How to Beat the Chataranj Monster Puzzle

If your a seasoned chess player, you're probably familiar with the classic, millenium-old puzzle derived from ancient indian chess that has stumped even grandmasters for decades. Here, I reveal the only solution which I discovered myself after hours of studying.

With Black to move, a quick analysis reveals that unless Black keeps the White King in check, White will checkmate Black on the next move. A mate in five, however, can be forced. The answer lies in the ancient strategy known as Zugzwang. Zugzwang literally forces the opponent to make specific moves with specific pieces on the board. Since in the quadrant of the board the mate will happen in leaves White with only a King, the pattern here for Zugzwang is fairly simple. The first move is shown below.

Rg6+ is a bolt from the blue, but we quickly realize it forces the King onto the edge of the board. After that, we play another Rook check.

Ke7 is now the only available move. At first, it looks like a disadvantage for Black, because White's King is forced off the edge of the board. But after a check from the h8 Rook, the king is forced back to another square, However,it moves toward the Rooks, preventing an immediate checkmate.

Ng7+, Ke8, and Rg8# wins the game.

In other news, my developmental skills regarding early promotion have improved with the following game, me as Black:

So, great game! Thanks, for reading, and I'll see you next time!