Alois Wotawa

Alois Wotawa (11 June 1896 – 12 April 1970) was an Austrian composer of chess problems and endgame studies. He was born and died in Vienna.

Composition career

Wotawa composed more than 350 endgame studies, which were published particularly in the German-speaking countries. Wotawa also composed some problems, which he called "bungled endgames" [Source for this and the following: Friedrich Chlubna: "An Artist has left us", in: EG Vol. 20, pp. 119 to 121. August 1970 (in PDF at [http://www.gadycosteff.com/eg/eg.html] .)] .

In 1966, FIDE honored Wotawa as an "international master of chess composition".

Example endgame study

In the following study, White finds an amazing move to force a draw.

Chess diagram|=
tleft
Alois Wotawa
"Österreichische Schachzeitung, 1952"
=

8 | | | | | | | | |= 7 | | | |rd| |nl|pd| |= 6 |bd| | | | | | | |= 5 | | | | | | | | |= 4 | | | | | | | | |= 3 | | | | | | | | |= 2 | |kd| | | |kl| | |= 1 | | | | | |rl| | |= a b c d e f g h

White to move and draw

Solution:
1. Sf7-e5 Td7-d2+
2. Kf2-e3 Td2-e2+
3. Ke3-d4 Te2xe5
4. Tf1-f6!! Forks the bishop and rook. If Black protects both with 4...Ra5, 5.Rg6 wins the pawn and draws. There remains only 4...g7xf6 stalemate.

Works

* Alois Wotawa: "Auf Spurensuche mit Schachfiguren - 150 Endspielstudien" [German language] . Vienna, 1965

References