Greetings from HOLLAND (from TD 100) by Henk Prins Tilbage til forsiden

THE DUTCH MILLS
by Henk Prins, International master in composition 1997

Diagram 1
Henk Prins
Original
Dedicat. Thema Danicum 100
#2 C+ 15+8




I am very thankful that I can write an article for THEMA DANICUM number 100.
I congratulate THEMA DANICUM in this jubilee with an original twomover, see diagram 1
The pieces form the number "100". I dont' give the solution. You can solve this problem.

Who am I? I am a Dutch-man of 40 years. I am controller of a distribution-center of foodstuffs in Sliedrecht and I live in this town. The position of Sliedrecht is in the immediate of the seaport-town Rotterdam (26 km) and the international famous mills of Kinderdijk (8 km). I have a wife, Bets, two sons, Maarten (11) and Anne (9) and two daughters, Herwina (7) and little Elize (5).
In chess-composition I am primarily a two-mover-specialist. I have made about 750 problems. I have received the FIDE-master title for chess composition in 1990 and the international master title in chess composition in 1997. In the beginning of the eighties-years I was a successful twomover-composer. In the FIDE-album 1983-1985 I was semi-official the "world-champion" of twomover-composers with the most points in the twomover-section. In this album you can find two first-prizes of THEMA DANICUM, the numbers 292 (see diagram 2) and 183 (see diagram 3).

Diagram 2
Henk Prins
1 PR Thema Danicum 1983
#2 C+ 13+10



Diagram 2 is a problem with a halfbattery (d8-d4). White makes new batteries. We see four changed mates after try and key.

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Diagram 3
Henk Prins
1-2 PR e. a. Thema Danicum 1984
#2 C+ 11+8



Diagram 3 is a twomover with the Herpai-Barulin theme. Original are the thematic tries.

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I am member of the Dutch Alliance of Chess Problemists (Nederlandse Bond van Schaakprobleemvrienden). Under the Dutch composers there were three grandmasters: Eeltje Visserman (1922-1978), Cornelus Goldschmeding (1927-1995) and Jacobus Haring (1913-1989). Now the Netherlands has no grandmaster in live. From the three grandmasters I publish famous problems of them.

Diagram 4
E. Visserman
1 PR Probleemblad 1955
#3 C+ 9+12



Diagram 4 is a three mover on very high level. A splendid work. Please replay all the moves and you see the rich contents.

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Diagram 5
J. Haring
3 PR Magasinet 1953
#2 C+ 10+5



Diagram 5 contains changed mates after crosschecks.

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Diagram 6
C. Goldschmeding
1 PL WCCT 1970
#2 C+ 9+11



Diagram 6 had won the first prize in the WCCT of 1970 twomovers. We see four changed mates combined with the theme of WCCT, changed mates after blocks. A nice work. Judge C.J. Morse wrote: "It is a masterpiece which I had hoped that the tourney would produce". Goldschmeding was some years Vice President of the FIDE and also President of the Dutch Chess Alliance (Koninklijke Nederlandse Schaakbond).
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In summer 1998 our family made holidays in Denmark. Our holiday-cottage was in Skodshoved in Djursland. We had made trips to Legoland (very, very nice, also for mothers and fathers), Grenaa, Ebeltoft, Aarhus, Mols-mountains and Mariager. We have seen the nice Danish nature and we had a splendid holiday in your splendid country.
Denmark and Holland are equivalent, both are small countries. In problem composition are both countries also equivalent. In 1936 the match Denmark-Holland finished in 243-243! Denmark and Holland are friends. The Dutch composers alliance are also friends. Dutch friends congratulate Danish friends.

Diagram 7
Henk Prins & C. Groeneveld
2 PR Reformato. Dagblad 1991
#2 C+ 11+8



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The problem shows a triple Schiffmann with tries and changed mates. Together with my composer-friend and FIDE-master Cornelus Groeneveld made we this twomover. It had won the second prize in the Dutch newspaper-column REFORMATORISCH DAGBLAD in 1991. I edit the weekly column in this daily newspaper.

I hope you have enjoyed the problems. Once more congratulation to the people of THEMA DANICUM with number 100.