Alois Wotawa (11 June 1896 – 12 April 1970) was an Austrian composer of chess problems and endgame studies. He was born and died in Vienna. He was a prosecutor and a member of the Nazi Party.
Composition career Wotawa composed more than 350 endgame studies, which were published particularly in German-speaking countries. Wotawa also composed some problems that he called "botched endgames".Source for this and the following: Friedrich Chlubna: An Artist has left us, in: EG Vol. 20, pp. 119 to 121. August 1970 (in PDF at .)
In 1966, FIDE honored Wotawa as an International Master of Chess Composition.
Example endgame study In the following study, White finds an amazing move to force a draw.
Solution: 1. Ne5 Rd2+ 2. Ke3 Re2+ 3. Kd4 Rxe5 4. Rf6!! Forks the bishop and rook. If Black protects both with 4...Ra5, 5.Rg6 wins the pawn and draws. There remains only 4...g7xf6 stalemate.
Works Alois Wotawa: Auf Spurensuche mit Schachfiguren - 150 Endspielstudien [German language]. Vienna, 1965
References