Mate in two. Like in 4×4, there are four white chess pieces here, and the same number of black ones.
You know how this works โ time to start thinking.
Even with so few pieces โ or maybe because of that โ this composition impressed us especially.
Just between us ๐, we even hesitated for a moment about whether it truly belongs in the Chess Snacks category.
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This is, of course, a zugzwang puzzle โ and it beautifully demonstrates the theme of the halfโpin: two black pieces are jointly pinned to the black โ. If either one leaves its line, the other becomes fully immobilised and White exploits that to mate.
โก๏ธโโโ๐
We remembered that earlier puzzle โMeetingโ โ and like that one, this position shows a halfโpin with few pieces and in a mateโinโtwo setting.
What makes this particular composition especially impressive, in our view, are the following points:
๐ฏ A pin arises while a black piece threatens the same white piece โ that “courage” adds richness.
๐ฏ A first move that is unexpected, cornered, which makes the solving challenge deeper.
๐ฏ A unique variation: when Black moves โ to b6 โ he does reinforce b4 by replacing the pawn, but then the โ captures him โ brilliantly preventing a doubleโmate scenario after that Black move.
๐ฏ A โreverse attackโ by White: the direction of play is from top to bottom, counter to typical forward momentum.
๐ฏ The demonstration of all this with one fewer piece than in the โMeetingโ puzzle โ economy that heightens the artistry.
๐กWe especially liked:
๐ก๏ธ Black’s exact response to the first move of โxโ, which leaves it only almost winning move.