Wenelin Alaikov

Wenelin Georgiev Alajkow (born February 18, 1933 in Shumen , † February 13, 2007 in Sofia ) was a Bulgarian chess composer . He was a mechanical engineer and a specialist in labor standards .

Chess composition

Alajkow published his first chess problem in 1947 in the Anzeiger Sedmitschen rebus . After that he did not compose until 1963 when he met Petko Petkow . From him he learned the craft of composing and became very active. He published more than 1300 chess problems of almost all genres, with the exception of studies and retro exercises. He achieved his greatest successes in self-mate and fairy tale chess . In 1977 he was appointed International Chess Composition Judge. In 1993 he was awarded the title of Grand Master in Chess Composition . From 1993 to 2004 he was editor of the column for chess composition of the Bulgarian chess magazine Schachmatna Misl .

Wenelin Alaikow
Mat, 1979, 1st prize

	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H
8th									8th
7th									7th
6th									6th
5									5
4th									4th
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H

Mate in 4 moves

The task shows a Grimshaw on e7 and the use of the half-bond on the 5th row.

Solution:

1. Bf2 – h4! (threatens 2. Rg6xg5 + Kf5 – f6 3. Rg5 – g7 + Kf6 – f5 4. Rg7 – f7)
1.… Re8 – e7 2. Nb7 – d6 + Qa6xd6 3. Ne2 – d4 + e5xd4 4. Qd3xe4 #
1.… Bf8 – e7 2. Bc8xe6 + Da6xe6 3. Qd3xe4 + d5xe4 4. Ne2 – d4 #
1.… Bf8xh6 2. Nb7 – d6 + Qa6xd6 3. Ne2 – d4 + e5xd4 4. Qd3xe4 #

Works

• Alajkow, Wenelin: Schachmatna komposizija. Medizina i Fiskultura, Sofia, 1977. (Bulgarian)
• Alajkow, Wenelin: Lyubopitni temi trichodowite sadatschi. Sofia, 1983, (Bulgarian)

Web links

• Compositions by Wenelin Alajkow on the Schwalbe's PDB server
• Schachmatna Misl, No. 8–9, 2006, p. 259 ( Memento from August 30, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) (Bulgarian; PDF file; 2.43 MB)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Dijan Kostadinow: Wenelin Alajkow (Bulgarian)
2. ↑ International judges for chess compositions
3. ↑ Grand master for chess compositions