1. Ra7 ? 2. Rb8#
Nasty little two-mover
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smartens wrote:
1. Ra7 ? 2. Rb8#
What if black castles after 1.Ra7?
I didn't think black could still castle. I'm stumped if that isn't the solution. It appears to me the mate has to come from white rooks on the 7th and 8th rank. I don't see any way for a mate in 2 if black can still castle.
According to an endgame tablebase i just consulted, the only mate in two is the one I gave.
Bunk puzzle.
All right, time to give the solution. The answer is in fact 1.Ra7, but noone offered any reason for the fact that black cannot castle. And black's inability to castle is apparent when you notice that black's last move was either with the king or with the rook. And you cannot castle once you have moved either the king or the rook.
The problem was published by Zakhodyakin in 1962.
That's the worst puzzle i've ever seen.
smartens wrote:
That's the worst puzzle i've ever seen.
I apologize then...
Rook a7 and Rb8.
Black cant castle because in their last move they have moved rook or king.
Not my work, I will reveal the author once the solution is found.
White to play and mate in two: