Zinoviy Markovich Birnov (March 3, 1911, Osveya, Vitebsk Voivodeship – May 2, 1967, Volgograd) – Soviet chess composer. Master of Sports of the USSR in chess composition

Biography
Main profession: Construction technician, graduated from the Moscow Construction School in 1931. Received a certificate of honor for his services in rebuilding Volgograd (then Stalingrad) after the war. Brother Lev Markowitsch (1908-1999) is a famous Soviet composer.

The first chess study was created in 1927; In total there were about 150 endgame studies and several dozen chess problems. Birnov's endgame studies repeatedly took top places in competitions. Favorite topics: checkmate and draw positions.

Birnov's best chess studies contain an exciting battle that is beautiful and funny on both sides. In 1956 he published the collection “At Leisure,” which included puzzles, crossword puzzles, chess problems, entertaining questions, and descriptions of board and sports games.

Memory
In memory of his compatriot, chess commemorations for Z. M. Birnov are regularly held in Volgograd [4] . The 23rd commemoration took place in 2017

Wikipedia (Rus)

On Website ARVES is written:

Russian composer born in Arjangelsk, who lived in Volgograd (Stalingrad) where he worked as a builder of works,

and after the war he received an official diploma for his contribution to the reconstruction of the city.
He began to compose in his adolescence and from 1925 he realized about 400 problems of mate in two and three plays

and about 150 Studies, where the subjects predominate with mate termination and in positional tables.
In addition to his intense work in chess composition Birnov was a specialist editor of the newspaper "Volgogradiskaia Pravda"

and in 1966 was named Sports Master of the USSR, just a year before his death, in the same city that he helped rebuild and that he had also regained his former name.
Birnov specializes in the composition of studies of minor pieces and pawns which, as corresponds to his profession, are solidly built

and where the deeper ideas usually have the "adornment" of some brilliant touch that keeps alive the interest of the solutionist.

Others: 39 endgame studies composed by Birnov are selected on the Website arves.org

About his endgame studies: His chess studies often get to the end without unnecessary material. Study ideas are masterfully varied. The studies speak for themselves and do not require much further analysis. From today's perspective, Zinoviy Birnov joins the ranks of the great study composers of the past.