Karl Junker

Karl Junker (* 21 April 1905 in Meiningsen, Kr. Soest/Westf; † 13 January 1995) was a German chess composer and chess writer.

Life
Junker learnt chess from his father at the age of twelve, and through his maths teacher, the Westphalian master Dr Schäfer, he achieved some playing strength. Junker worked as a journalist from 1927 to 1934 and later as a primary school teacher. He then became headmaster of the primary school in Neuenrade. He also ran the adult education centre in Neuenrade for a time. Karl Junker published his first chess problem in 1923. In the 1950s, he came first in several composition competitions. He preferred to compose three-move and multi-move problems. He also played tournament chess in the 1930s at the main tournaments of the Westphalian Chess Association. When his time allowed, he also played in the chess club in his home town of Neuenrade in Westphalia. Junker was responsible for several chess composition columns. In 1964 he was editor of the magazine Die Schwalbe. He published his own compositions in 1971 (Ausgewählte Schachaufgaben) and 1978 (Ausgewählte Schachaufgaben - 2nd edition). In 1962, together with Rudolf Teschner, he revised the work Das Schachspiel. Systematisches Lehrbuch für Anfänger und Geübte by Siegbert Tarrasch. He wrote the problem section of Klaus Lindörfer's Großes Schach-Lexikon. In his spare time, he was also interested in local history, customs and natural history. He wrote articles for the regional newspapers in the former Altena district. In 1955 he published the local history book of the town of Neuenrade 1355-1955.

Source: wikipedia.de

Die Schwalbe (Germain magazine for chess problems) wrote:

Chess player, chess composer and editor

Karl Junker (21.4.1905-13.1.1995) learnt to play chess around 1917 and came to chess composition around 1923, in which he devoted himself in particular to the orthodox three-move and multiple-move moves. In his strategic compositions he tried to realise model mates wherever possible. Junker, who had worked as a journalist for several years before his teaching career, was active as a chess journalist for many years. In 1959, he was briefly editor of Schwalbe, which he gave a new, adventurous look and format (DIN A4). The three issues published in this way - one of which was a double issue - were re-set by his successor Peter Kniest and reprinted in the standard format of the time. In 1962 Junker, together with Rudolf Teschner, revised Tarrasch's book Das Schachspiel. Systematisches Lehrbuch für Anfänger und Geübte. He later wrote the problem section of Klaus Lindörfer's Großes Schach-Lexikon. In 1971 he published a selection of his own problems, which was followed by a second edition in 1978. In the 1970s, Junker headed the study section of the Schach-Echo. His 6-move problem, which is reproduced here, has a simple position, but then proves to be a tricky tempo piece. Kraemer/Zepler predicted a long life for this problem in their book Problemschach im 20. Jahrhundert.