Ludovit Lehen

1.Qg3? zz,
1...S~ 2.c3#
1...Sc3!
1.Rc6? zz,
1...Kxd5, S~ 2.Rd6#, Rc4#
1...Sd6!
1.Sf4? zz
1...Kxe5, Ke3 2.Se2#, Qf2#
1...S~!
1.Sg3! zz,
1...Kxe5, Kc5, Kc3, S~, Sc3! 2.Qh8#, Qg1#, Se2#, Se2#, Sf5#

Tries and solution provide 0, 1, 2 and 3 flights respectively. Ludo announced private thematical tourney and for twomovers with keys giving 1, 2 and 3 flights and he himself succeeded afterwards in another tourney with this problem adding one more try that fits in perfectly.

1.h8Q? th. 2.Sf2#,
1...Re5 2.Qxe5#,
1...Bxd2!
1.Rxg5? th. 2.Sc5#
1...Re5 2.Rxe5#
1...Re6+!
1.Qb4? th. 2.Qxe7#
1...Re5, Qxd4 2.Sf2#, Qxd4#
1...Bxd5!
1.Qd8? th. 2.Qxe7#
1...Re5, Bxd5 2.Sc5#, Qxd5#
1...Qxd4!
1.Qc7! th 2.Qxe7#
1...Re5, Qxd4, Bxd5 2.Qxe5#, Sf2#, Sc5#

Mate after 1...Re5 is changed 5 times, but there also other very interesting changes and transferences of mates. Real success in strong competition as Sachmaty had in its times highest quality tourneys.

1.Rxd3 Kf5 2.Rd5+ Kg4 3.Rd8 Kf5 4.Rf8+ Kg4 5.Rc8 Kf5 6.Rxc5+ Kg4 7.Rc8 Kf5 8.Rf8+ Kg4 9.Rb8 Kf5 10.Rb5+ Kg4 11.c5 Kf5 12.c6+ Kg4 13.Rb8 Kf5 14.Rf8+ Kg4 15.Kf7 Kf5 16.Ke8+ Kg4 17.Rf6 gxf6 18.Sac4 Kf5 19.Se3#

Long manoeuvre of white Rook allowing model mate with Sa5 (also pc4 and Ke7 help a bit) and sacrifice.

1.Bxd4 Rb3 2.Bb6 Bxb6#

1.Rexe4 Bf5 2.Re7 Rxe7#

Line clearance and switchaback in very good echo diagonal-orthogonal. Note reciprocal changes of functions between pairs of pieces.

1.Rd3 Sxc5! 2.Kg3 Kb4! 3.f4! (Sf4?) Se4#

1.Sd6 Sxc4! 2.Kg4 Kb3! 3.Sf4! (f4?) Se5#

Pefect analogy of motivation. Black subsequently unguards squares originally occupied by white knights, they leave them to allow acces of black king to (for him) lethal squares and after his entrance there and block white knights mate by switchback. But as black manoeuvre requires 3 moves and white precisely two, knights must do precise moves allowing white king to do pure tempo move.

Ludo often spoke about creating of this helpmate. He was testing it in the process of creation by some old ZX computer, probably it was Spectrum. Many of us know how painfully slow were these in solving longer helpmates. This one took more than a day and discovering cook resulted in setting the new position and waiting another day. This all was Ludo doing partly in a wish to refute Vladimir Pachman's opinion that such content in h#3 is impossible. As often with not so simple ideas, Ludo succeeded...

1.Rf6? th. 2.Gxd5#
1...Sc7, Se7, Sxf6(Ra1) 2.Qxe4(pe7)#, Qxc3(pc7)#, Rxa5(pa7)#
1...Gg6!
1.Re7? th. 2.Gxd5#
1...Sc7, Sxe7(Ra1), Sf6 2.Qxg3(pg7)#, Rxa5(pa7)#, Qxc3(pc7)#
1...Gc6!
1.Rc7! th. 2.Gxd5#
1...Sxc7(Ra1), Se7, Sf6 2.Rxa5(pa7)#, Qxg3(pg7)#, Qxe4(pe7)#

Compact theme Z-33-34, including carousel theme and triple reciprocal change. Mechanism is very elegant and almost all moves have some circe motivation - all thematical mates cause rebirths of black pawns disallowing black defence against mates. Heavy position (30 units) is nothing positive too, but the richness of Circe effects requires many pieces.

1.Nb1? th. 2.Re3#, 1...BHc3!
1.Bc6? th. 2.RHe3#, 1...Rd5!
1.Ng5? th. 2.Ne3#, 1...Re4!
1.Qxc7? th. 2.Qxe5#,
1...BHc3, Rd5, Re4 2.Qc3#, Re3#, Ne3#
1...Qb8!
1.Qxf5? th. 2.Qxe5#,
1...BHc3, Rd5, Re4 2.Ne3#, RHe3#, Re4#
1...BHc4!
1.Qe6! th. 2.Qxe5#,
1...BHc3, Rd5, Re4 2.Re3#, Qxd5#, RHe3#

Z-33-36 including carousel change - it was done many years ago in orthodox twomover too. But here are for the very first time added 3 tries with threat paradoxes, for each thematical mate one. Refutations of these tries works due to closing of lines and the threat and change phases go together very organically.

Judge of competition wasn't satisfied with unimportant duals in by-variations, and some nightsleepers in solution, that's why the reconstruction appeared in collection of Ludo's works.

1...LEc2, LEc7, LEc8 2.Sc4#, Bc5#, Zc6#
1.Kc6? th. 2.Sc4#, Bc5#,
1...LEc2, LEc7, LEc8 2.NHe5#, Se6#, Sd5#
1...Bf2!
1.Kc5? th. 2.Zc6#, Sc4#
1...LEc2, LEc7, LEc8 2.Se4#, Sd5#, Se6#
1...g3!
1.Kc4! th. 2.Bc5#, Zc6#
1...LEc2, LEc7, LEc8 2.Sd5#, Se4#, NHe5#

Absolutely genial modern twomover. Authors consider it to be the very best of all their join compositions and it isn't little as they won many-many first prizes in the strong competitions all around the world, their art is appreciated by many experienced men in composition... So what have we here?

Firstly, super Zagorujko in 4 phases and 3 variations, Z-43-37. It includes carousel change and 3 reciprocal changes in tries and solution. Secondly, the set mates reapper as a cyclic threats in tries and solutions giving thus multiple threat paradoxes (elements of Dombrovskis theme, defence 1...x! against threat 2.Y# allows it in other phase as 1...x 2.Y#). This intelligently uses many lines of leos that may defend well in front of as well as from behind the white king.

It got only 11 points in Album FIDE.