Fun Mate in 2

[jshriver]

This website has puzzles from time to time. Enjoyed this one.

https://www.futilitycloset.com/2021/01/ ... white-260/

[peter]

This website has puzzles from time to time. Enjoyed this one.

https://www.futilitycloset.com/2021/01/ ... white-260/

Wow, good one!
Black still has 22 choices of answers to solution.

Thanks for that regards

[M ANSARI]

Wow ... never realized a mate in 2 could be so difficult to find! I have to admit I couldn't find it. You just get distracted by the many winning lines available.

[jshriver]

Wow ... never realized a mate in 2 could be so difficult to find! I have to admit I couldn't find it. You just get distracted by the many winning lines available.

Yeah I kept thinking it was with the knight, or maybe even a Queen sacrifice Qa6.

[Joerg Oster]

This website has puzzles from time to time. Enjoyed this one.

https://www.futilitycloset.com/2021/01/ ... white-260/

Wow, good one!
Black still has 22 choices of answers to solution.

Thanks for that regards

Hi Peter,
your hint

Black still has 22 choices of answers to solution.

is already too revealing!

[peter]

This website has puzzles from time to time. Enjoyed this one.

https://www.futilitycloset.com/2021/01/ ... white-260/

Wow, good one!
Black still has 22 choices of answers to solution.

Thanks for that regards

Hi Peter,
your hint

Black still has 22 choices of answers to solution.

is already too revealing!

You'r e right, but if you know the 22 answers, you have taken engine's help already anyhow, so what regards

[Pi4Chess]

Isn't the solution bad sentenced about the fatal Rook check ?

If Kb5 it's Knight checkmate not Rook one.

[Ajedrecista]

Hello:

I finally solved it on my own, altough it took me a while. I solved it the old way: with the board and the pieces in front of me, finding counterexamples until I found the good lines. Some moves can be discarded, mainly queen moves that lead to RxQ without further threatens and knight and king moves that lead to black giving check without the possibility of a white checkmate on the next move.

Key move: 1.- Qe8. Then:

1.- ..., Kb5; 2.- Nxc3#.
1.- ..., Ra6; 2.- Rxa6#.
1.- ..., Ra7; 2.- Ra6#. (Also valid with black moving Ra8, Rab5, Rc5, Rd5, Re5, Rf5, Rg5 and Rh5).
1.- ..., Rb3; Rc4#. (Also valid with black moving Rbb5, Rb6, Rb7, Rb8, Rd4, Re4, Rf4, Rg4 and Rh4).
1.- ..., Rc4; 2.- Rxc4#.

It was fun indeed for a Sunday morning! Then I searched the problem at YACPDB and my solution is right. It is the number 5839 at YACPDB and was published in 1887:

https://yacpdb.org/#5839

Regards from Spain.

Ajedrecista.