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".[1]

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.

Alois Wotawa
Österreichische Schachzeitung, 1952
abcdefgh
8
d7 black rook
f7 white knight
g7 black pawn
a6 black bishop
b2 black king
f2 white king
f1 white rook
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
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

References

  1. 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 .)


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