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
Checkmate in 3!
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White to move and checkmate in 3.
8/8/7b/8/1NpN4/2p1p3/2p1P3/kbK5 w – – 0 1
Loyd, 1792
Ne6
1.Ne6, then capture the bishop leaving Black with 2…Ba2 allowing 3.Nc2++
1.Ne6, capture the bishop leaving 2…Ba2 as the only legal move, allowing Nc2++
It seems as though the black king could escape. Am I missing something?
Ne6
After 1.Ne6! Black is at a loss for a move. Any move of the dark squared bishop, will result in its capture. After the dark squared bishop is capture, any move of the light square bishop will result in mate on the c2 square.
That extra bishop creates an escape for the black King.
1. Ne6!
The idea is to force Bb1-a2; this domination of the black-squared B allows this knight to capture it in move 2, then after 2…Ba2 3. N:c2 is mate.
I can’t find it.
Wow, this one was hard.
The key is forcing Black into a zugzwang situation.
What a beautiful puzzle! So simple yet so difficult.
1. Ne6!
Now notice that only black pieces that can move are 2 bishops. If black move white square bishop and plays Ba2 then Nc2# follows. So black can only move his black square bishop which is trapped. Notice that the squares f8, g7, g5, f4 are attacked by Knight. So the game continues,
1. — Bf4 (or Bg5,Bg7,Bf8)
2. Bxf4. Ba2 (only move)
3. Nxc2#
I saw the idea, too tired to find the execution. Even Stockfish gave it a think.
1. Ne6 Bg7 (f8-g5-f4) 2. Nxg7 (f8-g5-f4) Ba2 3. Nxc2#
A nice one.
If you can’t find it then analyse position first. Don’t just look for tactics.
Black king can’t move. If light square bishop moves it’s a checkmate in one, so all white has to take care about is dark square bishop.
From there it’s easy to find – Ne6, covers all possible squares for dark square bishop, wherever it goes, just take it in second move. Black can reply with only one legal move – Ba2 – walking straight into a checkmate – Nxc2#
1.Ne6 Bh6-
2.NxB Ba2
3.Nxc2
Easy, but fun!
Herr Zugzwang is your friend.
Hello
1.Ne6,Bf8,g7,f4 or g5
2.NxB,Ba7
3.Nc7#
1.Ne6 – Any black bishop move 2.NxB – Ba2 only move!!! 3.N7229984529xc2#
When I saw the problem I was in wilderness.Slowly I realised that if black were forced to move Bishop to a2,Nxc2# can be executed.But what about black square bishop which is free to move and not allow zwugzwang? Then came immediately the solution.
1.Ne6! Bf8 or any other square
2.NxB Ba2
3.Nxc2#
At first this looked totally bewitched, until I suddenly spotted a move that could actually bring black into zugzwang! When I had seen it, it looked childish simple:
1. Ne6!!
Nice. Wherever black now moves his Bh6, it’s taken.
1. … Bf8/Bg7/Bg5/Bf4 (Ba2 Nxc2#)
2. NxB Ba2 (ZZ)
3. Nxc2#
Dear Susan,
Since you played so many games in your life, olympiads on first board (never lost, wow!), WC, tournaments, etc. you must know like…a trillions of chess Brain teasers.
Yet, regularly you ‘spoil’ us with B-teasers which we solve in 5 seconds, BECAUSE WE ALREADY SOLVED THEM.
Again, wooooow!….
But, i have to admit, i like your site. 😉
1. Ne6!!!
Now Black is in zugzwang and can move only his bishops!
A. If 1…..Black dark bishop moves anywhere Bg7/f8/g5/f4 then 2. N6xB…Ba2 forced 3. Nxf2#
B. If 1…..Ba2 2. Nxc2#
Hence mate in 3!
Harry
1. Ne6! catches the black bishop
After that the other bishop must move to a2 and Nc2 makes mate.
E.g.
1. Ne6! Bg5
2. Nxg5 Ba2
3. Nc2#
But if this was made by the real Sam Loyd 1792 must be wrong 😉