Not seeing the solution. Maybe I just can't focus on the board!

Why not? I think it works although maybe I missed some move... or maybe you were scrolled up too high on the page to see the pawn on the seventh. Pretty strange stuff.

Nice pic, but has the "dark right-hand corner square Mafia" (Tim Krabbe's term) been at work?

Ins't the black king already in check by the barely noticeable white queen in the bottom ?

This merely confirms what we have long susepcted: chess is full of gorgeous women.

Is this a back rank puzzle?

I think white should develop some play down the a-file...

I think they use the verb MATE in a somewhat different aspect from what you usually expect dealing with chess puzzles.

* - denotes black piece

+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
8 | | | | | | Q | N | *B |
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
7 | | | | R | | | | |
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
6 | | | | | | | | |
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
5 | | | | *P | *K | | | |
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
4 | | | | | *P | | B | |
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
3 | | | | | *P | | | |
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
2 | | | P | | | | | |
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
1 | K | | | | | | | |
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

I think they use the verb MATE in a somewhat different aspect from what you usually expect when dealing with chess puzzles.

Wow, spacing doesn't work.
*denotes black pieces

-+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
8|----|----|----|----|----|--Q-|--N-|-*B-|
-+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
7|----|----|----|--R-|----|----|----|----|
-+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
6|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|
-+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
5|----|----|----|-*P-|-*K-|----|----|----|
-+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
4|----|----|----|----|-*P-|----|--B-|----|
-+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
3|----|----|----|----|-*P-|----|----|----|
-+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
2|----|----|--P-|----|----|----|----|----|
-+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
1|--K-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|
-+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

I think ascii has the board sideways. Black bishop is on a8; white king is on h1.

b 7
N 3 B 3
Q 7
3 k p p 2
3 p 4
1 R 4 P 1
8
7 K

1.Ra5+ Ke4 2.Qe2#

A bit heavy handed, with an opening check, but the problem has other charms.

Ra5 is illegal, the rook is on b3

Qa2 is nice

Jesus christ, I can't believe I actually started looking for a mate in two. As John posted though, it looks like there's a second white queen hanging out on h8, so the king's already in check.

Well,I suppose that the second queen that we see on h1 is actually the white king

So the solution for the puzzle is Qa2, followed by a rook move.

As Mig said in a previous thread, if your first instinct was to find the mate in two, then you are a hopeless chess geek. What about me? Well...

Seriously now, I wonder if a female reader to this blog could say what kind of stuff in a pic would be compelling to women players.

Morgan, it's a king on h1, not a queen on h8. The position is:

White: Kh1, Qa6, Rb3, Be7, Na7, p. g3
Black: Kd5, Ba8, pp. d4, e5, f5

White mates in two

1. Qa2! Kc4+ (1. ... Ke4 2. Qg2; 1. ... Ke6+ 2. Rb7; 1. ... e4 2. Rb5) 2. Rf3 mate

Well if we ignore the girl and assume that all the pieces are visible, the first problem is to identify the pieces and the orientation of the board. Since the white piece next to the knignt is a queen, the out of focus piece in the foreground must be the white king. Either this king stands on h1 or a8 (since these are light squares), with the black bishop on the other square.

If we assume the white king is on h1, then there is only one mate in 2, which starts with 1.Qa2. On the other hand, if the white king is on a8 then the only mate in 2 starts with 1.Rd6.

If we ignore the color of the squares and suppose that the girl is playing white, then she has a very prosaic mate starting with 1.f8=Q. However, if we imagine that she is playing Black and we must mate her, it is unfortunately not possible in two moves.

It's a king on h1, not a queen on h8

Nobody is talking about the tattoo on the lady's backside, I think this issue merits closer scrutiny and hereby volunteer to go on an exploratory mission.

Stan, thanks. You only forgot one variation: 1.-f4 2.Re3# ;-)