A Merry Christmas to all our readers!   What better day than to pose a couple of traditional Christmas tree problems?   Because of obvious design limitations such problems are never too difficult, but these may test you for a few minutes:
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                        It's White to play and mate in two (in both problems)
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                       
                                      
                                    
1. Nxc4
ReplyDeletedxc4 Qxc4#
Re5 Rxe5#
Rxe3 Qxe3#
fxg4 Qxg4#
2. f8=N+ Kxf6(forced)
dxe8#
dxe8=N#.
Deletesomton