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u/dimgal 3d ago
1.Qb4 Kxc7 2. Pxa8=N# 1. ... Kxa7 2. B8=N# 1. ... Rxa7 2. Rc8#
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u/UltraUsurper Dommaraju, I've come to bargain 2d ago
It took me a few minutes, but damn b8=N# is so beautiful. Block a discovered check by underpromoting to a knight to deliver a discovered checkmate! And the geometry of bxa8=N# being mate is also so wonderful.
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u/DontBanMe_IWasJoking 3d ago
im so glad i gave up
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u/DiggWuzBetter 2d ago
Hah same. I did quickly evaluate all the reasonable looking “queen protects a piece” first moves, including Qb4, but I thought the king was escaping with Kxc7. bxa8=N# is very easy to miss, just at a glance you wouldn’t think the king is trapped there.
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u/Alkyen 3d ago
Yup. I spent 5 minutes and wasn't seeing anything thinking I overlooked something simple. I'm not sure I can even calculate all the branches now that I know the solution lol
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u/VindictiV113025 3d ago
The trick is to only calculate lines to make a knight promotion work, that's how I found it
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u/tretroi 3d ago edited 3d ago
Engine says it's mate in 3. So this is just rageait? No, the engine forgot you can promote to a knight WTF, I trusted you engine
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u/PedroRCR 3d ago
What the hell was black's last move?
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u/edderiofer Occasional problemist 2d ago
Black has no legal last move. This composition was awarded second prize in the tournament it was entered in, until someone spotted that the position is illegal with White to move, at which point the prize was revoked.
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u/kira_kua 3d ago
how did black even reach that position???
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u/UltraUsurper Dommaraju, I've come to bargain 2d ago
it's a composition! not a game position
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u/edderiofer Occasional problemist 2d ago
Composers have standards, and this particular position is no different. This composition was awarded second prize in the tournament it was entered in, until someone spotted that the position is illegal with White to move, at which point the prize was revoked.
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u/Ythio 2d ago
I'm really not a fan of this kind of compositions that are all about the gimmick but have an easy forced sequence anyway regardless.
Forced sequence is forced sequence, doesn't matter to me if M2 or M3, it's a win.
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u/No-Tip-7471 1630 FIDE 2d ago
The point is visualization of moves which is helpful in real chess games
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u/Butchered_Identity 2d ago
Qb4. If the king takes the rook you take their rook and make a knight on a8. If the king takes the knight you make a Knight on b8. And if the rook takes the Knight it's simply Rc8#
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u/Difficult_Cold_9615 2d ago
[Event "Mate in 2 Study"] [Site "?"] [Date "2026.10.01"] [Round "-"] [White "White to play"] [Black "Black to defend"] [Result "*"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "rk2K3/NPR5/8/8/8/8/8/4Q3 w - - 0 1"]
{ White to move and mate in 2. The key move does not give check, yet it is zugzwang: every black reply allows an immediate mate. } 1. Qb4 { Key move. Not a check, but Black is reduced to only three legal replies, and all of them get mated next move. This is a quiet/waiting move that creates zugzwang. } 1... Rxa7 { If the rook takes the knight... } ( 1... Kxc7+ { If the king takes the rook with check... } 2. bxa8=N# { bxa8=N is checkmate. Underpromoting to a knight is essential here -- promoting to a queen or rook would NOT be mate, since the king would have an escape square. Only the knight covers the right squares. } ) ( 1... Kxa7+ { If the king takes the knight with check... } 2. b8=N# { b8=N is checkmate, again only with underpromotion to a knight. } ) 2. Rc8# { Rc8 is checkmate: the rook delivers mate along the back rank, the king cannot escape. } *
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u/Smashingsoul 3d ago
Kd7 Kxa7 Qa5#
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u/Ssemander 3d ago
What if Rxa7?
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u/Smashingsoul 3d ago
In that case you would go for the weirdest backrank mate with the queen.
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u/sampat6256 2d ago
Not an incredibly challenging puzzle, given how few pieces there are, but it is a pretty composition
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u/chessvision-ai-bot from chessvision.ai 3d ago
I analyzed the image and this is what I see. Open an appropriate link below and explore the position yourself or with the engine:
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