No mates in three! It MUST be a mate in two. So, in order for it to be a mate in two what was Black's last move?

Solution:

1.exd6 en passant! Any black reply ends in a mate. A composition by C. Chapman.

I received some mail on this solution.In one reply, I used the opportunity to say something that needs to be said about these compositions, and I hope many of you will take it to heart what I wrote:

"Yes, you're missing something.
Here's an important tip on composed problems. There is a precise reason for every single piece and pawn being on the board. Look at the bishop just sitting there on h1, apparently out of things. No matter whether Black plays Bxb5 or exd6+ or Ka8 [after 1.exd6] the next move is by the rook on c6 who uncovers a different mate each time.. You have to remember that the Black pawn on d5 is no longer there, having been captured by en passant. I have great respect for problem composers and their art. Every time you think you have found a flaw (and they occur!), look again. Try to figure out what all the little pieces of the puzzle are telling you. Too many people give up too easily or find "another" solution and are quite pleased with themselves (I get lots of those letters!), but they are wrong 99.9% of the time, and then it's usually my fault because I put a typo in or messed up the diagram! Struggling with these problems makes you more aware and even if you don't solve it, you start to look at the chessboard differently and that makes you better."

Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.