Antonio Bottacchi

Antonio Bottacchi (16-04-1900 - 22-12-1969) Italian chess composer

Antonio Bottacchi (16.4.1900-22.12.1969), who died 50 years ago, was one of the "great quartet" of Italian two-movement chess composers from the first half of the last century, alongside Mari, Guidelli and Stocchi. His work has Antonio Bottacchi (16-04-1900 - 22-12-1969) Italian composer less well known than that of the other three, as he only published in a few journals, most recently exclusively in Italian ones, and was a modest, introverted personality who was averse to all honours. The self-taught chess player considered chess problems, which had always fascinated him since he learnt about them in his youth, "the most beautiful dream of his life". Bottacchi's work was summarised by Oscar Bonivento in the volume Realismo e Romanticismo nell'arte problemistica di Antonio Bottacchi in 432 problemi commentati, published in 2005. Many of the two- and three-movement pieces he composed from 1916 onwards are in the then current good-companion style.