Selection from Lipskie Centrum Kultury 1998 - fairy #2

1.LEd4? th. 2.PAa6#, 1...VAxe7, VAa3, VAa4, VAb4 2.Sg7#, VAe4#, VAe3#, !

1.LEd3? th. 2.PAa6#, 1...VAxe7, VAa3, VAa4, VAb4 2.LEg6#, PAe5#, !, VAe3#

1.LEd2? th. 2.PAa6#, 1...VAxe7, VAa3, VAa4, VAb4 2.PAh6#, !, PAe5#, VAe4#

1.LEd7? th. 2.PAa6#, 1...VAxe7, VAa3, VAa4, VAb4 2.PA1e1#, PAh6#, LEg6#, Sg7#

EI (judge): "Author in this problem joined 2 many years popular themes: Ruchlis and Zagorujko. In four phases we have 6 Ruchlis variations and Zagorujko 4x3. This all is showed by happily chosen mechanism, in which majority of mates is given by antibattery on e-file. The nicest mates use black error of blocking e7."

JL (maintainer): "In Slovakia we call this type of change 'Carousel'. Here it is 4-phase Carousel in 3 variations (where 4th variation is refutation in 3 tries and has unthematical mate in solution). It is not bad achievement that was shown only few times, mainly by authours of this composition. Here it is done very artistically."

1.f7? th. 2.LIf1#, 1...Ka3, Kc3, RLb4~ 2.LIa8#, Bxf2#, KAg8#, 1...RLf8!

1.KAg8? th. 2.Bxf2#, 1...Ka3, Kc3, RLb4~ 2.LIf1#, LIa8#, f7#

EI (judge): "Theme very often realized in fairy problems - Dombro-Lacny - in which the key and threat is included to change of mates. Black transmuting king made the realization harder as in mating position he gets the movement of mating piece and this implies necessity of larger mating net."

JL (maintainer): "I think that I must be understanding something from Polish very badly as the comment of judge seems to me very inappropriate. Firstly, Dombro-Lacny doesn't include mates, threat and key, but only mates and threat. The reversal of key and mate as shown here in 3rd variations is known (as I read somewhere not exactly) as Salazar and standing alone it is not valuable. Here we have synthesis af Dombro-Lacny and Salazar - and it is the point! As far as I know this combination appeared never before. (Maybe I am wrong. Can anybody correct me?) Secondly, of course, Black transmuting king didn't make realization harder, but in fact it is possible due to its presence!"

(Thanks to Christian Poisson for pointing cook caused by wrong position of white kangaroo.)

1.b8G? zz 1...Kxd5, Sc3, Sc7 2.Rd5#, Gf4#, Gd6#, 1...Sd6!
1.b8Q? zz 1...Kxd5, Sb~ 2.Qd6#, Qb4#, 1...Sd6!
1.b8S! zz 1...Kxd5, Sb~ 2.Gd6#, Sc6#

EI (judge): "Zagorujko in twomover with only grasshoppers. The key of realization is black Sb5, after his moves white covers d5 and he is pinned after 1...Kxd5 ."

1.Ga5? zz 1...Gb5~, d5, f2 2.!, Nf1#, Na1#

1.Gh7? zz 1...Gb5~, d5, f2 2.Nf1#, !, Na5#

1.Gf2! zz 1...Gb5~, d5, f2 2.Na1#, Na5#, -

EI (judge): "Zagorujko and Ruchlis with a few fairy pieces and transmuting kings. The key 1.Gf2 is not the best as it makes 1...f2 impossible."

JL (maintainer): "Classic 3-phase carousel theme, nothing complicated. I (as an author) like the attack motivation of keys and the fact that never goes 2.Nc5# (that would cover all potential flights) as it would give bK possibility to run away in nightrider's skin."

1...Gf4 2.Sf4#

1.Kxf6? th. 2.Sf4# 1...Qxe5+ A, Rxd6 B, Gxc7 C 2.Rxe5#, Qxc4#, Rxd4#, 1...Rxc7!

1.Ke7! th. 2.Sf4# 1...Qxe5 B, Rxd6 C, Gxc7+ A 2.Re4#, Qxd6#, Sxc7#

EI (judge): "3 different defence motives: check, pin and uncovering by capture, Mlynka theme. In many variations there are too few fairy motives."

JL (maintainer): "You can see here more than usual Mlynka theme! In fact, it is active Mlynka theme (defences to the same threat) and it also shows change of mates in all 3 thematical variations!! It is very difficult theme and I personally rate this one much higher than my own 1st HM."

See also the new version of this problem provided by the author.

1.Rf5? th. 2.Ke4# 1...Gc8 2.Ke6#, 1...h5!

1.Bf4? th. 2.Ke6# 1...Gc8 2.Ke4#

EI (judge): "Le Grand theme with nice play of K-N battery."

JL (maintainer): "Not complicated, but, in my opinion, again better than my 1st HM. Everything is motivated very softly and one must look a move ahead when playing variation mates."

1.Kxf6? th. 2.Sf4# 1...Qxe5+ A, Rxd6 B, Gxc7 C 2.Rxe5#, Qxc4#, Rxd4#, 1...Rxc7!

1.Ke7! th. 2.Sf4# 1...Qxe5 B, Rxd6 C, Gxc7+ A 2.Re4#, Qxd6#, Sxc7#

The new version saves two pieces.