Ludovit Lacny

1.Sc6? th. 2.Se5#
1...Bxc3!

1.Bc6? th. 2.Bxd5#
1...Sxc3!

1.Rc6? th. 2.Rf6#
1...Bxc3!

1.Bb5! th. 2.Se4 th. 3.Sd6# dxe4 3.Bxc4#
1...Sxc3 2.Sc6 th. 3.Se5#
1...Bxc3 2.Bc6 th. 3.Bxd5#
1...Rxc3 2.Rc6 th. 3.Rf6#
(1...axb5 2.Sxb5 th. 3.Sd6#
1...Sa3, Sd2 2.Bc6 th. 3.Bxd5#)

Already his very first published problem was excellent. 3 black defences on the same square are answered by 3 white moves on the same square, moreover White plays by the same type of piece as Black. Obstruction, that's it. All variations are grounded by thematical tries.

1.d8S! th. 2.Qd4#
1...Bxb5 2.Se7#
1...Bxd3 2.Bc6#
1...Sxe6 2.Sc3#
1...Sxb5 2.Sf4#

Dual avoidance in 4 variations is called quadruple avoidance. Here all 4 black defences have the same error - opening of white line to c5. Thanks to this guard, 4 mates would be allowed, Se7#, Bc6#, Sc3#, Sf4#. But at the same time 3 of them are disallowed.

1.fxe7? th. 2.Bxf5#
1...d4 A 2.Qxb7#
1...Bxf6 B 2.Sxf6#
1...Sxe7 C 2.Sd6#
1...Rxh7 D 2.gxf3#
1...dxe2 E 2.Sxe3#
1...fxe2!

1.Rxe7! th. 2.Rxe5#
1...d4 B 2.Qxb7#
1...Bxf6 C 2.Sxf6#
1...Sxe7 D 2.Sd6#
1...Rxh7 E 2.gxf3#
1...dxe2 A 2.Sxe3#
(1...dxc2 2.Qxc2#)

Cyclic change of 5 defence motives (5-fold Mlynka theme):
A - unblocking
B - unguarding by line closing
C - direct guarding
D - capture of threat unit
E - unpinning by capture

(Remmeber jubilee tourney with fairy section dedicated to cyclic change of defence motives in fairy twomover, Karol Mlynka 60 JT C 11.8.2004 - perhaps there will be a problem showing cyclic change of 6 or more defence motives?)

1.Sf6? th. 2.d4 Qxf4#
1...Se3 2.Sh4 Sxe6#
1...Sxd2 2.Rg4 Sf3#
1...Rxd2 2.Rh4 Rg2#
1...Ra5!

1.Sh4! th. 2.d4 Qxf4#
1...Se3 2.Sf6 Sxe6#
1...Sxd2 2.Rf5 Sde4#
1...Rxd2 2.Rff6 Rxd5#
(1...Qxd2 2.Be4,Bd4,Qxc2,Qc3,Qe2,Qd3,Qa2,Qb3)

The theme of the WCCT section was: r#2 with at least two variations with wK flight blocking in the second white move. Here there are 3 changed variations between the try and the solution.

1.Kxc3? th. 2.Qxb5+ c5 3.Qc4#
1...Rxd4 a 2.Rf5+ A Be5 3.Qxd4#
1...Bxd4+ b 2.Qxd4+ B Rxd4 3.Rf5#
1...c5!

1.Kd3? th. 2.Qxb5+ c5 3.Qc4#
1...Rxd4+ a 2.Qxd4+ B Bxd4 3.Bxf3#
1...Bxd4 b 2.Bxf3+ C Re4, Rxf3 3.Qxd4#
1...c5!

1.Rd3! th. 2.Be5+,Bf6+,Bxg7+
1...Rxd4 a 2.Bxf3+ C Ke5 3.Qxd4#
1...Bxd4 b 2.Rf5+ A Ke4, Rxf5 3.Qxd4#

The theme of this threemover is known as a cyclic Zagorujko and since the publication of Cyclone, also as a Rice cycle. It is so simple... if you find the right scheme... but not everyone is gifted... :-)

a) 1.Qxe5 Ra5 2.Qd6 fxg6#

b) 1.Bd3 Bb6 2.Bxf5 d5#

c) 1.Rxd4+ Rxe6 2.f6 exf6#

I'm not a historian of WCCTs, but I doubt anyone else have won so many sections as our master Lacny. Here he 3 times, in a cyclical manner, of course, moves rear battery pieces and creates indirect pawn batteries.

1...Qxb8 2.Qd6 Qxb7#

1.Qxc8 dxc8S 2.Sd6 Sxe7#

1.Rxc8 dxc8B 2.Qd6 Bxb7#

Finally, the WCCC 1993 in Bratislava was the very first I visited. I saw many great names for the first time there, included L. Lacny. I remember I had watched him, amazed, as he had composed this helpmate. The theme set was capture of white queen. His aim was, as usually, in no way minimalistic. He wanted to compose h#2 with set play, in which wQ mates and wuth 2 solution including capture of this wQ. He was doing for a long time magical circles with his hands full of wooden pieces, some squares on the board were packed with more pieces at once, he looked like medieval magician. Michel Caillaud passing by stopped for a while and a few times pointed a cook, very quickly, I hadn't enough time to notice what is going on. Later I went home, to bed, and in the morning I met Ludovit Lacny with nicely printed problem, claiming it is correct... and here it is.