3N2R1/2p1p3/Q3P1R1/2p2k2/2pP3r/5B1P/4N2b/Kb6 w – – 0 0
White to move and checkmate in 3. This is one the puzzle used in the recent World Puzzle Solving Championship. Can you solve it without computer help?
Level of difficulty: 4 out of 4
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Qb5 Rxd4
Qxb1+ Rd3
Rg5+ Kf6
Rg6++
I found it in four moves. does that count for anything.
Beginning with Qb7 works in four too. My Fritz 8 couldn’t find a “mate in three” solution.
I have a hard time even getting started with problems like this. The position of the pieces and pawns is too weird. I think I do well in positions that are more ‘standard’ and look like real games. I just can’t get a feel for the position. Trying to figure out all the possible replies in this position is exhausting.
1. Qa3 cxd4
2. Qxe7 Rxh3
3. Rhg5#
or
1. Qa3 Rxd4
2. Qe3 Rxd8
3. Qg5#
This is the equivilent of a guy carrying a stick to a fight and the other guy has a machine gun. then asking how quickly can the guy with the machine gun kill the guy with the stick. white has such an overwhelming material advantage this would never occur in a real game. thus the puzzle is essentially meaningless. just a exercise in how quickly you can put someone out of there misery. I mean im not sure if that makes someone a stronger player.
1. Qc6
1………..Bd6
2. Qd5 Be5
3. Qxe5++
1………..Be5 so 1. Qc6 doesn’t work
However what about 1. Qa8 or 1. Qb7
1. Qa8 has the asset of 2. Nc6 with the double mate threat
3. Qf8++ 3. Nxe7 ++
So
1. Qa8 Be5
2. Nc6 and now if
2……Bf6
Stops White’s play. So first the Knight:
1. Nc6 that is forcing either
1……..Bd6 or 1…..Ra7
2.
No wait:
1. Qa8 Be5
2. Bg4+ Rxg4
3. hxg4++
1. Qa8 Bd5
2. Nc6 BxBf3
3. Nxe7++
1. Qa8 Bd5
2. Nc6 BxNc6
3. Qf8++
1. Qa8 Rd5
2. Nc6 RxNe2
3. Qf8++
1. Qa8 Rd5
2. Nc6 Be5
3. Nxe7++
1. Qa8 Rxd4
2. Nc6 Be5
3. Nxe7++
“thus the puzzle is essentially meaningless”
Problem chess isn’t meaningless at all.
I was creating problems myself for a long time (and sometimes I still do nowadays) and I always liked solving them.
I have to admit that I did not find this solution until now but I am going to take some more time later.
[Ah, damn, now I saw egaions solution….]
Thanks, Susan, for posting a real chess problem!
Those who just say “it’s stupid white is going to way anyway” better say nothing.
You have to deal with this kind of chess to understand it. If you don’t do than don’t spoil our fun by saying it’s worthless.
Sorry if this post sounds hard but it’s not the first time I hear (read) statements like this from person who never took time to find out what chess problems are. Problem chess is art – and it is a wonderful thing not less than normal ches.
Sorry, egaion, but I do not think Qa8 is the solution.
After 2. Nc6 Rh7! spoils the solution (3. Bg4+, Ke4!).
So 1. -, c6! should be a defense to the (real) threat 2. Bg4+ (after 1. Qa8).
Greetings
Jochen
1. Qa3, as Travis wrote. It threatens 2. Qxc5+ Be5 and 3. Qxe5 mate. It’s mate in three no matter what you try as black.
Why not 1.Qxc4?
That’s what came to my mind in first place.
Qa3 will be answered by Bd6.
Qxc4 Rxd4
Qxc5+ Be5 Still no 3rd move mate.
I haven’t worked out all of the variations, but I’m guessing that the correct move is Kxb1.
Black has not checks and without the bishop, white is threatening two move mate with the rooks (Rg5 and then Rg6). If black tries to stop the rook mate, I think Qc6 forces mate on the white squares.
Anonymous said…
Qa3 will be answered by Bd6.
————————
And so what? Then you get
2.Qc1, which threatens 3 Qg5#
If 2…Rf4 3.Ng3# and if 2…Bf4 3.Qxb1#
1. Qb7 with double mate threats in two with Qb1 and Qd5 is the answer:
1. Qb7 c6
2. Qxe7 followed by mate on Qf6++ or Qg5++
1. Qb7 Re4
2. Rg5+ and 3. R8-g3++
1. Qb7 Bc2
2. Qd5+ followed by mate on Qe5++
some of egaion’s solution also apply except the Queen has to be on b7 so that the Queen can do Qxe7 in case of c6.
eglrock
If 1.Qa3… How does white mate in two after 1…cxd4?
“Qa3 will be answered by Bd6.
————————
And so what? Then you get
2.Qc1, which threatens 3 Qg5#
If 2…Rf4 3.Ng3# and if 2…Bf4 3.Qxb1#”
Aaaah, that’s the (in lingo so called) ‘grimshaw’ I was searching for the whole time but wasn’t able to find.
Well done to everybody who solved it!
“If 1.Qa3… How does white mate in two after 1…cxd4?”
That is written above.
2. Qxe7 with the threat of Rg5# and Qf6#. Only defense seems to be Ke5 but then 3. Qc5#.
Greetings
Jochen
PS: how many time had the solvers in the championship to solve this problem (or how many problems where there and how many time had they for all the problems)?
PPS: Please, Susan, post something like that more often!
actually…
1. Qb7 c6
2. Qxb1+ followed by mate also works
1. Qb7 Be4
2. Bg4+ RxB
3. hxg4++
eglrock
Qa3 wouldn’t work because of:
1. Qa3 Be4
2. Qxc5 Bd5 and …Be5 and there is no third move mate
1. Qa3 Be4
2. Qe3 Rf4 and there is no third move mate
eglrock
i do chess problems that simulate game situations to make me a better player. i dont do chess problems for artistic value. if you want to do art go paint a portrait of the leaning tower of pizza in italy. paint some lillies floating on a pond. better yet go paint a mountain with billy goats and sheep roaming around the mountainside. that should be a good artitistic challenge for you. this is chess and its meant to for you find a way to beat your opponent. its the equivlent to a prize fight but with your mind. problems are meant to make you a stronger player. so when you play a match with someone you win. the whole object of the game is to win!!!!! how can this simulate game situaitons when your up by twenty points in material. come on get into reality jochen. stop the delusional artistic nonsense.
oops…sorry
1. Qa3 does seem to work
1. Qa3 Be4
2. Bg4+ RxB
3. hxg4++ as I also pointed out in the other solutions starting with 1. Qb7
So there seems to be multiple solutions to this problem starting with 1. Qb7 or 1. Qa3
eglrock
Hello eglrock,
chess problems like this always have one sole solution. As this is from a tournament it has been checked with a PC o you can be asure it is ‘correct’ (which means that there is exactly one solution).
1. Qb7, cxd4 and what now!?
Greetings
Jochen
Note on the front screen that Susan said that this problem was part of the World Puzzle Solving Championship, so I’m sure that computers were used to make sure that there is not more than one solution.
Based on everything that I’ve seen posted to date, I’m convinced that 1. Qa3 is the one and only solution.
You guys are right, 1. Qa3 is the only solution I can find now.
Thanks,
eglrock
“i do chess problems that simulate game situations to make me a better player.”
Well, chess problems do NOT simulate anything. They ARE art, they are compositions.
Don’t compare a game of chess with a chess problem. It’s like comparing a public speech with Wallenstein’s monologue (just an example). Both use the spoken word as means of expression. Yet, they are so different, aren’t they?
Same is true for chess games and chess problems. The only thing they have in common (at most) are the chess board and the chess pieces as means of expressions. And if you look at fairy chess, not even this has to be true.
greetings from chess problem composer / solver AND chess player
1. Qa3 Rxd4
2. Qxc5+ Be5
And now what?
After
1. Qa3 Rxd4
2. Qe3 leads to mate on the next move
Can you elaborate please?
1. Qa3 Rxd4
2. Qe3 Rf4
and now?
” egaion hat gesagt…
Can you elaborate please?
1. Qa3 Rxd4
2. Qe3 Rf4
and now?”
Second Grimshaw theme – I start liking the problem.
3. Qc5#
Greetings
Jochen
I throw my hat . Rather eat it, Jochen 🙂
1. Qa3 is the right first move.
This puzzle is solved.
Thanks people.
Good night
A. Weiler
chess problems are done to make you better. your analogy is ridiculous. dont start comparing speeches which have no similarity with chess. my favorite problems are from actual games themselves. like the ivanchuk problem a few weeks ago. dont tell me there compositions and have no meaning to a real game. your completly illogical. chess problems have absolutly a direct correspondence with real games. if a guy hits heavy bag or speed bag to train for boxing does that mean he does it for artistic value. no he does it to get better so that when he steps into the ring to box hes prepared to win!!!! otherwise when he steps into that ring he gets killed and knocked out. same thing with chess problems. these exercises are to teach skills that allow you to unleash tactics during real games!!!!!!!
Haha, that’s what I meant above:
people who never composed a chess problem themselves and who have never learned how interesting the work with chess problems can be are talking about problem chess and insist on being absolutely right.
Wolv, give it up, you will never know what chess problems mean for us.
I really like the comparison with the normal speach versus Wallenstein – it is much more close to the thing than the real bad comparison with the boxer.
The boxer’s punching ball is an equivalent to the exercises Susan is providing here normally, but it is NOT an equivalent to a chess problem – I am afraid but in boxing there is no equivalence to that.
Do not mix up tactic exercizes with problem chess. You do and you’re insisting on both being the same. That is wrong – if it wasn’t your mate in 4 (first post) would have ended the discussion while in a chess problem a mate in 4 means nothing when it is asked for a mate in 3.
Problem chess is a thing between art and chess. Classical problem chess uses the rules of chess but it has another aim. And that is the important difference.
There are many strong players who have no idea of solving or even composing a problem while there are real weak players who are very good at solving and composing.
The one thing has nothing to do with the other thing and we problem checkers don’t use problem chess to improve our normal chess skills and we don’t do it the other way round either.
Accept it or not but stop insisiting on wrong fact as long as you do not even know what problem chess is.
Greetings
Jochen
PS: egaion, I am not very good in english expressions; I am not quite sure what you want to tell me by “rather eat it”. Shell I eat your had? !?
1.Qa3,cxd4
2.Qxe7,Ke5
3.Qc5#
1.Qa8 Be4 2. Nc6 (double threat Ne7 mate and Qf8 mate) Rh7 3.Bg4 mate. Or 1… Be5 2. Rg5+ Kf6 3. d:e5 mate.
Jahr: 1952
Autor: Karimov
1.Da3!