Mate in 2 moves for white!!

I spent surprisingly long time to solve this 2-mover. Can you do better?
This study was composed by Alexey Solovyov in 1929.
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#chess #puzzles #strategy #tutorials #endgames

[@broniuszibaitis7246]

Like I said earlier, a good 2 moves task never starts from check!!

[@brygenon]

Which is unlike actual play of chess. Chess puzzles are a hobby and art unto themselves. The sillier the correct move looks the better.

[@quarter_s]

I feel like this is true when at a piece advantage, or at least even, depending of course on who has a better position.

[@Jivvi]

​@@quarter_s also sometimes your opponent might have less pieces, but be threatening mate in 1, and the puzzle is to find the only check that forces mate, otherwise you lose. Those puzzles are often more than 2 moves, but not necessarily.

[@Ima-hoot]

Brilliant. Double pin !!!

[@brygenon]

Yup. Zugzwang to the max!

[@prestonotes]

Sorry but the correct term is "Half-pin".

[@MrGyges]

Very logical, very neat. I did enjoy it.

[@petersiegfriedkrug]

It is a chess problem, not a chess study. A chess problem is a puzzle with the demand Mate in 1,2,3,4 or more like a moremover. A chess study has the demand: White to move and win, or White to move and draw. This chess problem only took me about 5 seconds. Of course it was a key move with the queen. And as so often in a chess problem, it's all about pinning and Zugzwang. A very popular topic in problem chess. Nice one. Thank you!

[@Crowsinger]

I don't remember seeing such a distinction being made by others. On what did you base your statement?

[@DonJC49]

Solved it immediately!

[@daveallentown6868]

So did I, but then I define "immediately" as "before sundown."

[@DonJC49]

@@daveallentown6868 😂😂😂

[@DonJC49]

@@daveallentown6868 It was just dumb luck on my part. Hey,… even a blind pig finds an ear of corn now and then

[@nikolajradosavljevic4773]

Finally solved, congrats bro :)

[@TedHopp]

Took me about a minute to solve. This is the first of your puzzles that I've solved in less time than it takes to watch the video. 😊

[@Ibelieve444]

I learnt new things in this small example

[@eugene590]

Queen to H6 is also a 2 move solution. isn't it?(edit)answer to self- no it is not!

[@brygenon]

Like, and I'm already subscribed, and I'm slowly getting better at these, with your help. Special kudos for crediting the original composers, all brilliant, most deceased and didn't have engines to check their work.

[@RamKumar-gy9nb]

Excellent puzzle.. just great... Thank you very much.

[@ersatz_cats]

I thought it would be H7, but this was way cooler.

[@joeypahati3126]

Take advantage of the zugzwang by playing Qh5. Only the bishop and knight can move and moving either piece leads to checkmate. If the bishop moves to any square then Rf8# because knight is pinned by the queen. If ne7 or nf8 or nf4 then Qxf7#, if ne5 or nh8 or nh4 then Re6# because the bishop is pinned by the queen

[@mncdssctn9110]

Queen h5. Black has to move bishop or knight, and then you have a checkmate with either queen or rook.

[@Jeffron71]

Only the second one I've got!

[@JennievonBargen]

Amazing!!

[@jsmariani4180]

What about Qh6?

[@pedroaleman1995]

Ne7

[@rhmayer1]

@@pedroaleman1995 Ah! Yes, of course. Then Qf8+ is not checkmate since Kxf8 is possible, without the white Bishop blocked from protecting its Queen.

[@vinittyagi4605]

Then Qd7 is checkmate​@@pedroaleman1995

[@josephvitte4941]

Mate in three if you move to e2. Must sacrife knight and bishop....checkmate.

[@rleewallace]

Knight to H8 Queen can't take bishop. If queen takes night bishop blocks. Three moves.

[@johnshaw6702]

Re6#

[@brendanward2991]

I thought this one was quite easy.

[@brygenon]

Easy for those of us who have studied chess puzzles more than we've played chess.

[@tiemen9095]

"He has 2 pieces to block, so if we want to mate in 2, we have to win one by forcing him to make it for us, I.e. zugschwang. How about we pin the pieces. Yeah, that works!" It seems I am finally starting to grasp zugschwang, but it isn't in my system yet to recognize opportunities in real games.

[@landen99]

Qh3 seems valid too.

[@prestonotes]

No, because 1...,Be6 ! And if 2.Qxe6+, Ne7 !

[@yigalzemach9083]

@@prestonotes Also - 1. Qh3 Ne7 and no mate. So 2 ways to oppose Qh3

[@ceejay0137]

Not too hard but I tried a lot of other queen moves before seeing the right one!

[@donc9836]

nice!!

[@pandianpandian1276]

Sorry. Qh5

[@giovannicorno1247]

Solved😊

[@FranklinJance]

I solve that puzzle

[@rahulgaharwar6256]

Why can't Queen move to h3

[@vipulgarg1373]

Queen h7 was also solution.

[@jesan733]

No. Ne5 defends.

[@mehrdadrahaaei3068]

what about queen H3 knight can not do anything if bishop go to E6 then QxE6+ any other place QC8+

[@jesan733]

"if bishop go to E6 then QxE6+" but then Ne7 blocks and thus not mate in 3.

[@mehrdadrahaaei3068]

@@jesan733 Yes, that's right, I wasn't paying attention to the knight.

[@trex2621]

@@mehrdadrahaaei3068 I fell into same trap

[@nikolajradosavljevic4773]

Easy

[@NikolaPredrag]

NOT a Zugzwang!

[@kasperlindvig3215]

Queen H3, C8 also looks like it would work.

[@jesan733]

Then Be6 or Ne7 can both postpone the mate an extra move. We need to mate in 2.

[@pandianpandian1276]

Qh4

[@ashishshrivastava7396]

Queen to h3 also solves the puzzle.

[@araioannisian8666]

Qh5

[@davebesag]

For once I saw it straight off.

[@MichelleSirilan-fz7pu]

Qh5

[@karpolla]

Took me quite long but got it right.