To solve a helpmate is to begin at the end — to envision the mating position before making a move. In a two-move helpmate especially, a clear mental image of where and how the black king will be mated leaves only the final brushstroke. But that, of course, is easier said than done.

Here, it takes a keen imagination to realise that bK can be mated on d6 by wN arriving on c4 — for d6 is currently occupied by bR, and c4 is defended twice by Black. Nor does shifting bK off the e-file suggest itself readily, as it could expose wK to check. Yet one sequence brings it all together with deft precision: 1.Re6 Be4 2.Kd6 Nc4#.

Black’s first move, 1.Re6, accomplishes three things at once: it clears d6 for bK, self-blocks e6, and interferes with the f7 bishop to help unguard c4. White’s equally multipurpose reply, 1...Be4, closes the e-file to pre-empt the check when bK moves, cuts off bRf4 laterally to complete the unguarding of c4, and covers d5 and c6 — culminating in 2.Kd6 Nc4, a model mate.

The other solution is no less ingenious. This time, bK — once again stepping off the e-file — is mated on d4 by wB on f6, a square initially guarded by two black pieces, just like c4 in the earlier line: 1.Be6 Bf5 2.Kd4 Bf6#.

As before, the strategic interplay of the pieces merits close attention. Black’s first move, 1.Be6, pre-emptively shields wK from check and interferes with bRd6 — the other half of a Grimshaw on e6, begun in the previous solution — thereby helping to unguard f6. White’s response, 1...Bf5, cuts off bRf4 vertically to complete the unguarding of f6, while also covering d3 and e4 — setting up 2.Kd4 Bf6, another model mate.

A masterfully crafted work, its paired lines echoing in theme but diverging just enough in detail to keep solvers on their toes!

Helpmates