hello,
just bought a great book called "award-winning chess problems" by burt hochberg. after getting stumped on the very first problem I looked at the solution in the back but think the solution may be to another problem. The black moves don't seem to match the given pieces. I might be misreading the shorthand.
I don't know how this works but I tried to put the puzzle in the above FEN diagram. if that doesn't work the problem is called:"V. Diaconu, Der Waarheid 1967" There's supposed to be exactly one key to white mating in two moves. Anyone know the solution?

Thanks

I think this works :

Cool problem, you have it set-up correctly. Sad for me, I didn't see the 2 move win without help from my Chess software. Darn!

The problem is posted on Gameknot and you can interact with the puzzle in finding the solution, if desired...-
GameKnot: chess puzzles and problems
(found toward the middle of the page, and is labeled puzzle #1 !)

The first key move for White to mate in two moves is-

This is my n00bness, clearly shining through........



I did like granturismo4ad's play, though. That had me perplexed last night....

Hello! The answer to your spoiler question would be-

nice. Thanks.

I didn't understand the solution because i mistakenly assumed, given the position of the black king, that black was playing from the bottom. It all makes sense now. thanks

The first solution does not work due to f2=f1 (promotion).
The second solution also has a flaw. But there is an answer.
I did not software.

The problem with the diagram, if I believe correctly, is that the original post used the 'Flip Board' command, which only switches the coordinates and not the actual pieces.

Example: Normal board


Normal board 'flipped'

It is not a flipped diagram. So Black King is correct in Kh1, not in Ka8.

And the correct solution is FinFangFoom's.

Tourismo's
1.Qc7 f1=Q
2.???

Malbase's
1.Qb7 f1=Q
2.???
Malbase wrote 2.Nxf2++? 2...Kh2

FinFangFoom's
1.Qb2 Bh2
2.Nxf2#

1.Qb2 Kh2
2.Qh8#

1.Qb2 f1=Q(or =B or=R)
2.Ng3#

1.Qb2 f1=N
2.Qg2#


Ok, lets see if we assumed it a flipped diagram,(i.e black pawn move f3 or f4 instead f1)

Tourismo's
1.Qc7 f4
2.???

Malbase's
1.Qb7 f3
2.???

FinFangFoom's work well both in flipped or unflipped diagram
1.Qb2 f3(or f4)
2.Qg2#

This solution works well too in flipped diagram only
1.Qb6(or Qa7) Bh2
2.Nf2#

1.Qb6(or Qa7) Kh2
2.Nh6#(or Qh7#)

1.Qb6(or Qa7) f3(or f4)
2.Qxg1#

So the conclusion is : It is not a flipped diagram due to the possibility of plural solution