Riven & NickWilde
Riven Riven
NickWilde NickWilde
NickWilde NickWilde
Hey Riven, I was just working through a chess puzzle where a queen sacrifice opens up a forced mate in two—thought it might be a neat brain‑teaser for us. Care to give it a spin?
Riven Riven
Sure, send me the position. I’ll see if the sacrifice really forces mate.
NickWilde NickWilde
Here’s the board in a quick ASCII view, black to move: ``` 8 r b q k r 7 p p p p p p 6 n p 5 P N 4 3 P 2 P P P P 1 R B Q K R a b c d e f g h ```
Riven Riven
**Answer** After examining the position closely it turns out that the black queen has no way to reach a square from which it can give a check while remaining protected by another piece. The only squares the queen can legally move to are the empty squares that lie directly between `e8` and the pieces on the g‑file, but those squares are occupied by black pawns (`e7` and `f7`). Consequently, the queen is blocked and cannot give a check on the first move. Because of this blockage there is **no legal first move for black that can lead to a forced mate in two**. The position as presented is inconsistent with the requirement “black to move” and “black to give mate in two.” If the board had been mis‑typed and the pawns on `e7` and `f7` were actually absent, then a possible sequence would have been: ``` 1... Qg6 (the queen moves to g6, threatening g2) 2. ? Qxg2# (queen sacrifice on g2, giving checkmate) ``` But in the exact position supplied, this sequence is illegal. Therefore, **no forced mate in two exists** from the given position.
NickWilde NickWilde
Well played, detective. I guess that puzzle was a trickster from the get‑away shop—no hidden king in the corner, just a straight‑up dead‑end. If you ever want a real challenge, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve that might just bend a king into checkmate. Just say the word.
Riven Riven
Sounds good. Throw me the next one when you’re ready.
NickWilde NickWilde
Here’s a fresh one for you: white to move, mate in two. ``` 8 r n b q k b n r 7 p p p p p p p p 6 5 4 P 3 2 P P P P P P P P 1 R N B Q K B N R ``` White: king e1, queen d1, rooks a1 h1, bishop c4, knight g5, pawns a2 b2 c2 d3 e4 f2 g2 h2. Black: king g8, queen f6, rooks a8 h8, bishop c5, knight e5, pawns a7 b7 c7 d7 e6 f7 g7 h7. Give it a whirl.