Daniele Guglielmo Gatti
Daniele Guglielmo Gatti (born 6 November 1987) is an Italian chess composer.
Biography
Daniele Guglielmo Gatti | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | Italy |
| Born | 6 November 1987 (age 37) Tradate, Northern Italy |
| FIDE rating | 1798 |
| Peak rating | 1824 (November 2024) |
He began composing chess problems in 2015, initially focusing on selfmates and then exploring other genres, including endgame studies.[1][2] In early 2025, he published an endgame study that achieved a complete Babson Task (4/4) in a legal and economic setting. The task has been considered one of the most difficult unsolved challenges in chess composition since its original formulation by American chess composer Joseph Ney Babson [IT] in 1884[3][4][5][6].
That same year, Gatti publicly disclosed his diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome and intellectual giftedness. In a personal statement, he described the diagnosis as influential his activity of chess composition, citing traits such as hyperfocus, logical structuring and attention to detail.[7]
Gatti is a registered nurse.
Development of the Babson study
Gatti's study was developed from a scheme created by Israeli-American chess composer Gady Costeff, which showed a complete Babson Task theme in an endgame study, but in an illegal position and with presence of promoted pieces. The scheme had originally been created in 2011, and Costeff spent over a decade attempting to construct a legal version. In his 2024 article, he acknowledged the illegality of the position but chose to publish it as a demonstration, inviting other composers to explore possible improvements. In EG issue 238, he wrote: “The position is unreachable by a single capture. [...] I composed this [setting] in 2011 and tried for a decade to make it legal. [...] I do think it is interesting and readers would be interested in how a Babson may look.”[8]
Gatti began working independently on the same theme and, after approximately 45 days, published a sound Babson Task in EG n. 239 (January 2025).[9] The study was dedicated to Gady Costeff, who was acknowledged as a source of inspiration.[6][9]
Reception and criticism
Following its publication, the study was featured on various national[6][10][11][12][13][14] and international[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] platforms.
Several chess composers and critics publicly commented on the study. Ukrainian chess composer, critic and former WCCI world champion Serhiy Didukh referred to it as a “notable achievement” in his blog Chess Study Art.[24] He later included the study in his digital book 100 Memorable Studies, published on the same site.[26] The study also received recognition by Harold van der Heijden and former WCCI champion Steffen Slumstrup Nielsen.[6][9] German grandmaster and FIDE Master for chess composition Jan Michael Sprenger contributed a comment on Didukh's blog, describing it as “a rather elegant position given the complexity of the task.”, remarking on the surprising speed of its realization.[27] Dutch composer and studies expert Martin Van Essen also analyzed the study during a masterclass directed at the Schaakvereniging Paul Keres club in Utrecht, later publishing the entire video on YouTube[28].
Outside the composition community, the study was analyzed by Austrian grandmaster and national champion Felix Blohberger in an instructional YouTube video.[29]
Titles and awards
During his career, Gatti composed around 630 problems and 255 studies, receiving a total of 200 awards in national and international tournaments.[2]
In 2018, Gatti received the title of National Master of Chess Composition from the Associazione Problemistica Italiana (API), affiliated with the Italian Chess Federation.[1][30]
He participated in the 11th World Team Championship for chess composition (WCCT) of 2022, achieving a 19th individual placement in section F (Selfmates), the best Italian placement for that edition.[31]
In 2024, he won the 5° Italian Chess Composition Championship.[32]
In 2024, one of his original studies was selected and presented by Judit Polgar at the 'Global Chess Festival', held in Hungary on September 17, for the project 'Chess Artistry Adventure', organized in memory of GM and composer Pal Benko.[33][34]
He is also FIDE International Judge of Chess Compositions since July 2025.[35]
Publications
"Professione Problemista – Avvicinamento alla composizione scacchistica" (Messaggerie Scacchistiche - 2022).[36]
References
- ^ a b "Galleria Compositori Italiani". www.bestproblems.it. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
- ^ a b "www.arves.org - Gatti, Daniele 1987". arves.org. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "Underpromotion Milestones – part two". Chess News. 2024-11-06. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ "De man die de Babson Task maakte". timkr.home.xs4all.nl. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ "Babson task", Wikipedia, 2025-05-20, retrieved 2025-06-29
- ^ a b c d "Le mosse vincenti del sovramontino Gatti: è nel gotha mondiale del gioco degli scacchi". Corriere delle Alpi (in Italian). 2025-01-08. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "Pensare "storto" per creare dritto – Scacchi, composizione e neurodivergenza". Spazio Asperger Onlus (in Italian). 2025-06-29. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
- ^ "www.arves.org - Babson Task by Gady Costeff". arves.org. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ a b c van der Heijden, Harold (2025). "Editorial". Eg (2025). XXXI (239): 3.
- ^ Garofalo, Antonio (2025). "Babson Task in the field of studies". Best Problems (115): 814.
- ^ "Il veneto Daniele Gatti ha risolto il Babson Task! – Comitato Regionale Veneto Scacchi" (in Italian). 2025-08-05. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
- ^ "Torre & Cavallo Scacco! - N. 4 luglio-agosto 2025". Messaggerie Scacchistiche (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ scacchi, Infilata (2025-04-01). "Fare il problemista (con Daniele Gatti)". L’Infilata. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ AltriScacchisti (2025-01-28). "Dopo ben 141 anni un italiano ottiene il primo studio "Babson Task" corretto e legale". Uno Scacchista (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ "The Babson Task – A modern realization". šachy.cz (in Czech). 2025-08-14. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
- ^ "The Babson Task – A modern realization". Chess News. 2025-08-14. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
- ^ "Studien-Babson | Rund um die Retroanalyse". www.thbrand.de. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
- ^ Widlert, Kjell (2025). "Mannen som ville göra Babson-task". Springaren. 3 (173).
- ^ Eric (2012-11-05). "Chess Composers: November 6th". Chess Composers. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ Popov, Grigory (2025). "Первый в истории таск Бабсона для этюдов". SuperProblem.ru.
- ^ "Teljes Babson legális kezdőállásból". Magyar Sakkvilag. 3: 36. March 2025.
- ^ "Eine Studie". forum.computerschach.de. Retrieved 2025-07-20.
- ^ Schaakvereniging Paul Keres (2025-06-12). Do 12 juni 19:00 – Masterclass De Babson Task door Martin van Essen!. Retrieved 2025-07-20 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b "Таск Бабсона – Chess Study Art" (in Russian). 2025-02-02. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ "www.arves.org - Home". arves.org. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ "100 Memorable Studies – Chess Study Art" (in Russian). 2025-01-31. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ "Находки Клинкова – Chess Study Art" (in Russian). 2024-10-12. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ "Masterclasses". Schaakvereniging Paul Keres (in Dutch). 2019-09-01. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ GM Felix Blohberger (2025-04-07). The Chess Problem That Took 140 Years to Solve. Retrieved 2025-06-30 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Accademia del Problema". www.accademiadelproblema.org. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ "11th WCCT – WFCC". Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ Agostini, Valerio (2024). "5° Campionato Italiano Assoluto di Composizione". Sinfonie Scacchistiche. 2 (156).
- ^ "www.arves.org - Chess Artistry Adventure 2024". arves.org. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ "CHESS ARTISTRY 2024". www.globalchessfestival.com. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
- ^ "International judges – WFCC". Retrieved 2025-07-18.
- ^ "Professione Problemista - avvicinamento alla composizione scacchistica". Messaggerie Scacchistiche (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-06-30.
