chessnutz

Our weekly chess puzzle.
*********************** Edward The Second versus Saint Thomas A Beckett
September 1012, London.
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White to play seems to be taking his time. The black pieces are arrayed in such a fashion as to make any initiative difficult. Can you see how white broke the inertia?
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Solution: King Edward's henchmen kidnapped Saint Thomas and cut his head off. The henchmen head hacking move was outlawed by the International Chess Federation three centuries later.