Tactics challenge: July 9

Did you know that Vladimir Nabokov, one of the greatest literary figures and the author of Lolita, was also a chess lover and composer? Below are two of his problems, and a poem to delight you! Also, don't forget to check out the answer to yesterday's tactics challenge (mate in #125 move problem) below.

1. White to play. Mate in two.

2. White to play. Mate in two. 

Share your findings in the comment section below.

Here's a poem by Vladimir Nabokov:

The Russian Song:

I dream of simple tender things: 

a moonlit road and tinkling bells.

Ah, drearly the coachboy sings,

but sadness into beauty swells;

swells, and is lost in moonlight dim...

the singer sighs, and then the moon

full gently passes back to him

the quivering, unfinished tune.

In distant lands, on hill and plain,

thus do I dream,  when nights are long, -

and memory gives back again

the whisper of that long-lost song.  

                                                          -- Vladimir Nabakov

Solution to yesterday's tactics challenge: [The game is viewed best in Chessity's game viewer]

Blathy,O - 1938 1-0

Mate in #125

Diagram #1

1.Qe4 Kf7 2.Qe7+ Kg8 3.Qe8+ Kh7 4.Qg6+ Kg8 5.Bh2 Kf8 6.Qf5+ Kg8 7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qe5 Kf7 9.Qe7+ Kg8 10.Qe8+ Kh7 11.Qg6+ Kg8 12.Bg1 Kf8 13.Qf5+ Kg8 14.Qd5+ Kf8 15.Qe5 Kf7 16.Qe7+ Kg8 17.Qe8+ Kh7 18.Qg6+ Kg8 19.Kh2 Kf8 20.Qf5+ Kg8 21.Qd5+ Kf8 22.Qe5 Kf7 23.Qe7+ Kg8 24.Qe8+ Kh7 25.Qg6+ Kg8 26.Kh1 Kf8 27.Qf5+ Kg8 28.Qd5+ Kf8 29.Qe5 Kf7 30.Qe7+ Kg8 31.Qe8+ Kh7 32.Qg6+ Kg8 33.Bh2 Kf8 34.Qf5+ Kg8 35.Qd5+ Kf8 36.Qe5 Kf7 37.Qe7+ Kg8 38.Qe8+ Kh7 39.Qg6+ Kg8 40.Kg1 Kf8 41.Qf5+ Kg8 42.Qd5+ Kf8 43.Qe5 Kf7 44.Qe7+ Kg8 45.Qe8+ Kh7 46.Qg6+ Kg8 47.Kf1 Kf8 48.Qf5+ Kg8 49.Qd5+ Kf8 50.Qe5 Kf7 51.Qe7+ Kg8 52.Qe8+ Kh7 53.Qg6+ Kg8 54.Ke1 Kf8 55.Qf5+ Kg8 56.Qd5+ Kf8 57.Qe5 Kf7 58.Qe7+ Kg8 59.Qe8+ Kh7 60.Qg6+ Kg8 61.Kd2 Kf8 62.Qf5+ Kg8 63.Qd5+ Kf8 64.Qe5 Kf7 65.Qe7+ Kg8 66.Qe8+ Kh7 67.Qg6+ Kg8 68.Kc2 Kf8 69.Qf5+ Kg8 70.Qd5+ Kf8 71.Qe5 Kf7 72.Qe7+ Kg8 73.Qe8+ Kh7 74.Qg6+ Kg8 75.Kb2 ( 75.Kb3?

Diagram #2

75... Kf8 76.Qf5+ Kg8 77.Qd5+ Kf8 78.Qe5 Qg8+! )

75... Kf8 76.Qf5+ Kg8 77.Qd5+ Kf8 78.Qe5 Kf7 79.Qe7+ Kg8 80.Qe8+ Kh7 81.Qg6+ Kg8 82.Ka3 Kf8 83.Qf5+ Kg8 84.Qd5+ Kf8 85.Qe5 Kf7 86.Qe7+ Kg8 87.Qe8+ Kh7 88.Qg6+ Kg8 89.Ka4 Kf8 90.Qf5+ Kg8 91.Qd5+ Kf8 92.Qe5 Kf7 93.Qe7+ Kg8 94.Qe8+ Kh7 95.Qg6+ Kg8 96.Ka5 Kf8 97.Qf5+ Kg8 98.Qd5+ Kf8 99.Qe5 Kf7 100.Qe7+ Kg8 101.Qe8+ Kh7 102.Qg6+ Kg8 103.Kb6 Kf8 104.Qf5+ Kg8 105.Qd5+ Kf8 106.Qe5 Kf7 107.Qe7+ Kg8 108.Qe8+ Kh7 109.Qg6+ Kg8 110.Ka7 Kf8 111.Qf5+ Kg8 112.Qd5+ Kf8 113.Qe5 Kf7 114.Qe7+ Kg8 115.Qe8+ Kh7 116.Qg6+ Kg8 117.Kb8 Kf8 118.Kxc8 Qg8 119.Kxd7 Qf7+ 120.Qxf7+ Kxf7 121.c8=Q g6 122.Qe8+ Kg7 123.hxg6 h3 124.Qf7+ Kh8 125.Qh7#