Selection of studies composed by

Sergei G. Zhigis

(Belarus)

An outstanding Belarusian composer from the city of Vitebsk, who between 1926 and 1936 unveiled about twenty different studies, including solo artists.
He participated regularly in local composition contests, where he obtained distinctions, and three of his works have been selected and published in the first FIDE Album.
It is also known that his work was in the railroad; But on the other hand there are no data on the date of his birth and there are doubts about the initial of his second name,
as well as the reasons for which I stop composing are unknown.
It is only assumed, according to the comments of other colleagues, that he died around 1941.
Zhigis was the first composer in his country to perform systematic work in the field of study,
and in that aspect it is worth pointing out the search for new original ideas such as the confinement of pieces in the presentation.

In EG91 we find this information:

SERGEI G. ZHIGIS by Gennady Novikov, Minsk

In 1927 "64" published a study (Nl) by the hitherto unknown composer C.G. Zhigis from the town of Vitebsk in Byelorussia. V. Platov and A. Selesniev, joint editors of the studies section, drew chessplayers' attention to its qualities of excellence and originality. That was how the Byelorussian composer Sergei Zhigis first drew attention to himself. He came to composition one might say headlong. It was only in 1926 that the editors' correspondence column had advised the young composer to pay attention to the technique of study composing, but in the 1927-28 period no fewer than six of Zhigis' studies were published by "64". [.........]

More than a score of Sergei Zhigis'studies appeared in "64", "Shakhmatny listok", and the pages of "Zadachy i etyudy". He also composed some draughts problems. He reached his peak around 1929-30,when most of his studies known today were published. Thereafter his activity sharply declined. Only two studies appeared after the period 1931-36: one in the newspaper "Rabochy", the other took 2nd Hon. Mention in the tourney held for the Third International Chess Tournament.

There are many blank pages in Zhigis' life. His place and date of birth are unknown, as are his occupation and the reason he ceased composing. When one looks at Zhigis' studies from a contemporary standpoint one notices an average level of quality with the occasional sparkling interlude. It is clear that the composer did not seek brilliant new positions but devoted himself to perfecting the ideas already known at that time. [.........]

 

Studies selected by Mario Garcia and some corrected also one by Peter Krug.

(All his studies, more exact dates, possible corrections or cooks and exact details about sources can be found in the

Harold van der Heijden database V (31-12-2015) ).