Checkmate in 2 moves!!

[@ceejay0137]

I thought your hint was going to be "Look at _all_ the pieces and try to work out how each one contributes to the puzzle". They are all put there for a reason. I was trying to work out why White's bishop was on the board, and as it turned out that was the key piece, but I missed the zugzwang idea. Sam Loyd's puzzles are always so elegant!

[@KenFullman]

Kh4 Next move white can play Qg5 which is mate. The only way black can prevent this is with Nf7 which then allows Qf6 (since the knight would block the rook). Alternatively the king could move one of his pawns to create space. If he moves Pawn to e3 we'd have Bc2 for the mate. The only other useful move for black would be Pawn to e5. In which case we can then use Ne3 for the mate. Have I overlooked anything? And I paused before the hint but spent about 10 minutes figuring it out)

[@KenFullman]

Ok I just realised that after Kh4, black has Ng6 which would put White in Check with no solution to overcome the check while delivering mate. But I was close.

[@muskyoxes]

I paused before the hint and looked at Qh5, said "oh darn, bishop takes", then noted that a knight move or Rf7 opens it back up. That prompted thoughts on zugzwang lines

[@samjones3106]

K-h4 also. Then Q-g5 or f6, Knt-e3, B-c2, B-e6 depending on black move.

[@bzac1893]

Kh4 refuted by Ng6+

[@johnshaw6702]

Nice hint. As long as you don' change what you are attacking, the mate can not be prevented. Now on with the show.

[@msjoanofthearc]

Nice mate in two!

[@monster900900]

it takes a while ,, b4 u realize a waiting move is req ,, v tricky , v good :))

[@hermannneupert3793]

3:15 If the knight goes to f7, the queen may move to h5, but the knight can block by moving to g5. So the correct move is queen to f6, because the rook is blocked by the knight.

[@rentslave]

I'm still learning this game. What does black do for it's move? It's king isn't in check currently.

[@MichaelHarrisIreland]

It's whites move

[@IanMcGarrett]

My problem solving skills were never great but the key move for this one suggested itself even before I realized just how paralyzed Black's troops were.

[@rogerkearns8094]

03:11 1 ... Nf7 2 Qh5? isn't mate: 2 ... Ng5! Correct is 2 Qf6! ++

[@pot_kivach160]

I'd played Ba4! Then, black is forced to move his B anyway. perhaps, black should've resigned before his previous move. Or make other moves, unless he was forced to move certain way (saving K from a check).

[@Christoph-s8b]

I search for a puzzle mate in 2 The White queen is b1 the bishop is a2. The Black queen is g8.

[@nelliebrian5750]

Kindly add to your video on who moves first -- White or Black -- Thank You , 👍

[@TedHopp]

He's mentioned this in other videos: the convention in constructed puzzles is that it's always White to move (unless something else is explicitly stated).

[@RamKumar-gy9nb]

Excellent.... Thank you very much

[@GergoHungary]

At 3:14 when you check the hypothetical knight moves, you mention that Nf7 blocks the h5 square, therefore, Qh5 mate. It is not mate, as there is Ng5. Actually the Nf7 blocks the rook's access to f6, and Qf6 is the mate. I know you know it, I just wanted to help. Nevertheless, keep going, as you do a great job for us 👍

[@MichaelHarrisIreland]

Yes, spotted that as well. I suppose he can't see everything

[@GergoHungary]

Of course. To err is human. I don't blame him at all. It was just a remark.

[@signaldrift2274]

the solution escaped me but as I sometimes find with chess there is a life-lesson to learn here; there are times when doing the least is our greatest strength.

[@heikkipalola6760]

I think it may be king h4 because if they move rook then queen f6 if they move bishop then queen g5 if they move knight they check you and nothing can be done just hope they dont move knight i dont see any other solutions anymore

[@heikkipalola6760]

I see moving the queen to h4 is not necessary and loses the puzzle :(

[@lonewolf42923]

What a zugzwang, not a hard one, but a nice one !

[@titusblinus8598]

Found without hint.

[@bayramyenikaya1383]

How about Qg7? That solves too no?

[@halcyonramirez6469]

How os this a checkmate in 2? if you move bishop on b3 to b2. then black can move pawn e6 to e5 then it will take more than 2 moves?... nvm I understood it now

[@sharansinganamala191]

How about K h3?

[@michaelbartlett6864]

If after you move white bishop to a2, and black moves pawn from e6 to e5, where is the mate on the next move?

[@bunpeishiratori5849]

Ne3

[@michaelbartlett6864]

Thanks, I haven't played a game of chess in over 50 years! It was fun to think about it again.

[@blitzag1119]

@@bunpeishiratori5849 Ne3 isnt mate the move is bishop b1.

[@Yogaj-cv7fm]

@@bunpeishiratori5849no Bb1

[@erlandgadde7445]

Är du svensk? Det låter så på din brytning. (Are you Swedish? Your accent sounds so.)

[@Chess-strategy]

Jajamän!

[@jimsutherland6538]

WOW Best one yet

[@mayajaiswal3919]

Qg7!! Next move kt h6 checkmate

[@davidhess6593]

e5

[@nikolajradosavljevic4773]

Solved it

[@m8940sv]

Black pawn e6e5

[@petersiegfriedkrug]

Nice zz

[@danprairie3863]

Q-G7 works also

[@tommyjacobs1305]

It doesn’t - black can advance pawn on e6 and then the knight can’t checkmate

[@acerman45]

⁠@@tommyjacobs1305 i think with the advance of the e6 pawn, n-e3 is checkmate.

[@johnshaw6702]

​@@tommyjacobs1305Or knight to g6

[@ericsnyder3543]

But Bc2 results in mate @@tommyjacobs1305

[@DonJC49]

Also, Qg7 does not work because of black following with Ng6. 🤣