::: spoiler I did the moment I realized
that the King has nowhere to go. Actually my thought train went: Mhh - even if the King could move a step, he'd have to stay on the base row. All pawns are stuck, so any move that does not force a check is still an option, as long as it doesn't immobilize black, forcing a draw. I had looked at Qb1 before and discarded it as "does not gain anything", but by the second time I looked I had realized that the king actually can't move at all and therefore black can be forced to open the path for the rook :)
:::
:::spoiler Spoiler
So basically, you give the opponent a chance to blunder mate with.. axb1 and they have to take it because it's their only legal move. Nasty!
:::
::: spoiler Tap for spoiler Qb1…axb1 Ra8# ::: Neato!
Damn. Thanks! I would’ve never gone there!
omg it’s even forced lol
Oooh. This was a good one. Took a lot of think time and I was almost convinced it wasn't possible. Thanks for sharing.
Hmm, not that knowledgeable about chess...but when it is black's turn, is it compulsory for them to move?
Yes, and if they can't, it's a draw, so make sure black has a legal move after your first move.
Yes
Oh this one was obnoxious, well done!
Had to check comments to know it's possible, then understood it surprisingly fast thanks to lack of options ;)
I need to open my mind a little more. I never saw that first move as an option.
::: spoiler I did the moment I realized that the King has nowhere to go. Actually my thought train went: Mhh - even if the King could move a step, he'd have to stay on the base row. All pawns are stuck, so any move that does not force a check is still an option, as long as it doesn't immobilize black, forcing a draw. I had looked at Qb1 before and discarded it as "does not gain anything", but by the second time I looked I had realized that the king actually can't move at all and therefore black can be forced to open the path for the rook :) :::
Nifty, surprised I actually got it before reading the solution.
::: spoiler Hint: Think more about black's moves than white's. :::
:::spoiler Spoiler
So basically, you give the opponent a chance to blunder mate with.. axb1 and they have to take it because it's their only legal move. Nasty!
:::