Die Schwalbe
German society for chess composition and its bimonthly magazine.
Die Schwalbe is the German chess composition society, named after a famous four-move problem. It publishes a bimonthly magazine of the same name, which is recognized worldwide as a trade magazine for chess composition.
Quick Facts
- Founded
- 10 February 1924
- Founding location
- Essen
- Founding members
- 15
- First president
- Anton Trilling
- Lead manager at founding
- Wilhelm Maßmann
- Magazine first published
- July 1924
Facts from the source article.
Society
Die Schwalbe was founded on 10 February 1924 in Essen as the Vereinigung von Problemfreunden zur Förderung der Aufgabenkunst (Society of problem friends for advancement of chess composition art). Its 15 founding fathers came from the Ruhr Area and were led by Wilhelm Maßmann. Anton Trilling served as the first president. The name was proposed by Johannes Hinsken from Bottrop and traces back to a four-mover titled Eine Schwalbe, composed by Johannes Kohtz and Carl Kockelkorn. The elderly problemists published it with the motto 'Eine Schwalbe macht noch keinen Sommer.' The solution consists exclusively of white queen moves, flitting like a swallow. The problem is the earliest example in which a Grimshaw is preceded by critical moves by both rook and bishop. In 1972, initiated by Gerhard Wolfgang Jensch, Die Schwalbe became a member of the Deutscher Schachbund.
Magazine
The magazine Die Schwalbe first appeared in July 1924 and has been issued bimonthly since then, except for a break between 1943 and 1946 due to the war. During that interruption, then-president Wilhelm Karsch sent all members Mitteilungen der Schwalbe (notes of the society). The magazine publishes chess compositions and solutions, announces composition tournaments, and carries articles about chess composition.
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