Thread by @jaltucher

Solution to Vladmir Nabokov chess puzzle I posted yesterday:

ANSWER: 1. Qa5+ any 2. Mate

see rest of thread for why and the theory of this particular puzzle. (1/4)

For example:
1. Qa5+ Bb5 2. Rf1++ (bishop is pinned so can't take rook)
1. Qa5+ b5 2. Rf1++
1. Qa5+ Nb5 Rf1++
1. Qa4 Qb5 Rf1++ (Q pinned)
1. Qa5+ Qc5 Ne7++ (Q pinned)

More examples... (2/x)

1. Qa5+ Bc5 Ne7++ (B pinned)
1. Qa5+Rd8d5 Nd4++ (R pinned)
1. Qa5+ Rd4d5 Nd4++ (R pinned)
1 Qa5++ Qd5 Nd4++ (Q pinned)
1 Qa5+ Nd5 Nd4++
1 Qa5+ Ne5 Nh6++

Next..what makes this a beautiful problem: (3/x)

Beautiful because checking on the first move in a composed chess problem is usually very un-aesthetic (too obvious to check on the first move).
Beautiful because the check can be blocked in 11 different ways and each way results in checkmate BECAUSE OF the block.
More... (4/x)

And 7 blocks result in mate because of a pin, so beautiful on the theme of pinning.
There is no other move that mates in two. That would be considered a failed puzzle if there was such a move.

Next chess puzzle next Sunday. More chess / literary history as well (5/5)