Pandolfini's Puzzler #7 - Self Mate
ChessKids did you know that September 15 is the official Opposite Day? Well we're celebrating this weekend with ProfessorPando's puzzler! Check it out:
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“Checkmate is fun, but it’s even more fun if you make the opponent mate himself. Examine the following position.”
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Question: How can White make Black mate himself?
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Zephyr pretty much saw the humor of this one right away. “I see how to do it. You leave Black without a good move, and the only move he has left is a bad one.”
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What did Zephyr mean and how does White mate in two moves?
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Answers Below - Try to solve ProfessorPando's Puzzle first!
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ANSWER #7
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Zephyr realized that 1. Ng7!, forced Black to play his only move, 1…Bxg7. White then mates by 2. Bxg7#.
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Take note
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When you leave your opponent without a good move, it’s said that you put your opponent in zugzwang. Such a condition is most likely to arise in the last phase of chess – namely, the endgame.
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RELATED STUDY MATERIAL
- Watch Benzoo's examples of other crazy zugzwang positions;
- PoppaBear has his own favorite examples too;
- Get back to regular chess and go checkmate in our puzzles.
