Solution to Mate in Two by the Badger

 Mate in Two by the Badger

Mate in Two:    black plays Qg1+, then white must play Rook takes g1, then Nf2 is mate

Extra letters spell “A woman will always sacrifice herself, WSM” by W Somerset Maugham, and give a hint to the first move of the mate in two where the queen must be sacrificed.  In the chess position, it initially seems that either player can achieve mate in two beginning with a queen sacrifice (white with Qxf6+).  However, since the black pawn on b4 (COHO) is able to move to two O squares, it can be deduced that white has just played a4 (allowing the black pawn to take on a3 en passant) and hence it must be black’s turn to play and deliver mate in two.

Extra letters in the definition are shown in brackets in the first column

 

insect(A)          BUZZER                      BU(g-hunt)ER around Z Z(ambian)

La(W)              ZYDECO                     jaz(ZY DECO)lonisation

ro(O)ds             ARMOURY                  ARM (STOURY – ST)

(M)use             CU                               C(lio) U(rania)

c(A)ries            SOBS                           filling(S) t(O) cur(B) mnemosyne’(S)

bi(N)ts              SUMY                          SUM(MAR)Y – MAR

(W)help            OMBRE                       (CLUBS MOTHER BEAR)* - HER (LAST CUB)*

cal(I)f               BOSS                           B(ungay) – ungay  p(OSS)e

(L)Arne’s         SORDO                        ORD O after ferry’(S)

b(L)eak             COO                            COO(t)

p(A)unch          RUMBO                       R (JUMBO – J)

(L)Ely’s            BOR                             B O(mitted) R(embrandt)

t(W)o               DOOM                         DOM with (TO – T) inside

staff(A)s           BOURDONS                BOURBONS with har(D) for B(utter-bakes)

Fair(Y)             ROOSTS                      (S(andman’s) TORSO)*

Par(S)is            EUROS                        rit(E) (US(ed) around RO(ti))

a(S) ton            YUAN                          (ditto(N) after (yo(U) (A)udi)) after el(Y)

r(A)iding          ROD                            DOR<

(C)OT              EZ                                OYEZ – OY

sea(R)               COHO                          (C)hef (O)bviously (H)urried (t)O

wa(I)ter            HYDROZOA                (O OZ<) in HYDRA

(F)ops               ER                               b(E)au b(R)ummel

Tit(I)an’s          HYDROCARBONS      (BY ORS AND OCHR(e))*

(C)hard             RAMS                          RAMSON – ON

b(E)ars             ANEROID                    (PADDINGTON BEAR IS SO)* - (BAD GIN SPOTS)*

(H)at                COSE                           C(r)O(wn) reas(SE)mble

to(E)                ORDINATE                  (TOE AND R(heumatism) I(ssues))*

(R)Oman          IRAN                           t(IRAN)a

Ori(S)on           ASTRONOMISE          (ORION MATES S(ermon))*

(E)T’s               TOCS                           (O (CALLS – ALL)) after elliot(T)

c(L)an              EROM                          MORE<

(F)an                HR                               H(i)R(e)

t(W)o               IRON CROSS               IRON CROSS

(S)old               NORSE                        ORS in NE

Exa(M)             E                                  (TEEN CRUELTIES)* - (UTTER SILENCE)*