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White to Mate in One - Find the Solution

[Index of Chessprints]

Solution
 

OK, this one is tricky.  Yes, I know the board is set up wrong (it needs to have a white square in the lower right hand corner).  This is a problem composed by Semyon Alapin (1856-1923), and published in 1916 in Wiener Schachzeitung and reprinted in Edward Winter's fascinating book Kings, Commoners, and Knaves.  The presumption is that you are observing the board from the side, rather then from White's position as is customary.  The solution is to rotate the board ninety degrees in either direction.  Here's the first possible position:

and the solution is 1.Kd4 mate.  Here is the other possible position:

and now the solution is 1.fxg8=N mate.

I hope you enjoyed this little joke as much as I enjoyed playing it, and probably as much as Alapin enjoyed composing it.

[Index of Chessprints]
 

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