Prof. Mario Guido García (* Salta 22.06.1948  - †  Salta – Argentina 12.07.2024)  Chess player, famous chess composer, International judge of chess composition, mentor, organiser and Director of endgame study tournament (UAPA)

His place of residence was: Bº Castañares 200 viv. Med. 26 4.400 – Salta – Argentina 

JOSE LUIS GARCIA GUDIÑO, Mario´s son (born 1982 and also a chessplayer) wrote via email to all endgame study composers:

"I am José Luis, Mario´s son. I`m sad to inform you that my father Mario has passed. He died this afternoon of heart failure."

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In general

 The news of Mario García's death has shocked chess players and chess composers all over the world.

  Excellent cooker for chess studies

 Mario García had cooked many famous chess studies. He was an excellent analyst, if not the best the chess study world had.

Collaboration with study composers from all over the world

The sociable Mario Garcia was one of the best-connected chess study composers in the world. He maintained numerous correspondences with chess composers from all countries.

His collaborations with other study composers were remarkable and can only be compared with IM Iuri Akobia or nowadays with GM Martin Minski. Many masterpieces were created during his time-consuming collaboration with well-known chess study composers.

Driving force for novice chess composers

Mario G. was an important mentor and supporter of young, new chess composers and thus made a decisive contribution to the popularisation of chess studies and chess composition in general.

         HIS LIFE AND WORK

"He was born in 1948 in the city of Salta - Province Argentina located in the north of the country.

Graduated in Economics with the title of Certified Public Accountant.

But basically in practice he has devoted himself to teaching.
He was dean of the Faculty of Economics of the National University of Salta and is a professor in the department of Advanced Accounting.

In his political activity he served as Secretary of Finance, Director of Banco Provincial de Salta, Director of Industry and the receivership of several companies in the state.

As head of Sports and Cultural Institutions, was president of  the Salteña Chess Federation, of the Club Sportivo Trade and of foundations with social objectives.

As a chess player he participated in "major" tournaments of Salta, and joined the team of his province in competitions such as:
Argentine Chess Team Championship, selected matches with Bolivia, Chile and Paraguay.

He began in the late 1990s with composition, dedicated until 1996 to direct work mates and in the last 20 years the artistic endgame studies.

His current production includes 230 direct mates and more than 850 endgame studies.

The compositions were published in magazines and newspapers of Argentina, Brazil, USA and Europe, 

during the years 2000 to 2002 on the Internet (220 studies) including these in the database of composer Harold van der Heijden.

He was organizer and Director of the School of Chess of the Province of Salta under the Ministry of Education of Salta and chess columnist Daily Tribune under the pseudonym Alfil Blanco.
Integrates the team of editors of the magazine EG being responsible for the analysis and technical controls, of the studies that are published of the international tournaments.
He was International Judge (Judge of the FIDE for Chess Compositions)."

Source: problemistasajedrez.com.ar

A short cross-section of his career as a chess composer of chess problems and chess studies

"García nació in 1948- in the city of Salta - Provincia Argentina located in the north of the country. Como jugador de ajedrez participo en los torneos de categoría "mayor" de Salta, e integro el equipo de su provincia en competencias, tales like: Campeonato Argentino de Ajedrez por Equipos, Machts con los seleccionados de Tucumán, Bolivia, Chile and Paraguay.
He started composing a fine piece in 1990, starting in 1996 with direct artists and the latest artists. The actual production is made by 165 direct mates and more than 850 endgame studies. Los mates directos fueron publicados en revistas y diarios nacionales e internacionales. The finales were published in the Boletines de la Universidad Nacional de Salta and in the revista EG. Durante los 2000 al 2003 en Internet (220 studios) incluidos estos en la base de datos de finales artistsicos del compositor Harold van der Heijden.- Fue Organizador y Director de la Escuela de Ajedrez de la Provincia de Salta dependente del Ministerio de Educación de Salta y columnista de Ajedrez del Diario El Tribuno with the seudónimo de Alfil Blanco.
Integra el equipo de editores de la revista EG siendo el encargado de los análisis de los estudios que se programan publicar.- (revisión de las consignas de estudios premiados en los distintos Torneos Internacionales) y es Juez para la composición artística (finales)."

Mario Guido García and his children

His children are Mario Alejandro, Mirta Alicia, Diego Javier, María Lorena, José Luis, in-laws Marianela Romano, Marcelo Medina, Andrea Vaca Dávalos, Gustavo Baranovsky, Fernanda Gonzalez.

"† García, Mario Guido . He died on July 12, 2024. The professors of the Accounting II and III chairs of the Faculty of Economics, Law and Social Sciences of the UNSa. With deep pain they share in the death of a person who was a professor there during his lifetime. We accompany his family in this sad moment and pray in his memory." 

Source: noticias.iruya.com

Selection of his endgame studies: 46 endgame studies composed by him can be replayed on the Dutch Website ARVES (editor Peter Boll).

Condolence by Eduard Eylazyan via email

Dear Jose Luis,

This is very sad news. A severe, irreparable loss for the chess composition and for everyone who knew Mario well. I feel like I've lost a close friend. We corresponded for many years, and I can confidently say that he is one of the best people I have ever had the pleasure of communicating with in my life. We had big plans for further cooperation: creating studies and problems, publishing articles...

Mario has done a lot for the development of study composition in the world.

My deepest condolences."

"12 июля 2024 года умер известный аргентинский шахматный композитор Mario Guido García.
Наши соболезнования родным и близким Mario Guido."                                                                                                  2024-07-13 | posted by Grigory Popov, Source: superproblem.ru

José Luis, Mario's son had written to the chess composer

"Hello everyone,   First of all, apologies to all for the delay in answering, but we are still trying to assimilate this... In the name of me and family I would like sincerely thank you for your words and thoughts, I am well aware that many of you were friends with my dad and really appreciated him and surely knew him.. I also know about all the work he´s made regarding chess composition (resolution, demolition, correction, composing). He dedicated a great part of his life to chess composition, it was his passion...Of course he did many other things in his life, he was an exceptional being...intense, charismatic, extremely intelligent but most importantly generous...He would never think about himself while working in chess.., he always loved and was amazed by chess composition. as surely you are too.   "The demolition man" ..."El hombre montaña" has gone...  PS: Some of you asked for photos, personal info, and more of my dad. I will get in touch with my sister and give you whatever you need .   Again, thank you all...Abrazo grande. José"

"He began his journey to eternity on 12.07.24. Dear and endearing friend and soul brother, without your presence our lives would not have been the same. We have shared countless and indelible moments since childhood, through your memories you will remain with us. Restless spirit, dedicated teacher, excellent chess player, tireless conversationalist, humble, hospitable, a great person. May God have welcomed you into his bosom, rest in peace. Sergio and family, Micky and family, Anita and Mary Boso."

Source: obituarios.eltribuno.com

"Mario G. García was born in Salta on 22 June 1948. He graduated in Economics with the title of ‘National Accountant’ and although he practised this profession, he mainly devoted himself to teaching as Dean of the Faculty of Economics at the University of Salta and Professor of the Higher Accounting Department.

He held important political positions in his province, such as Secretary of State for Finance and Director of Industry and Director of the Provincial Bank of Salta, among others.

As director of sports and cultural institutions, he heads the Salteña Chess Federation, the Club Sportivo Comercio and foundations with social objectives.

As a chess player, he took part in senior tournaments in Salta and was a member of his province's team in competitions such as the Argentine team chess championship and matches with teams from Bolivia, Chile and Paraguay.

He was the organiser and director of the Chess School of the Province of Salta, under the Ministry of Education of Salta, and chess columnist for the newspaper El Tribuno under the pseudonym Alfil Blanco .

At the end of 1990 and until 1996, he devoted himself to direct mating and, for the last 25 years, to artistic refinement. His current production includes more than two and a half hundred direct colleagues and countless studies (artistic degrees); including many of them, in the latest version of the Harold van der Heijden Studies Database (HHdbVI) of the famous Dutch composer. This editorial estimates the number of works at almost a thousand studies, composed alone and in collaboration with other composers.

Mario García distinguished himself not only as a competitive chess player, but also as a talented composer who was recognised throughout the world for his brilliant works, which won him numerous international awards. He was also a contributor to the important journal for EC studies and a great disseminator of the work of the Argentinian problemist Arnoldo Ellerman (1893-1969); he is an international judge of artistic composition.

Recently, and thanks to the tenacious work carried out with a close collaborator such as Sebastián Palomo (Tournament Coordinator), they organised the now famous International Study Tournaments on the Internet (the last of which has been completed, number XXII, which can be seen in detail in these pages). as he was the founder of the Argentine Union of Chess Problemists (UAPA), from where he promoted the art of beauty in chess, to the pride of Salta and Argentina. His noble spirit and love of life will always be remembered by those who had the privilege of knowing him."  clubescacssantandreu.blogspot.com