José Mandil Pujadó

José Mandil Pujadó (Spain/Catalan, 21.09.1907 - 28.04.1979)

Chess composer and international judge for chess composition

José Mandil Pujadó born in Barcelona on September 21, 1907 (also a Sept. 21, but 1815 was born the great theoretician of chess Paul Rudolf von Bilguer), and died on April 28, 1979, a sudden embolism, although his health began to decline in 1975, despite which he was still keeping alive the flame of studies in the journal of the SEPA (Spanish Society problematicists Chess).

Mandil started playing chess at the club Iberia, with just 15 years. Later he came into contact with teachers, Henri Rinck, Esteban Puig and Puig and introduced to their network of friends to excellent composers Lommer, Roycroft, Perkonoja, Mugnos and Teodoru, and they were honored with their friendship. But it was the first, his friend Henri Rinck, who learned of specialty studies and final composer of chess.

José Mandil Pujadó was perhaps the most important composers of studies and final of Spain, and he and the Belgian Julien Vandiest, the two most closely linked to their Argentine colleagues, especially José Mugnos composers.

In most information it is recorded that he composed more than 50 endings. I have met around 70. However, F. A. Arguelles, founder and president of the magazine SEPA, as well as a great enthusiast chess problem, manifested itself in a great article published in Volume XII Bulletin SEPA April to June 1979, he made about a hundred, with a total 25 awards. On the cover of this newsletter obituary of Joseph Mandil it appears and we extracted the photo presiding this article (*).

Also, how he not, made forays into the field of direct problems. In fact, a mate in two received a "Recommended" in the contest Barcelona newspaper "The Flood" in 1933.

In 1957 he was appointed by the FIDE international judge for compositions, together with the Spanish Argüelles, Peris, Puig Ambrós and Zaldo. Three years later included Dr. Carlos Lafora, excellent critic on the subject, which also published several books on end among which "Two horses in combat" (see article on an end of two horses against laborer entitled "The pawn treacherous").

He was, for many years, director of studies section of SEPA and finals were also published in the journal "Problems" published by SEPA, in almost all publications and newspapers of the world: Suomen Shakki, castling, Els Escacs Catalonia, La Vanguardia, Mundo Deportivo, Xadrez Brasilieiro, Caissa, Deutsche Schachblätter, British Chess Federation, Checkmate, Chess Spanish, Schackvärlden, Norsk Sjakkblad, Mission, Chess, Italy Scacchistica, etc., having obtained a lot of awards, awards, in my opinion, well deserved for this great student of the finals. At his death, Joaquín Pérez de Arriaga took care to continue the task in the Journal of the SEPA.

On March 31, 2001, my friend Raul Maiztegui Lincoln Homes, which for some years was part of my club, D.C. Sant Andreu de Barcelona, ​​published an excellent article in El Pais, entitled "Whiplash" about a Mandil end of 1942. Final which was also published in the newspaper and posteriomente Mission in Caissa. If someone wants to embark on the adventure to solve it, I note the position in FEN format thereof (4B3 / 2P5 / 2K1k3 / 8 / p1P1p3 / 1p2P3 / 5P2 / 2N5 w - - 0 1), and if the solution you resist, you can find it in the aforementioned article.

He was International Judge of the FIDE for chess compositions since 1957.

Others: 3 endgame studies composed by him are selected on the Dutch Website of arves.org and can be replayed virtually.

Source: arves.org (Dutch Website)