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Missing pieces

Continuing with our Christmas puzzles, in this one all you have to do is place White’s king and one pawn in the correct positions on the board so that with White to play it’s mate in 2.  Nice easy one!

Write your answer in the ‘Comments’ below.

5 thoughts on “Missing pieces
    1. OK so anonymous is right in a sense, with the K on c5 and a pawn on either f6 or h6 IT WILL BE MATE IN TWO. So to answer the question f6 or h6 is correct. However for such a simple position it cannot have two answers, therefore logic tells us one has to be incorrect. Simples…
      I am sure if I had the will (and the time!) I could work it out by retrograde analysis. As I don't here are a few thoughts for others to give it a go:
      1. d7 is a key square to solving this problem.
      2. It is the square that all black's minor pieces probably used to their positions.
      3. Therefore the king moved from d6 to seal in the back rank.

      If I was a gambling man I would say the correct square is f6.
      The reasoning for that is that it appears that h6 is the obvious square as it is easier for the pawn to reach it. An f6 pawn would have more obsticles to navigate. Secondly on f6 the pawn blocks the influence of the B on g7.

      THEREFORE MY FINAL ANSWER Kc5 and f6

      Over to someone else to prove the correctness of the answer.

    2. Apologies to 'Anonymous' and Ian – it does appear that the pawn can be on either f6 or h6. I had initially thought that only f6 was correct, but my reasoning was probably flawed!

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