September 5th

Georg Albert Becker (05-09-1896 - 07-05-1984) Austrian-Argentinian composer

Source: Nuestro Círculo #273: 27th October, 2007

Georg Becker was a chess player (see chessgames.com for his o.t.b. career) and a writer for the "Wiener Schachzeitung". He migrated to Argentina in 1939.
He composed direct mates. You might consider this logical threemover which shows the Treffpunkt theme (meeting point) and ambush but here is a charming block threemover:

Becker, Georg Albert
FIDE-Turnier, 1959
5^th HM

#3

10 + 4

Show Solution

1.Re8-a8 ! ZZ

1...Kc6-d5 2.Sb7-a5 ZZ 2...Kd5xe6 3.f7-f8=S#
1...Kc6-c7 2.Sd7-b8 ZZ 2...Kc7-c8 3.Sb8-a6#
1...Kc6-b5 2.Sd7-e5 ZZ 2...Kb5-a4 3.Ka7-b6#

The battery mates prepared by the unexpected key are extremely pleasant.

Gerald Werner Sladek (05-09-1931 - 18-07-2022) Austrian composer

Gerald Sladek
[nachrichten.at]

Gerald Sladek was a direct mate composer. He was active during 20 years starting from 1955 and then resumed composing in 1991, under the influence of Austrian composers C. Gamnitzer and W. Schmoll.
Some of the main characteristics of his problems were elegant and hidden key moves with the white King and chess provocation.
Here is his short obituary on problemschach.at.
Refer to the article "Problem Chess in Upper Austria" and to Gerald Sladek's portrait for more details and more chess problems by Gerald Sladek.

Sladek, Gerald Werner
Schach-Echo, 1967
1^st Prize

#4

5 + 7

Show Solution

1.Sd4-e6 ! (2.Se6-f4 [3.Sf4-g2#] 2...Re5-e2 3.Qc2xe2#; or longer threat 2.Qc2-c1+ Ke1-f2 3.Qc1-f1+ Kf2-e3 4.Qf1-e2#)
1...Re5xe6 2.Bd3xb5 ! (3.Qc2xc3+ Ke1-d1, Ke1-f2 4.Qc3-c1, Qc3-g3#)
2...Re6-e3 3.Qc2-c1+ Ke1-f2 4.Qc1-f1#

Vidadi Zamanov (05-09-1987) Azerbaijani composer

Vidadi Zamanov

Vidadi Zamanov is a young composer of direct mates. He started composing in 2005 (source: Grigory Popov).

Zamanov, Vidadi
Olimpiya Dünyasi, 11^th Feb 2011 (594)
4^th Prize

#4

4 + 2

Show Solution

1. Se4! ZZ

1... Sb3 2. Bxb3 Kb1 3. Sc3+ Kc1 4. Rc2#
1... Sc2 2. Rxc2+ Kd1 3. Sg3 Ke1 4. Re2#
1... Kb1 2. Sc3+ Kc1 3. Bd1 S~ 4. Rc2#

Model mates.

For Spyros Bikos, please refer to the August 22nd post.