Nice one

Cool.

A tough puzzle, I had to take a hint for the first move.

Sweet

ya had to take the hint on the first one aswell... 2nd one didn't take long and didn't guess at all.

can't wait to see all the 'easy' comments

solved.

There were several ways to do it and I think the other ways are better. Why did the black bishop need to take the white bishop? why not the rook? Why not move white King to e7? With some of these puzzles why is there only one solution that works and sometime it's not always the best?

What a tough tough difficult puzzle! It will only be easier if you see where Black's King can't move. If there's more than 2 must try to make black block his King to get stuck . =D

King to E7 doesn't threaten mate next move, so black can freely take whites rook. if the rook takes the bishop 2. Rxa5#

Either way black loses in 2 moves, and whites first move is best cuz it doesn't matter what black takes with its mate next move. correct me if im wrong.

Uh... white had to sacrifice its bishop in order to prevent the black rook from taking the pawn. If the rook took the bishop, the pawn could have threatened the rook or put the king in check, lose the pawn to the rook, and lose the rook to the knight. Either way, black is at a disadvantage and will lose.

that's cool.

I wonder wether 1. Ke7 is a second solution. How could Black avoid mate with Qd6 or Qe6 (after Rd4).

Solved and I am happy I managed to go past the puzzle.

tough puzzle

Plitz wrote:

I wonder wether 1. Ke7 is a second solution. How could Black avoid mate with Qd6 or Qe6 (after Rd4).

I don't think there's a mate in two if Black plays 1...Bd5.

doesn't f4 work for first move?

tough

I'd capture the black rook, the black king has nowhere to go and wherever black puts his bishop, f4 will mate. If the bishop blocks the pawn Rxa5 will mate (after bishop blocks check - f4).

is there something I'm not seeing? I guess it's not mate in 2 anymore but I'd still play it in live. =P

There is no mate in 2 therapeutic - because on Rook capturing the pawn, the bishop will move to f3 and then if Rxa5, then Bd5.