Background
Milan Radoje Vukčević was born in Belgrade.
chemist chess player university professor
Milan Radoje Vukčević was born in Belgrade.
In 1960, he played for Yugoslavia at the Chess Olympiad in Leipzig and had the second best overall score at the Student Chess Olympiad in Leningrad. In 1963 he moved to the United States of America, settling in Ohio, and westernising his surname. Vukcevich decided on a career in science rather than chess, and in the year he moved to the United States he entered Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was an instructor at Case Western Reserve University for six years before leaving to work for General Electric, where, from 1989, he served as Chief Scientist.
He published two books on science.
Vukcevich continued to play chess. In 1975 he finished third in the United States. Championship, ahead of Samuel Reshevsky, Robert Byrne, Larry Evans and Arthur Bisguier among others
From 1976-1979, he played in the National Telephone League, scoring 16.5 from 22 games, including wins against Bisguier, Yasser Seirawan, Nick De Firmian and Leonid Shamkovich. Vukcevich is better known as an author of chess problems than as a player, however, being the first American resident to be awarded the title of International Composition Grandmaster by FIDE. Vukcevich"s compositions were gathered together in My (2003).
He composed in all genres, including directmates, selfmates, helpmates, problems with fairy pieces and a small number of endgame studies.
On the left is one of famous Vukcevich"s problems. The key is 1. Bb6 with the threat 2. Qg6! and 3. Ne4# and 3. e4#.
If 2.
.. Rxf3 then 3. Rxf3#, which explains the choice of the key. In the main variations Black unpins the Queen, which can then form new batteries: 1.
. Rf5 2. Qf4!! (threat 3 Ne4#) Re5+ 3.
Be4#; 2.. Rxf4+ e4#. 1.. Nf5! 2. Qh4!! (threat 3 Ne4#) Nxe3+ Rg6#.
2.. Nxh4+ 3. e4#. Additional variation occurs after 1.
.. e5 2. Qf5! Qxf5+ 3. e4#. Vukcevich died in 2003 in Cleveland, Ohio and is buried in Evergreen Hill Cemetery in Chagrin Falls.
The Vukcevich Super Cup was created in his honor soon after his death.