Harold van der Heijden participating in the 2007 ARVES Dutch Endgame study solving tournament (behind left: Marcel Van Herck (Belgium), right: Martin van Essen (Netherlands)
Harold van der Heijden is a Dutch composer of chess endgame studies. He was born in Veghel, The Netherlands, on 18 December 1960. By profession, after finishing his PhD in 2009, he is head of the Research and Development laboratory of a veterinary institute.
His collection of endgame studies is cosidered to be the largest and the most comprehensive in the world (counting over 83,000 studies as of September 2014). This collection is helpful for judges in anticipation checking. He was consulted by judges of many tourneys and also organized and/or judged several endgame study tourneys himself. In 2001 he was awarded by the Permanent Commission of the FIDE for Chess Compositions (PCCC) the title of International Judge for Chess Composition for endgame studies and in 2012 the FM title for chess composition.
He has published well over 130 of his own studies. With his 101 studies participating in tourneys, he won 28 prizes, 31 honourable mentions and 17 commendations (as of September 2014). He was appointed by the Permanent Commission of the FIDE for Chess Compositions (PCCC) as Section Director of the FIDE Album for the endgame study section starting with the 1998-2000 Album until the 2007-2009 Album.
He was editor (1989) and later chief editor (1993) of the magazine EBUR of the Dutch endgame circle ARVES. EBUR merged in 2007 with the famous international endgame study magazine EG founded by John Roycroft in 1965. He was also editor of this magazine since 1991 and took over chief editorship from John Roycroft with the merger of the magazines.
Books
Harold van der Heijden (1996): Pawn Promotion to Bishop or Rook in the Endgame Study, New in Chess, Alkmaar ISBN90-5691-005-1
Harrie Grondijs & Harold van der Heijden (2008): Inleiding tot de Eindspelstudie, RUEB, Rijswijk.
A chess problem, also called a chess composition, is a puzzle set by the composer using chess pieces on a chess board, which presents the solver with a particular task. For instance, a position may be given with the instruction that White is to move first, and checkmate Black in two moves against any possible defence. A chess problem fundamentally differs from over-the-board play in that the latter involves a struggle between Black and White, whereas the former involves a competition between the composer and the solver. Most positions which occur in a chess problem are 'unrealistic' in the sense that they are very unlikely to occur in over-the-board play. There is a good deal of specialized jargon used in connection with chess problems.
Genrikh Kasparyan was a Soviet chess player. He is considered to have been one of the greatest composers of chess endgame studies. Outside Armenia, he is better known by the Russian version of his name Genrikh Moiseyevich Kasparyan or Kasparian.
International Judge of Chess Compositions is a title award by FIDE via the World Federation for Chess Composition to individuals who have judged several chess problem or study tournaments and who are considered capable of judging such awards at the highest level.
The FIDE Albums are publications of the world chess governing body, FIDE, via the Permanent Commission of the FIDE for Chess Compositions (PCCC), containing the best chess problems and studies of a certain period.
Arthur John Roycroft is an English chess endgame study composer and author.
A chess composer is a person who creates endgame studies or chess problems. Chess composers usually specialize in a particular genre, e.g. endgame studies, twomovers, threemovers, moremovers, helpmates, selfmates, fairy problems, or retrograde analysis. Moreover, composers have their own preferred style of composing, allowing their sorting according to composition schools.
Nenad Petrović, was a Croatian chess problemist.
The World Federation for Chess Composition (WFCC) is the highest body governing the official activities in the chess composition. It was known as the Permanent Commission of the FIDE for Chess Compositions (PCCC) from its inception in 1956 until October 2010. It is now independent from FIDE, but both organisations are cooperating. Currently 41 countries are represented in the WFCC.
Gia Nadareishvili was a Soviet chess composer of Georgian nationality, and author of many books on chess studies.
The World Championship of Chess Composition is a triennial competition for composers of chess problems and studies. Organised in the past by FIDE via the Permanent Commission of the FIDE for Chess Compositions (PCCC), it is currently held by the World Federation for Chess Composition (WFCC). The official title is World Championship in Composing for Individuals (WCCI).
EG is a magazine which publishes endgame studies and discusses various aspects of the endgame in chess. The letters "EG" signify "End Game" and also the Latin phrase exempli gratia. While many chess magazines include sections for endgame studies, EG is unique for its exclusive focus.
Ernest Levonovich Pogosyants was a Soviet-Armenian composer of chess problems and endgame studies. He composed about 6,000 problems and studies, almost as many chess puzzles as the 6,500 created by T. R. Dawson. In 1988 he was awarded the title Grandmaster for Chess Compositions.
Ladislav Prokeš was a Czech chess master and one of the most prolific composers of endgame studies in chess. He was born and died in Prague.
Pietro Rossi was an Italian chess endgame study composer.
Iuri Akobia was a Georgian composer of chess endgame studies and chess problems. For most of his working life he was a radio communications engineer in the National Center for Radio and TV of Georgia, and was Chief Engineer from 1975 until 1996.
Charles Michael Bent was an English composer of chess endgame studies. He was born in Newbury, Berkshire on 27 November 1919 and died on 28 December 2004. Bent was the most prolific English endgame composer and one of the top ten in the world. He published as many as 848 studies, winning seven first prizes and 72 honours in international competitions.
Vitaly Alexandrovich Chekhover was a Soviet chess player and chess composer. He was also a pianist.
Hugh Francis Blandford was a chess endgame composer born in Southampton, England.
Bedrich Formánek is a Slovak chess composer.
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