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Milan Vukcevich
Born
Milan Radoje Vukčević

(1937-03-11)March 11, 1937
Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Died May 10, 2003(2003-05-10) (aged 66)
Trieste, Italy
Nationality Yugoslav and American
Scientific career
Fields Chemistry
Institutions Case Western Reserve University

Milan R. Vukcevich (born Milan Radoje Vukčević; March 11, 1937 – May 10, 2003) was a talented Yugoslav-American scientist and a top expert in chess problems. He was known for both his work as a chemist and his amazing ability to create difficult chess puzzles. He was also a writer.

Milan Vukcevich: A Life of Chess and Science

Milan Radoje Vukčević was born in Belgrade, a city in what was then Yugoslavia. From a young age, he showed great skill in chess.

Early Chess Success

In 1955, when he was just 18, Milan won the junior chess championship in Yugoslavia. That same year, he played a six-game match against Bent Larsen, a famous chess player, and they ended up with a tie.

In 1960, Milan played for Yugoslavia in the Chess Olympiad in Leipzig, Germany. He also had one of the best scores at the Student Chess Olympiad in Leningrad, Russia.

Moving to America and a New Career

In 1963, Milan moved to the United States and settled in Ohio. He changed his last name to Vukcevich, which was easier to say in English.

Even though he was a great chess player, Milan decided to focus on a career in science. He went to the MIT, a very famous science school. After that, he taught at Case Western Reserve University for six years. Later, he worked for General Electric, a big company, where he became their Chief Scientist in 1989. He even wrote two books about science!

Continuing His Chess Journey

Milan never stopped playing chess. In 1969, he shared the win at the U.S. Open Chess Championship with two other strong players, Pal Benko and Robert Byrne.

In 1975, he placed third in the U.S. Chess Championship. He finished ahead of many well-known chess players like Samuel Reshevsky and Larry Evans. From 1976 to 1979, he played in the National Telephone League, winning many games against other top players.

His Final Years

Milan Vukcevich passed away in 2003 in Cleveland, Ohio. He is buried in Evergreen Hill Cemetery in Chagrin Falls.

His son, Marko, used to play guitar in a band called Mushroomhead. After Milan's death, a special chess event called the "Vukcevich Super Cup" was created to honor him.

Milan Vukcevich: The Chess Problem Master

Milan Vukcevich is even more famous for creating chess problems than for playing chess games. He was the first person living in America to be given the title of International Composition Grandmaster by FIDE, which is the world chess organization.

His Books and Hall of Fame

In 1981, he published a book called Chess by Milan: Problems and Games of Dr. Milan R. Vukcevich. In 1998, he was honored by being added to the US Chess Hall of Fame. He was only the second person ever to be mainly recognized for his amazing chess problems.

His many chess problems were collected in another book called My Chess Compositions (2003). He created all kinds of chess problems, including ones where you have to checkmate in a certain number of moves, or even problems with special "fairy pieces" that move differently.

An Example Chess Problem

Here is one of Milan Vukcevich's famous chess problems. In this puzzle, you have to find a way for White to checkmate Black in just three moves! Chess problems like this are like puzzles that challenge your mind and understanding of chess.

Milan Vukcevich
1st Prize, The Problemist, 1981
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8 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 8
7 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white bishop {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black rook {{{square}}} black knight {{{square}}} black queen 7
6 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn 6
5 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 5
4 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white queen {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 4
3 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white knight {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} white bishop {{{square}}} white rook {{{square}}} black king 3
2 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black knight {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} white knight {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} black king 2
1 {{{square}}} black bishop {{{square}}} white king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white rook 1
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Mate in three moves
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