Mate in 2

Chess Puzzle No. 315: The white king steps into f5: can it escape checkmate?

Posted on 11 November 2026 by Delphine D.

11
Nov

A rapid game from April 2020 between two players rated around 2000, following a French Exchange, move 41: White's king has just advanced to f5. Black to play – your task is to find mate in two.

Mate in 2IntermediateBlack to play

Black to play and mate in 2

Puzzle: Lichess open database (CC0) · Pieces: Cburnett, Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

See the solution explained

Qh5+ puts the white king in check and leaves it only one legal reply.

Kxf6 is therefore forced: the white king captures the pawn on f6, the only available square.

Be7# ends the game: the king on f6 is in check with no way to escape it, delivering checkmate.

In the real game, the player found the entire combination, playing Qh5+ and, after White's forced recapture Kxf6, following up with Be7# for an immediate win by checkmate. This combination shows the so-called Morphy's mate, where the enemy king gets trapped late in the game despite reduced material.

The knight, with its oddly angled moves, is often the piece wood carvers take the most pride in shaping. If fine materials interest you, the wooden chess sets from the Val Gardena Alps keep that craftsmanship alive, while those drawn to modern finishes might prefer the metal chess pieces.

Delphine D.

Delphine D. is the lead writer of the editorial team at Le Palais des Échecs, a shop specialising since 2008 in wooden chess sets, chessboards and backgammon sets. Her guides draw on the shop's hands-on experience: more than 5,000 customers advised and a catalogue built around the woods that make beautiful sets. Pale, very fine-grained boxwood set against ebony or rosewood for the pieces; maple, walnut and mahogany for the boards; palisander, olive wood or burr wood for exceptional models. Choosing a set for a child, a wedding or retirement gift, comparing woods, having a board engraved: she helps every reader find the set that suits them. Find out more about Delphine D. and the editorial team - Facebook - Pinterest - Youtube