Julien Gustave Emile Vandiest, *15.06.1919 - † 02.03.2011

Famous endgame study composer and Philosopher

He was one of the three Musketeers, Belgian endgame study composers: these chess composers are Vandiest, Roger Missiaen and Ignace Vandecasteele.

Special feature of his chess studies

Julien Vandiest was specialized in miniature endgame studies with queens on the board. 

He usually built his chess studies without the help of a computer. Because of the difficulty of this chess endgame, this can be described as a special analytical achievement.

Works

He wrote together with Ignace Vandecasteele and Roger Missiaen "Flemish Miniatures.123 chess endgame studies" in 1998.

An obituary on the Internet. Translated into English

"The last letter from Julien Vandiest
14/03/2011

After the death of Jan Van Leeuwen we received more bad news last week. On Wednesday, 2 March, the philosopher and historian Julien Vandiest, well-known in national and international chess circles and former chairman of the KASK and the chess section of the KSAH (Kon. Sportverbond Antwerpens Handel), passed away. He was 92.

In a last letter, which he wrote himself shortly before his death, Julien Vandiest said goodbye to many chess friends. An In Memoriam by Ignaas Vandemeulebroucke...

Death of Julien Vandiest

Julien Vandiest was an excellent chess player. He qualified several times for the Belgian Championship among the experts, achieved good results, but was best known for his famous chess column, which he wrote every Tuesday in the "Volksgazet" for decades. In addition, Julien Vandiest proved to be an outstanding force in the composition of endgames and is known practically all over the world for his queen endgames. He was part of what was known in Belgium as the 'Three Musketeers', a triumvirate of endgame composers who were the envy of the world (Vandiest himself, Roger Missiaen, Ignace Vandecasteele).

As a board player, he never had much of a competitive spirit, he said in an interview. It was only when he discovered composition that he really started playing chess. When the war broke out, Vandiest joined the resistance, was arrested and ended up in Auswitz for a year and a half.

Julien Vandiest has published dozens of essays on philosophy, art and science in various Dutch and French-language magazines, in addition to numerous collections of aphorisms.

Julien Vandiest's extensive oeuvre in the field of endgame composition has earned him a great international reputation. His oeuvre comprises around 500 works, almost all of which have been published. First, second and third prizes, mentions in most European chess journals have been awarded to him and, because he himself did not want this, hardly any of his endgames have been published in the FIDE Album (also the yardstick for determining the grade of international masters and grandmasters of composition chess), which is published every three years. As a composer, you have to submit your own works for publication, and he certainly didn't like that.

Vandiest wrote a 'Composer's Corner' in the monthly magazine 'De Schaakplayer', which was discontinued far too soon. He headed the problem section of the "Belgian Chessboard" for two years..

His queen's endgames in particular became famous worldwide. There is probably no player in this country who has not been presented with such a Vandiest position. It is impossible to ignore the smallest selection from his oeuvre. In memory of a great man..".

Source: SCHAAKFABRIEK.be

Others

On Dutch Website ARVES (arves.org) 8 endgame studies with solution composed by Vandiest are selected

On Germain Website pdb.dieschwalbe.de 4 endgame studies are shown. Julien Vandiest composed mostly endgame studies.

On Website "Yet another chess problem"  yacpdb.org 64 endgame studies by Julien Vandiest can be seen.

On Website CHESS ENDGAME STUDY DATABASE 43 chess studies are shown.

Philosopher

Some aphorisms by Julien Vandiest:

"Gewoonte is een passie die aan geheugenverlies lijdt. "

― Julien Vandiest

Habit is a passion suffering from amnesia.

"Nergens kan de liefhebber zo snel prof worden als in de politiek en in de prostitutie" .

― Julien Vandiest

Nowhere can lovers turn pro as quickly as in politics and prostitution.

"Verbeelding: geheugen van de toekomst."

― Julien Vandiest

Imagination: memory of the future.

"In de ogen der doden zal elke levende wel een treuzelaar zijn."

― Julien Vandiest

In the eyes of the dead, every living person is bound to be a loiterer.

"Werkelijke hartstocht maakt van de beste acteur opnieuw een amateur."

― Julien Vandiest

True passion turns the best actor into an amateur again.

Source: arves.org (Dutch Website by Peter Boll)