Samuel Loyd (January 31, 1841-April 10, 1911), born in Philadelphia and raised in New York, was an American puzzle author and recreational mathematician. As a chess composer, he authored a number of chess problems, often with witty themes. At his peak, Loyd was one of the best chess players in the U.S., and was ranked 15th in the world, according to Chessmetrics. His playing style was flawed, as he tried to create fantastic combinations over the board, …

Pal Benko is a chess grandmaster, author, and composer of endgame studies and chess problems.

Antonín Novotný was a Czech chess composer and lawyer in Brno. The Novotny theme is named after him - the first appearance of the theme was in a Novotný's three mover from 1854. <br /><br /> Solution: 1.Rf5! threats 2.Rf4 mate. 1...Rf8 2.Bf6! Blocks both f8-f4 and g7-e5 lines and threats 3.Rf4# and 3.Re5# 2...Rxf6 3.Re5#, 2...Bxf6 3.Rf4#, …

Gia Nadareishvili (Georgian გია ნადარეიშვილი; September 22, 1921 – October 3, 1991) was a Georgian chess composer and author of many books on chess studies. He was a neurologist living in Tbilisi. Solution of the sample study (after Chess Today from September 22, 2006, where it was re-published): 1.Rf1+ g1N+! ("after 2. g1Q? white takes the black rook, …

Alexander Dmitrievich Petrov (February 12 1794 in Biserovo - April 22 1867 in Warszawa) was a Russian chess player and chess composer who analyzed (with Carl Jaenisch) the Petrov's Defence. Petrov is usually remembered as the first great Russian chess master and champion. His most well-known problem is "The Retreat of Napoleon I from Moscow".

Leopold Adamovich Mitrofanov was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). He was a Russian chess composer, an International Master of chess (awarded 1980), and an International Judge of Chess Composition (awarded 1971). By profession, he was a chemical engineer. Beginning in the 1950's he published more than 300 endgame studies, 40 of which were awarded first prizes. He participated in the finals of seven individual chess championships of the USSR between 1955 and 1985.

Milan Radoje Vukcevich (March 11, 1937 - May 10, 2003) was a Yugoslav scientist, chess player and chess problem composer. Vukcevich was born in Belgrade. In 1955 he won the Yugoslav Junior Championship, drawing a six game match with Bent Larsen in the same year. He became a chess International Master in 1958, and in 1960 played for Yugoslavia at the Chess Olympiad in Leipzig and had the second best overall score at the Student Chess Olympiad in Leningrad.

Leonid Iwanowitsch Kubbel was a Russian chess problem composer. He was born in Saint Petersburg and died in Leningrad (currently, Saint Petersburg again).

Comins Mansfield was a chess problem composer.

Tivadar Kardos was a well-known Hungarian chess problem creator (Chess composer) and author in chess. Kardos, an academic by career, composed more than 400 chess problems. He focused on two-move problems, as well as self- and helpmates. He was chairman of the Budapest Chess Problem Committee. Together with István Rágó, from 1969 to 1976 he published the paper "Feladványkedvelők Lapja" (Paper of the Friends of Chess Problems). At right is shown one of his problems.

Alexey Alexeyevich Troitsky, or Alexei, or Troitzky (March 14, 1866-August 1942) is considered to have been one of the greatest composers of chess endgame studies. He is widely regarded as the founder of the modern art of composing chess studies.. He died of starvation during World War II at the siege of Leningrad, where his notes were destroyed. One of his most famous works involves analyzing the endgame with two knights versus a pawn, …

Henri Rinck (January 10, 1870 - February 26, 1952) was a French chess study composer, considered one of the most important early figures in the field. He was born in Lyon, where his family were brewers. He graduated in chemistry from Munich Technical School, but moved to Barcelona, Spain in around 1900, spending most of his life there. He published several editions of his studies, each one containing the entire contents of its predecessor, plus his newer compositions.

Oldřich Duras (October 30, 1882, Pchery (hamlet Humny) in Bohemia - January 5, 1957, Prague) was a leading Czech chess master of the early 20th century. FIDE awarded him the title of International Grandmaster in 1950, when the title was first introduced. Among his noted wins (all shared) are Bremen (1905), Prague (1908), Vienna (1908) and Breslau (1912). He had plus scores against Richard Teichmann (+6-2=6), David Janowski (+3-1=0), …

Karel Traxler was a Czech chess master and composer of chess problems. He is best known for the ultra-sharp variation named after him, the Traxler Variation in the Two Knights Defense, which was first shown in the following game against Reinisch, …

Jean Dufresne (February 14, 1829 - 1893) was a French-German chess player and chess composer. He was a pupil of Adolf Anderssen, and lost the "Evergreen game" to him in 1852. He wrote several chess books, one of which, "Kleines Lehrbuch des Schachspiels" (1881) ran to many editions and taught several generations of players. He also wrote a popular book on Paul Morphy. Although he had a negative record against Anderssen, he had a plus record against Daniel Harrwitz, …

Noam D. Elkies (born 1966 in New York City) is a mathematician. While an undergraduate at Columbia University, he was a three-time Putnam Fellow. He won the 1982 competition at the age of sixteen years and four months, making him possibly the youngest Putnam Fellow in history. After graduating as valedictorian, he earned his Ph.D. under supervision of Benedict Gross and Barry Mazur at Harvard University.

Karl Fabel (b. October 20, 1905 - 3 March 1975 Pischertshofen) is considered to have been one of the most ingenious chess composers. He was born in Hamburg, Germany. Fabel received a doctorate in chemistry and worked as a mathematician and civil judge.

Genrikh Gasparyan (February 27, 1910 in Tbilisi - December 27, 1995 in Yerevan) is considered to have been one of the greatest composers of chess endgame studies. He was also an active chess player, winning the Armenian championship many times. Outside Armenia, he is better known by the Russian version of his name Genrikh Moiseyevich Kasparyan. He shared his Armenian surname with chess champion Garry Kasparov.

Max Friedrich William Bezzel was a German chess composer who created the eight queens puzzle in 1848.

Josef Kling was a German chess master and chess composer.