White to move and checkmate in 3.
4n3/K7/N2B4/pk1bP3/3R4/1P1P4/8/8 w – – 0 1
Anonymous composition
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Checkmate in 3
About Author
White to move and checkmate in 3.
4n3/K7/N2B4/pk1bP3/3R4/1P1P4/8/8 w – – 0 1
Anonymous composition
rc4 han
1. Rc4 Threatens 2. Rc5#.
There is only one defence to that.
1. … Bxc4
2. dxc4+ Kc6
3. Nb8#
Lucymarie
It seems that only way to prevent escape via c6 is a surprising rook sack, threating mate next if not taken, and placing pawn on c4 is immensely strong:
1. Rc4! Bxc4 (otherwise Rc5#, also after Nxd6)
2. dxc4+ Kc6 (only move)
3. Nb8#
RC4
1. Rc4, BXc4 (not taking the rook loses immediately to Rc5#) 2. dXc4+, Kc6 3. Nb8#
1.Rc4! Bxc4
Otherwise 2.Rc5 is mate
2.bxc4+ Kc6
3.Nb8 mate
1. Rc4 Bxc4
White was threatening 2Rc5#
2. dxc4+ Kc6
3. Nb8#
1. Rc4 (threatening 2. Rc5++) Bc4: 2. dc4:+ Kc6 3. Nb8++
This one was pretty good. I ended up looking at a lot of different beginnings before stumbling onto the solution. After various tries of moving pawns, the king, and the pieces, I finally happened upon Rb4. While this move fails after the capture at b4, I did note that Kc6 is mate after Nb8, even if white no longer had a rook. This immediately suggested giving up the rook elsewhere:
1. Rc4!
Threatens Rc5#, a square on which the rook is double protected by the minor pieces. In addition, the escape hatch at b4 is double covered by the same pieces. Since black has no way to cover c5, then the rook must be captured:
1. …..Bc4
2. dc4
Of course, bc4 opens the a4 square for the black king, so that move is immediately discarded:
2. …..Kc6
3. Nb8#
Source:
American Chessnuts, 1868.