Every year, during this holiday season, I like to put forth some joyful amusement with completely wacky and wild and even witty compositions. Today’s is unusual. It’s a “Demotion Mate in Four Moves.” The composer, Maswell Bukopzer made it an easy one because the king can’t participate, so you have to start out with the queen. In a demotion mate, the queen moves, then is “demoted” to a rook. Then the rook moves and is demoted to a bishop and then the bishop moves and is demoted to a knight. Finally, the knight moves and is demoted to a pawn—and it’s mate! Got that?

1.Qg3=R, c5 2.Rxc3=B, c4 3.Ba5=N, c3 4.Nxb7=P mate

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