Manfred Zucker

Manfred Zucker (born April 15, 1938 in Chemnitz; † October 23, 2013 there -  was a chess composer, editor and chess player.

Editor
In 1960, Zucker was one of the founding trio of the chess corner in the regional newspaper Volksstimme (Karl-Marx-Stadt), which merged with the Zwickauer Kreiszeitung Freie Presse on 1 January 1963. The Schachecke of the Freie Presse became known under its new name and was taken over entirely by Zucker after the deaths of Herbert Küchler and Helmut Klug. From April 1973 to 2000, he very successfully headed the Problems and Studies section in Chess. He had been an international adjudicator for chess composition since 1972 and had about one hundred assignments in this function, including twice for the FIDE albums.

In recent years he took over as editor of the multi-move and self-mating section of the magazine for chess composition Problem-Forum and appeared regularly as a speaker at the annual chess composition meetings in his region. Two of his lectures took him as far as Biel to the Kunstschachfreunde in Switzerland.[3] He has published over 50 specialised articles on composition in chess journals.

Chess composition
Zucker has been active as a composer since the 1950s. His first original, a checkmate in five moves, appeared in the magazine Schach in 1956. In 1983 he won the 2nd GDR championship in problem chess with a checkmate in seven moves. Self-checkmate and multi-move moves were among his favorite directions, although he preferred strict economy in the use of means. He also composed some endgame studies.

Chess player
Zucker learned to play chess as a child and joined BSG Motor IFA Karl-Marx-Stadt, now TSV IFA Chemnitz, at the age of 15. He played in all leagues from the 3rd district class to the GDR Oberliga and made it to the three-quarter finals of the GDR championship in Torgau in singles in the early 1960s. He continued to play actively for his club well into his old age.

Private
After graduating from high school, Zucker learned the profession of wholesaler and was managing director of a purchasing and delivery cooperative for the craft sector until his retirement.

His wife Heidi (who passed away at an early age) actively supported him for a long time in his extensive work as an editor. Zucker died as a result of an intestinal operation.

Highly valued for his human qualities

Manfred Zucker was an important organiser and adjudicator in countless problem chess activities and is held in high esteem from a human point of view by those who knew him.

Publications

Fritz Hoffmann; Günter Schiller; Karl-Heinz Siehndel; Manfred Zucker: 407 tasks and studies. Sportverlag, Berlin, 1984. ISBN 3-88805-350-1
Manfred Zucker: Selected chess tasks. Self-published by Winfried E. Kuhn and Godehard Murkisch, Göttingen, 1989.
Degenkolbe, Mirko (ed.) and others: Sachsendreier: Böttger - Fiebig - Zucker: 3 × 70 selected chess problems by Horst Böttger, Reinhardt Fiebig & Manfred Zucker; as well as the decisions of the anniversary tournaments “Böttger-Fiebig-70” and “Zucker-70”. Udo Degener Verlag, Potsdam, 2008. ISBN 978-3-940531-05-6

Web links
Literature by and about Manfred Zucker in the German National Library catalog
Compositions by Manfred Zucker on the Schwalbe PDB server
90 years of chess composition in Chemnitz (with picture) (PDF; 1.9 MB)
Individual evidence
  Obituary at TSV IFA Chemnitz
  International judges for chess composition
  Martin Hoffmann: The portrait: Manfred Zucker, Chemnitz. in: Swiss Chess Newspaper, 2005, No. 11–12, page 25 (PDF; 2.1 MB)
  CHESS 6/1984 p. 277f, Second GDR Championship 1983
 

Source: Germain Wiipedia 

Others: On Website ARVES.org by Peter Boll are 5 endgame studies by Manfred Zucker seleted.