Robert William Taylor (10.ii.1932 - 13.iv.2017)

The mathematical engineer Robert W. Taylor, who lead the invention of the single one technology that shaped the modern world - the internet, or rather its predecessor ARPAnet - has died at the age of 85. Coming generations will praise him as a hero of free speech and the exchange of information in a time when western countries were not yet dictatorships, when people still were able to freely access and exchange informations before their falling leaders, those who are as bad as the nazis, as the stalinists, forbade it.

Arthur Bisguier (8.x.1929-5.v.2017)

While everything of interest about Bisguier is probably already said in the various obituaries, of which one is linked, one outstanding fact shall be repeated here:
Bisguier was married since 1959, that is, until his wife died in 2014.
Probably the greatest accomplishment of the distinguished chess master!

Reunion?

Is Kirsan about to be removed as FIDE president?

http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/10098-letter-of-mr-makropoulos-to-mr-ilyumzhinov.html

Please click on either the link or the letter to see it in a readable size!

For the archive: My Reddit IAMA

https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/5yztvn/iama_30_year_old_chess_composer_ama/

The AMA was held on 12 March 2017, 7 PM Berlin time.

Schafft die Zeitumstellung endlich ab! / Get finally rid of Daylight Saving Time!

Siehe Titel. See title.

Azerbaijan Chess Composition Tournaments 2017

Azerbaijan Chess Composition Tournaments 2017

Samir Badalov - 55 MT, 2017 (Studies)
(13.02.1962- 25.08.2011)
The Azerbaijan Chess Composition Commission announces an International Composing “Samir Badalov-55 MT”' memorial tournament for studies (free theme).
Judge: Muradkhan Muradov (Azerbaijan).
Send (please PGN) to tournament director: Elmar Abdullayev (Azerbaijan)
abdullaev-elmar@bk.ru
Closing date: 31. 05. 2017. The award – 2017.

Agshin Masimov - 55 JT, 2017 (Studies)
The Azerbaijan Chess Composition Commission announces an International Composing
“Agshin Masimov - 55”' jubilee tournament for studies (free theme).
Judge: Agshin Masimov (Azerbaijan). Send (please PGN) to tournament director: Elmar Abdullayev (Azerbaijan)
abdullaev-elmar@bk.ru
Closing date: 31. 05. 2017. The award - 2017.

Suleyman Abdullayev – 50 JT, 2017 (#2 - Miniature)
The Azerbaijan Chess Composition Commission announces an International Composing
“Suleyman Abdullayev – 50”' jubilee tournament for miniature twomovers (free theme).
#2 - Judge: Suleyman Abdullayev (Azerbaijan) . Send to tournament director: Elmar Abdullayev (Azerbaijan) abdullaev-elmar@bk.ru
Closing date: 31. 05. 2017. The award - 2017.

Islam Kazimov – 65 JT, 2017 (#2, #3)
The Azerbaijan Chess Composition Commission announces an International Composing
“Islam Kazimov – 65”' jubilee tournament for twomovers and threemovers (free theme).
Judge: #2, #3 - Araz Almammadov (Azerbaijan).
Send to tournament director: Vidadi Zamanov (Azerbaijan) vidadi_zamanov@mail.ru
Closing date: 31. 05. 2017. The award – 2017.

Raymond Smullyan (25.v.1919 - 6.ii.2017)

Raymond Smullyan, the author of the famous Sherlock Holmes chess book, died at the age of 97.

Since we only would be able to quote the famous problem by Smullyan, which is a rework of a previous problem, we instead asked the retro chess expert Andrew Buchanan for a short statement, which is reproduced in full below:

 "I am in touch with the NY logicians group that Smullyan belonged to. I enjoyed speaking with him by phone, but never met him face to face alas. I admired his simplifying approach to logic, which led naturally to his popularisation work. My favourite is "To Mock a Mockingbird" (1985) - a beautiful exploration of combinatory logic. There is no book like it. Another highly original book was the delightful "Chess Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes" (1980) an introductory to chess retrograde analysis, in the form of solutions conducted by the great detective to his Boswell. The challenge he implicitly leaves to us chess problemists is how, in an age where the game itself has great popularity, we can successfully communicate the delights of the compositional world, and grow the next generation of composers and solvers from the grass roots up."

EDIT, 16 Fabruary 2017: Minor correction.