In the given position, it seems like there’s a lot to deal with, and it’s getting pretty complicated.
Can you find the checkmate in two moves?
That Start by looking for a move that White can play right now — one that guarantees a checkmate on the next turn, no matter how Black responds. That’s the winning move.
Found it? Great! Now think ahead: what will your checkmate move be on the second turn?
Be careful — some moves might look like winners, but they aren’t…
So take a moment to consider how Black might try to defend, and make sure you’ve got the right mate prepared for each case.
Good luck — and enjoy!
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White opens with the bold leap ♘g7, clearing the way for ♕xe6# — a clean and immediate mate if Black does nothing. This move also vacates f6, and Black’s most intriguing defensive try is to bring the ♚ there. Not only does ♚f6 land beside the “emergency exit” square g5, it also delivers a surprising check, thanks to the newly opened file between the ♜ and the ♔.
But then comes ♘e4#, and what a stunning response it is. The ♘ doesn’t just block the check — it also threatens the ♚ and simultaneously shuts down the king’s one remaining escape square. And it doesn’t do it alone. The entire white army rallies in perfect coordination, each piece stepping in to cover the knight’s back. The ♖s each pin a black defender — a ♟ and a ♜ — so they can’t strike. The ♗ holds e5, denying the king any route backward. And the ♕ rules over the seventh rank, sealing off the sky. It’s a textbook demonstration of harmony in chess: multiple threats, airtight coverage, and every piece doing its part to secure the final blow.
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A tempting but flawed shortcut is ♕a8?, which is coolly met by ♜xh5 — the defense stands.
And finally, a small warning. Don’t be misled by the seemingly clever idea of ♖e3+ followed by ♙f4+. It may look like it’s headed somewhere, but it collapses quickly — because ♟gxf4 is perfectly legal en passant. Yes, the rule shows up here, quite literally, en passant. Fitting, isn’t it?
💡A move that made us think:
🛡️This time we want to put the spotlight on a ‘near-solution’ that we liked: for us it took a long time to find how Black could block 1.♕a8
and for you?
(especially after thinking about trying to defend with ♞c6 and the response ♖b5#).
And… well, of course the cooperation of all White pieces to give mate while blocking check etc. is impressive.