Johann Berger

Johann Nepomuk Berger (born in April 11, 1845 in Graz, † October 17, 1933 ) was an Austrian chess theorist and university professor.

Life

At 16, Berger learned the game of chess. Between 1880 and 1908 he participated in a number of chess tournaments, but could not win a single, but placed mostly in the midfield. Several times he announced therefore his withdrawal from the tournament arena, but was repeatedly re-offend. Professionally, he was from 1899 director of the Graz Academy of Commerce and Professor at the Technical University. He taught there commercial law and accounting. In 1905 he was Regierungsrat, 1933, he received the title of court councilor.

Berger was also active in other areas of chess. In correspondence chess, he won the conducted 1889-1892 Tournament of the magazine Monde Illustré. He has written several books on chess topics. In addition, he developed a known under the name of Sonneborn -Berger system scoring system, which is still used in chess tournaments to determine a ranking point of the same players. From 1898 to 1911 he was editor of the respected German chess magazine. He also released some opening analysis, in particular the Spanish game. A complete overview of his work he gave chess with problems, studies and games 1862 until 1912. Berger was an honorary member of the German Chess Federation since 1910.

Contrary to the in the chess literature occasionally encountered representation has not participated Johann Berger in the tournament in Brno in 1931, but Vladimir Berger from Prague.

Endgame theoretician

He had an excellent reputation as playoff theorists. His main work theory and practice of the playoffs in 1890 and first appeared in a second edition increased in 1922. At this point he worked for seven years in his own words. Shortly before his death in 1933, appeared a booklet with supplements. He summed up the entire former knowledge of playoffs together and introduced some new concepts, such as the so-called Bergersche square, a method to simplify the calculation of pawn endings. His book was considered a standard work until André Cheron in 1955 published the four-volume Handbook of teaching and playoffs.

Solution:

1 f4 - f5! a4 -a3 2 f5xg6! a3 -a2 3 Kh3 - g4 - a2 A1d 4 K g4 - h5! together with 5 g3 g4 with Patt

Chess composition

Equally important was his work in the field of three-and multi Zügers. His style, which he The chess problem and its skillful presentation explained in detail in the published work in 1884, coined in the last decades of the 19th century chess composition in almost all of Europe. Berger is regarded as head of the so-called old German school. The solution of a chess problem should be possible to do without bidding chess moves ( even with more Zügern ), with a main line should protrude with surprising twists from many accompanying sub-variations. This main line should end in a so-called pure matt ( that is, that all the white pieces are involved, with the exception of the king on the mat position, and each flight field of the black king is covered only once ). Two typical for Berger tasks are shown below.

Solution:

1 Th1 -f1! KC4 -d4 2 Df3 -d3 Kd4 - e5 3 f2 - f4 matt

1 ... KC4 b4 (or Kc4xb5 ): 2 Tf1 -b1

1 ... e6 - e5 2 Tf1 -b1

Solution:

1 Td3 -d5! Kb4xc4 2 DG8 - h8! Kc4xd5 3 e2 -e4 KD5 - c6 4 Qh8 - c8 matt

1 ... Tb6 - b7 2 DG8 -d8 threatens 3 Dd8xd6

1 ... kb4 - a5 2 DG8 -d8 - b4 ka5 3 Dd8xb6

Criticism and overcome the old German school

The perceived as dogmatic views about the formal requirements, the Bergers taught school at a chess problem, increasingly provoked criticism. A counter flow was oriented to the beauty of the image Matt Bohemian school. Beginning of the 20th century a turn was completed, as Arthur Gehlert, John and Carl Kohtz Kockelkorn turned away from the formal criteria Berger and advocated a strategically oriented chess composition. Despite opposition Berger and his followers joined this new direction, the New German School, after 1910 the triumphal march.

Works

• The chess problem and skillful representation. A guide to problem friends, Veit and Comp. , Leipzig 1884
• Theory and practice of the playoffs. . A Handbook for chess fans, Veit & Comp, Leipzig 1890; 2nd edition, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / Leipzig 1922; 3rd edition with "Supplement 1922-1933 " (Reprint of the 2nd edition, Edition Olms, Zurich 1981, ISBN 3-283-00076- X)
• Catechism of chess. Introduction to all branches of chess, Max Hesse, Leipzig 1891
• Problems, studies and games from 1862 to 1912, Veit and Comp. , Leipzig 1914