+ Kh5 3.Rh1+ Nh4+ 4.Bxh4 Kh6 4...gxh4 5.Rxh4+ Kxh4 6.Qh6# 5.Bxg5+ Kg7 6.Bh6+ Kg8 7.Bg7‼ g5 7...Kxg7 8.Qh6+ Kg8 9.Qh8# 8.Bh8!+- 8.Bh8 Rd8 9.Rh6 Rd6 10.Qa7 Kf8 11.Qb8+ Ke7 12.Bg7 1–0 - Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Slumstrup Nielsen,S | - | White to play and win | - | 1–0 | 2020 | | An original study dedicated to D. Dubov | |
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A marvellously geometric study where once again the visual element stands out, with the bishop carrying out this picturesque zigzag maneuver. Funny how a "simple" tactical finish can inspire something so beautiful. For chess composers, the artists that they are, nothing is impossible
Steffen actually debuted with his first study in 2012, and got his big break later in the same year, when he won the Timman-60 Jubilee Tourney. There was no looking back after that. He quickly went from strength to strength and in no time catapulted into the elite circle of study composition. The fact that he secured eighth place in the World Championship in Composing for Individuals (WCCI) 2013-15, which in fact was his very first participation in the event, is a testament to his phenomenal talent.
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1.Bb3 Rxb3 1...Kxg3 2.Be6 1...Bxg3 2.Be6= 2.Rf8 2.Kxb3 Bxf7+ 2...Bxf8 2...Rb8+ 3.f7 Bxf7+ 4.Rxf7 Kxg3 5.Rf6 g5 6.Rg6 2...Bd5 3.Nf5+ gxf5 4.Rh8+ Kg5 5.g8Q+ Bxg8 6.Rxg8+ Kxf6 7.Kxb3 2...Be6 3.Nf5+ 3.f7 Ra3+ 4.Kb1 Ra1+ 5.Kc2 Rc1+ 6.Kd3 Rc3+ 7.Ke2 Rc2+ 8.Kf1 Rf2+ 9.Kg1 Rxf7 9...Bc5 3...gxf5 3...Kg5 4.f7 Ra3+ 5.Kb1 Ra1+ 6.Kc2 Rc1+ 7.Kd3 Rc3+ 8.Ke2 Rc2+ 9.Kf1 Rc1+ 10.Kg2 10.Ke2 3...Kh3 4.f7 Ra3+ 5.Kb1 Ra1+ 6.Kc2 Rc1+ 7.Kxc1 7.Kd3 7...Ba3+ 8.Kc2 Bxf7 9.Nh6 Be6 10.g8Q Bxg8 11.Nxg8 4.f7= 4...Rb2+ 4...Ra3+ 5.Kb1 Ra1+ 5.Ka1 Ra2+ 6.Kb1 Ra1+ 7.Kc2 Rc1+ 8.Kd3! 8.Kd2 Bb4+ 8.Kb2 8.Kb3 Bxf7+ 8...Rc3+ 9.Ke2 Rc2+ 9...Re3+ 10.Kd1 Rd3+ 11.Ke2 Rd2+ 12.Kf1 Rf2+ 12...Rd1+ 13.Ke2 Re1+ 14.Kd3 13.Kg1 10.Kf1 10.Kd1 Rd2+ 11.Ke1 Rd8 10.Kd3 Rd2+ 10.Kf3 Rf2+ 10...Bc5 10...Rc1+ 10...Rf2+ 11.Kg1 Bc5 12.fxg8Q 12.f8Q 11.Ke2 11.Kg2 Rg1+ 11...Re1+ 12.Kd3 12.Kf3 Re3+ 12...Rf1+ 13.Ke2 Rf2+ 14.Kd1 Rd2+ 15.Ke1 Rd8 13.Kf2 Bc5 14.f8Q Re7+ 12...Re3+ 12...Rd1+ 13.Kc2 13.Ke2 13.Kc2 Rc3+ 14.Kd1 Rc1+ 15.Ke2 Re1+ 16.Kd3 Re3+ 17.Kc2 Re2+ 18.Kb1 18.Kd1 Rd2+ 19.Ke1 Rd8 18...Rb2+ 18...Re1+ 19.Kc2 19.Ka1 19.Kc1 Rb8 19...Ra2+ 20.Kb1 ½–½ - Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Slumstrup Nielsen,S | - | White to play and draw | - | ½–½ | 2013 | | Jan Timman 60 Jubilee Tourney | |
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Going through these studies you must be wondering: how is it that a 45-year-old adult who has a family and a full-time job to work at find so much time to design positions of such exquisite complexity? Well, all great artists find a way to create no matter what. "You either get it down on paper, or jump off a bridge," the ever-voguish iconoclastic American poet and writer Charles Bukowski had once deftly remarked about the process of writing. The same is true for chess composing - you either do it or you don't. A passionate composer doesn't fold his hands on the pretext that he doesn't have the right conditions around him. Steffen manages to steal time from in between routine activities. He tinkers away with chess pieces when he is on a commute or between breaks at work. He is sporadic but incessant, unstructured but passionate. And that is how, patiently and doggedly over the years, he has managed to create specimens which can aptly be called masterpieces! His best is certainly yet to come but his oeuvre has already grown significantly rich. We present to you next a small collection of his choicest creations, creations that have truly broken new grounds in the field of modern studies.
Stay tuned for Part II.
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