White to move and checkmate in 3.
8/8/7b/8/1NpN4/2p1p3/2p1P3/kbK5 w – – 0 1
Loyd, 1792
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Brilliant classic tactic
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White to move and checkmate in 3.
8/8/7b/8/1NpN4/2p1p3/2p1P3/kbK5 w – – 0 1
Loyd, 1792
Obviously, white would like to force black to play Ba2 so that he can then play Nc2#, so Ne6 really sticks out as a way to capture the “free” bishop and force black to make the fatal move.
1. Ne6 KB must move
2. Ne6:B wherever Ba2 box
3. Nc2: ++
A beautifully simple example of the domination theme followed by zugzwang with only one legal move on the board.
1. Ne6 [B on h6 moves] 2. [N takes dark-squared bishop] Ba2 3. Nxc2#
1. Nf6 Bg5 (or f4, g7, f8; if 1. … Ba2 then 2. Nxc2#) 2. Nxg5 (or f4, g7, f8) Ba2 3. Nxc2#
Ha, easy. If white can force black into zugzwang, then mate in one. So first we trap the bishop by Ne6. Wherever black bishop goes, it gets chopped by the knight. Then the white colored bishop has to move to a2 followed by Nxc2 mate.
1. Ne6 Black bishop anywhere
2. NxB Ba2
3. Nxc2#
Ne6!!
Black is in zugzwang. Black would like to make a move other than moving a bishop, but none are available. The bishop on h6 has no squares.
Ne6 Bg5 Nxg5 Ba2 Nxc2#
Alternatively black can choose to play Ba2 and lose a move faster: Ne6 Ba2 Nxc2#
I find this an amazing problem because it manages to create great difficulty out of something that appears very simple at first.
1Ne6 2Nxb 3Nc2 mate
Hi Susan,
I am not familiar with the notation you have used here. It would be great if you could tell me what this notation is called, so that I may google it. Better still, if you have a link which explains this notation.
Thanks in Advance
Sean
1. Ne6 Bf8 (or to any other dark squares)
2. Nxf8 Ba2 (forced move for black)
3. Nxc2#
Simple zugzwang with Ne6. If black moves the h6 bishop then NxB. If black moves the b1 bishop then Nxc2mate.
Dear Sean,
The notation used is called Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN notation, for short). You can read about it at this link:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forsyth-Edwards_Notation