Leonid Kubbel

Leonid Ivanovich Kubbel (russian Леонид Иванович Куббель) was a Russian composer of chess endgame studies and problems. He was born in Saint Petersburg in December 1891 (at the end of the month, the exact date is not known) and died in the same city, which was called Leningrad at the time, on April 18, 1942. Currently, the city is called Saint Petersburg again. He was christened Karl Artur Leonid, but amended his forenames to Leonid Ivanovich subsequent to the 1917 October Revolution. [ [http://www.arves.org/Biografie.htm Biografical data Endgamestudy composers ] ]

He composed more than 1500 endgame studies and problems, many of which were awarded first prize for their great beauty and original conception. He is generally considered one of the very greatest of all endgame composers. He was a chemical engineer by profession.

Also his brothers Arvid and Evgeny were chessplayers. Arvid Kubbel was a very strong chess master over the board, having played in the first four USSR chess championships, while Evgeny was himself an endgame composer.Both Leonid and Evgeny Kubbel died of starvation in 1942 during the Nazi siege of Leningrad, while Arvid was executed by the Soviet secrete police in 1938. [ [http://www.chehovchess.ru/lib/lek/5-eng.htm Журнал о шахматах - здесь Вы найдете статьи, советы, рассказы о шахматах и шахматистах ] ]

A study by Leonid Kubbel

This is one of Leonid Kubbel's many masterpieces. The Black a-pawn is close to promotion, after which, without counterplay, the game would be lost for White. But with a subtle plan he succeeds to avoid defeat and to checkmate the Black King. chess diagram|=
tleft
Leonid Kubbel
"Schachmatny Listok" 1922
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8 | |nl| | | | | | |= 7 | | | | | | | | |= 6 |kl| | | | | | | |= 5 | | | |kd| | | | |= 4 | | | |pd| | | |bl|= 3 |pd| | | | | | | |= 2 | | |pl|pl| | | | |= 1 | | | | | | | | |= a b c d e f g h

White to move and win (5 + 3)

Solution:

1. Nb8-c6!! (threatens Nb4+, blocking the a-pawn), Kd5xc6 2. Bh4-f6, Kc6-d5 3. d2-d3, a3-a2 4. c2-c4 +, Kd5-c5 5. Ka6-b7!, a2-a1 =Q (5. ...Kd6 or Kb4, 6.Nd4 stopping the pawn) 6. Bf6-e7 checkmate.

Works on Leonid Kubbel

* "25 ausgewählte Endspielstudien von Leonid Kubbel" (German), Jan van Reek, 1996.
* "Leonid Kubbel’s Chess Endgame Studies", TG Whitworth, 2004.
* "Леонид Куббель" (Russian), J. Vladimirowitsch and Y.Fokin, 1984.

External links

* [http://www.jmrw.com/Chess/Kubbel/base.htm "25 Studies by Leonid Kubbel"] fr
* [http://www.arves.org/Biografie.htm "Biographical data on chess composers]
* [http://www.chesscafe.com/endgame/endgame.htm "Magazine survey of endgame studies]

References

- Preface by Grigory Levenfish in: "K.A.L. Kubbel Schachmatnich etjudov: 150 Endgame Studies", Leningrad, 1925 (Russian).