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Greco's smothered mate

Gioachino Greco vs NN · Rome 1619 · Black to play and win

Black to play. Mate in 2.

Find the move that was played. The other side answers by itself.

Gioachino Greco vs NN

Rome, 1619

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The game

Gioachino Greco against NN, Rome, 1619. The board above holds the position as it stood: Black to move, and mate in 2. Find the move that was played and the other side answers by itself, exactly as it answered then.

The story behind it, which gives the finish away

Greco, the first professional player in history, recorded this four centuries ago. The queen is given so that a knight can mate a king smothered by its own men.

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