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7 Hardest Chess Compositions You Ever Saw [mate in 2]

Yury Markushin
Yury Markushin
01.08.2014
Category: Problems
Tags: chess tactics, chess compositions

Today is the hardcore tactics day, so I uploaded 7 extremely difficult chess compositions. These are called compositions because they were created (‘composed”) by the master-mind composers to make your job (as a solver) as difficult as humanly possible.

Yes, these positions weren’t taken from the grandmasters games, they are much more complicated. If you can solve these mate-in-2 problems, you can solve everything . Here they are:

Instructions: In each of these positions White to Move and Mate in 2

Composition #1 G. Rinder (1961)

chess problem

Composition #2 A. Ellerman (1925)

chess problem

Composition #3 K. Medison (1917)

chess problem

Composition #4 I. Shifman (1927)

chess problem

Composition #5 A. Lobusov (1988)

chess problem

Composition #6 V. Pilchenko (1993)

chess problem

Composition #7 L. Loshinskiy (1961)

chess problem

If you have solved these problems here are some more:

  • Chess Tactics: Study 1 – Mate in 2
  • Chess Tactics: Study 2 – Mate in 2
  • Chess Tactics: Study 3 – Mate in 2

If you have difficulties solving it, read our how to solve tactics problems guide

Don’t forget to post your solution in the comment field below!


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Comments
  1. Rodrigo
    04.10.2018 at 00:45

    Composition #2

    The right move is to promote the White C pawn to a new queen. Then, Black is trapped in whatever move it plays.

    1. c8=Q 1. Qe5+
    2. Nd6#

    1. c8=Q 1. Qf2
    2. Qc6#

    1. c8=Q 1. Bf2
    2. Qc6#

    1. c8=Q 1. Bf3
    2. Qc6#

    And so on…

    Reply
    • Walija
      07.27.2018 at 18:56

      After c8=Q…Rxh5

  2. Rodrigo
    04.09.2018 at 21:34

    Composition #2

    I believe the key move for white is Rd2
    1. Rd2 1. Qxd2
    2. Nd6# (cause it’s not pinned anymore)

    1. Rd2 1. Bf3 (blocking “F” file for white Queen)
    2. Qd3#

    1 Rd2 1. Bf2
    2. Qxh1#

    Reply
  3. Anjo Oscuro
    11.29.2015 at 14:23

    7. Ndc6

    Reply
  4. Anjo Oscuro
    11.28.2015 at 01:19

    [quote name=”Yury”]Hello Shadowleaf04, you got it!

    The main move of this problem [b]Qd5+![/b] it is the most difficult intro-move to find since it loses a queen and doesn’t give much in exchange. But that’s only from the first glance. In reality it leads to 5 different winning lines,

    Try solving other ones, they are not easy :-)[/quote]
    Yo mr admin, have you tried b3 on the first one ? it leads to a zugzwang and a mate in 2, and I think that it is the righteous solution, sure Qd5 works perfect but in these compositions it never starts with a check

    Reply
  5. Anjo Oscuro
    11.28.2015 at 01:17

    [quote name=”James”]Problem 2:
    1. Nc5 Ke5
    2. Nd7#[/quote]
    The knight is pinned James

    Reply
  6. Anjo Oscuro
    11.28.2015 at 01:15

    1. There’s 2 solutions to this one, but since chess compositions never start with check then Qd5 is canceled and the solution is b6
    2. Rd7
    3. Be4
    4. Qf3
    5. Bg2
    6. Nf3
    7. haven’t looked at it yet.
    These compositions looked fairly easy to me, maybe I got the right way of thinking, I always try to reach to mating move and try to put the black in some zugzwang, and it works. 🙂

    Reply
  7. yaahwant
    11.14.2014 at 09:34

    1 Qd5+
    2 Rd1
    3 Be4
    4 Rxf5# puzzle is wrong
    5 Nd3
    6 Nf5
    7 Nbc6

    Reply
  8. kronavsky
    08.01.2014 at 18:02

    #2.
    Nd6

    Reply
  9. Giulio86
    07.04.2014 at 10:44

    1. Qd5
    2. Rd6
    3. Rf3
    4. Nb5
    5. Nd3
    6. Nf3
    7. Nd4-c6

    Reply
  10. Ajit
    06.29.2014 at 07:31

    [quote name=”James”]Problem 2:
    1. Nc5 Ke5
    2. Nd7#[/quote]
    Knight can not be moved. its pinned between white king and black queen.

    Reply
  11. Ajit
    06.29.2014 at 07:21

    [quote name=”David Pratt”]Problem 1.. Rxf4, Rxf4, Nf6. Or if black plays Rook anywhere else then Rook to c4[/quote]
    Looks like this is the only solution to problem.

    Reply
  12. Poonam
    06.28.2014 at 02:15

    Composition#1:
    1. Rd6, (if R*d6 then 2. Qc4++), (if N(b)d5 then 2. R*c6++), N(f)d5 2. Ne6++

    Reply
  13. Max Bouaraba
    06.27.2014 at 19:34

    Did take me 3 minutes for just puzzle number 1….
    starting with Qd5+ and no matter what black will be mated
    Kxd5-Rf5#
    Nfxd5-Ne6#
    Nbxd5-Rc6#
    Rxd5-Qxb4#

    Reply
  14. Edik
    06.27.2014 at 16:38

    1. Qxd5 was easy to see. 4 ways to recapture but all lead to mate.

    2. I haven’t solved it yet (the first comment about Nc5 is wrong since it’s pinned..even if Nc5 was possible Nd6++# is mate in 1).

    3. Rf3++ Ke4 Qf4#

    4. Unsolved. Tried a whole bunch of ideas including Qh1, Nb5, Nb4+, Qb3+, Qxb2+, Re4+. Of course Nc1+ doesn’t work due to dxc (bxc would’ve been nice though, [b]Pandi[/b]).

    5. Bg2. The main idea is Qg1# so Rg7 doesn’t work. cxb6 doesn’t work either since d5 is covered, which leaves Bxc5 Qd2#. Sorry [b]Sharky[/b], but Kb3 can’t be right since Bxc5 isn’t forced and there’s no mate in 1 after Kb3 if black wastes a move, lets say h5.

    6. Finally found Nf3 after a bunch of tries such as Qh5,Qg4,Nb4+,Nb5,Nf5,Ne2,Nc6 protecting that damn e5 square against Re7 and threatening killer Nb4#.

    7. Gotta be Ndc6 with Nd5 mate (Ne6 annoyingly fails to Rc5).

    Reply
  15. Barathwaj
    06.27.2014 at 12:29

    Out of all for 1. I agree with David Pratt

    Reply
  16. abhay jha
    06.27.2014 at 12:13

    @david pratt if Rxf4 is played den plays defends by playing rd6+

    Reply
  17. Gilbert Baron
    06.20.2014 at 22:20

    Too hard for me but Stockfish solves in useconds.

    Reply
  18. ChessWriter
    04.06.2014 at 17:07

    Do the chess positions on the “Mate in 2 iPhone 5 case” ad resemble the 7 extremely difficult chess compositions posted here? Cool idea.

    Reply
  19. Shark
    04.06.2014 at 14:26

    Problem 5#
    1.Kb3- and know black can play anything but for example, Bxc5
    2.Qf4#

    I hope it’s correct! 🙂

    Reply
  20. Yury
    01.16.2014 at 05:26

    [quote name=”Brian D”]Comp #7
    1:Bd5+ Ke5.
    2:Bg6#[/quote]

    Are you sure you’re solving #7? 😮

    Reply
  21. Brian D
    01.14.2014 at 18:03

    Comp #7
    1:Bd5+ Ke5.
    2:Bg6#

    Reply
  22. Yury
    01.14.2014 at 05:01

    Good try Pandi and David Pratt,

    but that variation doesn’t lead to mate in 2 with a right play from Black. The correct solution for Problem 1 was outlined by our friend Shadowleaf04:

    [b]1. Qd5+! is the key-move. For example 1. Qd5+! Kxd5 2. Rf5#[/b]

    Reply
  23. Yury
    01.14.2014 at 04:58

    [quote name=”Shadowleaf04″]Problem # 3

    1. Be4! is the key-move, with the idea of 2. Nxc4# For example, 1. Be4! Nxe3+ 2. Nb5#. Another one is 1. Be4! Ne5+ 2. Rd3#

    At first I thought of 1. Qc2?? with the same idea but Black has 1…Kxe3!. It took me 20-25 minutes to solve this one. Indeed, it it HARD! :-)[/quote]

    Hello again Shadowleaf04, it seems like you’ve got another one! You solution for Problem #3 is completely correct!

    Way to go! 🙄

    Reply
  24. Pandi
    01.13.2014 at 18:57

    Problem 4: 1.Nc1+ bc 2 Rc2#

    Reply
  25. Shadowleaf04
    01.13.2014 at 03:33

    Problem # 3

    1. Be4! is the key-move, with the idea of 2. Nxc4# For example, 1. Be4! Nxe3+ 2. Nb5#. Another one is 1. Be4! Ne5+ 2. Rd3#

    At first I thought of 1. Qc2?? with the same idea but Black has 1…Kxe3!. It took me 20-25 minutes to solve this one. Indeed, it it HARD! 🙂

    Reply
  26. David Pratt
    01.13.2014 at 02:19

    Problem 1.. Rxf4, Rxf4, Nf6. Or if black plays Rook anywhere else then Rook to c4

    Reply
  27. Yury
    01.13.2014 at 02:13

    [quote name=”Andrew Comeau”]Composition #1:

    Qd5+ works. Another solution is bxc6 and now whatever piece black moves white can counter with a mate.[/quote]

    Good try Andrew,

    but if [b]1. bxc6 Ne6 2. Qxe6 Rh4+ 3. Kg7 Rd4 4. Ne4+ Rxe4 5. Qd6#[/b] leading to mate in 5 🙂

    Please show your entire variation.

    Reply
  28. Andrew Comeau
    01.12.2014 at 14:22

    Composition #1:

    Qd5+ works. Another solution is bxc6 and now whatever piece black moves white can counter with a mate.

    Reply
  29. Yury
    01.11.2014 at 17:44

    Hello Shadowleaf04, you got it!

    The main move of this problem [b]Qd5+![/b] it is the most difficult intro-move to find since it loses a queen and doesn’t give much in exchange. But that’s only from the first glance. In reality it leads to 5 different winning lines,

    Try solving other ones, they are not easy 🙂

    Reply
  30. Shadowleaf04
    01.09.2014 at 07:28

    Problem # 1

    1. Qd5+! is the key-move. For example 1. Qd5+! Kxd5 2. Rf5#

    Reply
  31. Yury
    01.08.2014 at 15:33

    Good job, James you got it!

    Try the other ones! 😉

    Reply
  32. James
    01.08.2014 at 15:14

    Problem 2:
    1. Nc5 Ke5
    2. Nd7#

    Reply

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