White to move and mate in 3.
Sam Lloyd
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Monday brain teaser
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White to move and mate in 3.
Sam Lloyd
I got this one pretty quickly, but was probably a bit lucky in finding the exact right second move in a variation. I basically had two ideas right from the start- find a way to make use of the e-pawn queening combined with the bishop cover of d6, one knight’s cover of d5, and the other knight’s cover of f6 to mate the black king on e6; and if the king could be cut off from the g-file, he couldn’t return to e8 blocking this pawn due to the other idea- of Nf6 mate if f7 could be cut off. So, the first thing I looked at was Rb8+ though I knew this would be very unlikely to be the first move from chess composer like Loyd, but demonstrated that taking the g-file from the king was critical:
1. Rb8 Kf7 (Kd7 2.e8Q Kc7 3.Qc8#)
2. e8Q Kg8 and the mate is two more moves, so Rb8 was clearly wrong. So this basicically left Nh6 taking the f7 square away, or Rg4, but Nh6 was clearly not going to work:
1. Nh6 Kd7
2. Rb8 Ke6 and there is no mate on the next move. So, 1.Rg4 it was:
1. Rg4 Kd7 (Kf7 met by Rg7 too!)
2. Rg7!
The hardest move to find unless you had already worked out the line after 1. …Kf7 where Rg7 is easy to find. In any case, the black king has six legal moves from here, all but Ke8 are met by e8Q#, and Ke8 is met by Nf6#. And finally, at move 1, if black tries Kf7
1. …..Kf7
2. Rg7 Ke8 (Ke6 3.e8Q#)
3. Nf6#
The really neat thing about this problem is that every single white man plays a role, even the king way over there on the a5 square who covers the b6 square. Amazing.
Rb8 Followed by pawn promotion to Q, which is either mate or leads to Qc8 mate
The problem with 1. Rb8+ is that the black king will leave e8 via f7 threatening the white knight, and then it is mate in four.
You have to search for a way to avoid that. May be the rook still is the right piece to move, but in another direction. 🙂
The problem with 1 Rb8+ is that the king will escape via f7 threatening the Ng8, and then it’s mate in four. You will have to avoid that threat.
May be the rook still is the right piece to move, but in another direction. From g7 the rook will succeed.
The problem with 1 Rb8+ is that the king will escape via f7 threatening the Ng8, and then it’s mate in four. You will have to avoid that threat.
May be the rook still is the right piece to move, but in another direction. From g7 the rook will succeed.
1. Rg4
1. … Kf7 2. Rg7+ Ke6 [2. …Ke8 3. Nf6#] 3. e8=Q#
1. .. Kd7 2. Rg7 Kc6/c7/c8/d6/e6 [2. .. Ke8 3. Nf6# ] 3. e8=Q#
1.Nf6+ Kf7 2.Rg5 Ke6 3.e8=Q#
What’s wrong with Rf4, followed by Kb6 and e8/Q?
White :Nh6, Rb6 wherever King goes its mate after pawn e8 Queening
pretty tough one. i think, it´s
1. Rg4 Kf7
2. Rg7+ Ke8 (Ke6, 3. e8Q#)
3. Nf6#
1. … Kd7
2. Rg7 Kc6/c7/d6 (Ke8, 3. Nf6#)
3. e8Q#
greets, jan
1.Rg4!! a beautiful “strategic” move
I)1….Kf7 2.Rg7+ a)2…Ke8 3.Nf6 mate or b)2…Ke6 3.e8/Q+ mate
II)1…Kd7 2.Rg7!!!!!
c)2…Ke8/Ke6 are the same
d)2…Kd6 3.e8/Q mate
e)2…Kc6 3.e8/Q mate
f)2…Kc7 3.e8/Q mate
g)2….Kc8 3.e8/Q mate
This was toughest for me.Not one but two knights. In the given position if B and 2 N’s do not move when black K comes to e6 or d6, e8=Q#.Concerns are what to do if K goes to f7 attacking N?or comes to d7 threatening to escape to b7 or b8? My first try was 1Re4 to promote pawn on 2nd move itself.but 1…kf7 attacks N at g8.another try
1Rf4 Ke7 2Kb6 Kd6 or e6 3e8=Q# is o.k.but2….Ke8 3Nf6+ Kf7 escapes.
Finally I found
1Rg4 Now
(a) 1…. Kf7
2Rg7+ Ke8 (2… Ke6 3e8=Q#)
(b) 1…. Kd7
2Rg7 Ke8(any other move 3e8=Q#)
3Nf6#
Few notes on how to ‘feel’ it:
Don’t try hard elusive positions.
With only 2 black moves in mind put a queen on e8 and notice the 2 escape routes for the king via g6 and c7. Cut the g6 first because c7 is easier /7th row/. Make sure you have a ‘locking’ move in case black return back to e8. Always compile the reasons back into a position ‘feel’/ intuition /
Best regards !
Full references
Loyd, Samuel
Fitzgerald ́s City Item, 28th Apr 1860
And not Lloyd, even though I loved Charles Lloyd quartet and his work with the late and lamented Michel Petrucciani.