Bo Lindgren – Swedish grandmaster of composition
By David Friedgood
One of our readers, Bengt Ulin, of Sweden, has requested a piece on his
late compatriot, Bo Lindgren (26.2.1927 – 4.6.2011), a Grandmaster
of Composition. I am happy to oblige, with the aid of John Rice’s
articles in The Problemist of November 2011 and January 2012 and
a contribution from Harold van der Heijden, the Dutch endgame study supremo.

Bo Lindgren’s father Frithiof was an accomplished problem and study
composer and Bo evidently followed in his footsteps with regard to an enthusiasm
for composing. However, we suspect that he tended to avoid areas in which
his father excelled, such as studies, for some time. Nevertheless, Bo developed
into one of the most versatile composers, winning awards in many genres.
Bo Lindgren and Norman McLeod Benidorm 1990
I have had the pleasure of meeting Bo on a few occasions, finding him a
very friendly, serious character who had many interests including science,
world literature and poetry. He composed around 500 problems and a few studies
and published an anthology Maskrosor (Dandelions) as long ago as 1978. It
is impossible to do justice to such a multi-talented composer in such a
small space. My little selection emphasises his ability as an artist within
as well as outside of the fashionable thematic interests of his era.
The following is a typically original puzzle from Bo. You have to work
out why the continuation in one line does not work for the other.
1.Qb1+ | () | +- | | --- |
1.Qd1+ | () | +- | | --- |
1.Qd3 | () | +- | | --- |
1.Qe4 | () | +- | | --- |
1.Qf5 | () | +- | | --- |
1.Qg6 | () | +- | | --- |
1.Qb2+ | () | +- | | --- |
1.Qa2+ | () | +- | | --- |
1.Qc1+ | () | +- | | --- |
1.Qc3+ | () | +- | | --- |
1.Qc4 | () | +- | | --- |
1.Qc5 | () | +- | | --- |
1.Qc6 | () | +- | | --- |
1.Qc7 | () | +- | | --- |
1.Qc8 | () | +- | | --- |
1.b4 | () | 0.00 | | --- |
1.Kg6 | () | 0.00 | | --- |
1.Kg7 | () | 0.00 | | --- |
1.Kg8 | () | 0.00 | | --- |
1.Kh6 | () | 0.00 | | --- |
1.Kh8 | () | 0.00 | | --- |
1.Qd2 | () | -+ | | --- |
Please, wait...
1.Qc3+ 1.Qc3+ Ka2 2.Kg6 Kb1 2...Ka3 3.Kf5 Ka2 4.Ke4 Kb1 5.Kd3 Ka2 6.Kc2 Ka3 7.Qa5# 1.Qc3+ Kb1 2.b4 Ka2 3.b5 Kb1 4.b6 Ka2 5.b7 Kb1 6.b8Q+ Ka2 7.Qbb2#
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Bo Lindgren | - | Mate in 7 | - | | 1947 | | Prize, Skakbladet | |
Please, wait...
In a serieshelpmate, Black begins and makes n moves consecutively, of which
only the last may be a check; Black may not move into check either. At the
end of the black sequence, White mates in one move. This problem by Bo has
two solutions, each showing a sequence of eight moves by Black followed
by White mating instantly. The following is one of Bo's best known problems,
showing Allumwandlung ("all the promotions"), a favourite theme of his.
In one solution Black promotes to bishop and rook; in the other to queen
and knight. The economy is impeccable. Don't miss replaying the solutions
– they will take your breath away.
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
1...g1N 1...g1B 2.-- Be3 3.-- Bc1 4.-- a1R 5.-- Ra4 6.-- Bf4 7.-- Ke3 8.-- Re4 9.Rb3# 2.-- Ne2 3.-- Kg2 4.-- Kg1 5.-- Nc1 6.-- a1Q 7.-- Qa8 8.-- Qh1 9.Bd4#
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Bo Lindgren | - | Serieshelpmate in 8 2 solutio | - | | 1984 | | Mat | |
Please, wait...
Harold van der Heijden selected this item
from his famous database of endgame studies. I suspect that it started life
as a problem, which Bo then decided was of greater interest when presented
as a study. It is a little odyssey, in which the lone rook eventually checkmates
against the odds.
1.Re4 1.Rd4? Nf7-+ 2.Re4 Nd6 1.Rxf4? Nf7 1...Bf7 1...Ba4 2.Rxf4 2.Rd4 2.Kc7? b5 2...Bd5 3.Rxd5 Nf7 4.Kc7 b6 5.Rd4! b5 6.Rd3 e2 6...b4 7.Rd5 7.Rxh3 f3 7...b4 8.Rxh5 8.Rxf3 b4 9.Rf5 Ne5 10.Rxe5 e1Q 11.Ra5# 11.Rxe1? Ka7= 12.Re5 Ka6 13.Kc6 a2
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Bo Lindgren | - | White to play and win | - | | 1976 | | 64 | |
Please, wait...
The following problem by Bo is for readers to solve. In a two-mover, all
you have to do is to find White’s unique first (“key”)
move, which forces mate on the second move, regardless of what Black may
do. In this particular problem, there are a number of “tries”
– attempts at a key move – which have a similar aim as the key
but can all be refuted by Black. Why does the key work and the tries do
not?

White to play and mate in two moves
Here's another Lindgren problem for readers to solve, this time a three-mover.
Again there is a key move to be found and this time all Black’s defences
should be met by mate on White’s third move, at the latest. This problem’s
solution has a thematic idea in common with that of the serieshelpmate.

White to play and mate in three moves
Solutions to the problems will appear in approximately one week. Any queries
or constructive comments can be addressed to the author at david.friedgood@gmail.com.