1.Re3?

should work as well...

I love this one because it *seems* that the right answer must involve releasing the pin, but the solution is found elsewhere. This is a great classic puzzle.

Also notable is that the key seems to give a flight square to the black king.
And the role of the e6-pawn. Without it there would be a refutation 1...Qc6!

first instinct is to move the King to release the pin, but neither Kh2 nor Kg1 work because of Qxe2. So it seems the only other piece in a position to deliver mate is the Knight, but it is busy protecting the dark square bishop ... so we protect it with the pawn! and now black has to move the queen and release the pin on the rook in order to counter the threat of Nf6#.

This puzzle proves that a well placed Knight is worth half a board full of queens, rooks and bishops. They don't call me pony_boy because I play polo. (I don't)

helms_horn
Black did the joint BEST move possible, taking the bishop on e2 leads to mate in 1 so it is no better. The program selects it's moves at random from the selection of the joint BEST moves, and in a mate in 2 puzzle this is all the possible moves.
Any DECENT player would resign and shake hands before white's move with the respect that white will find the mate in 2.

Very well said. Have a nice weekend.

man that was a great puzzle its was simple yet a reminder that u should use all the pieces even if there a pawn xD

...The main appeal of this puzzle for me is how well-placed this Knight is at f6! From there, not only is Black in check, but his only flight square (g6) is covered, and 2 of the Queen's refuge squares (g4, d5) are attacked, so it's a Kt fork that won't quit. The e6 Pawn screens the Knight's f6 from the Queen's retreat to c6, so that's a dead letter, too. No matter where Black moves, White has a reply, since White's DOUBLE THREAT (after 1.h4: 2.Nf6, 2.R moves anywhere, disc. ch.), Black can't deal with both threats with one move!