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Qg7, mate in three.Kf5++,Kh6
1. Qg7+ Kxg7
2. Nf5+ Kg8
3. Nh6#
8 seconds
Qg7+ Kxg7
Nf5 dbl Kg8
Nh6#
Alean and KG have, of course, the solution, but I will add it is important to see that all the alternatives here lose for white. Visually, one might be happy winning the queen for a bishop with Nb5 opening a mate threat of Qg7, but black has the resource of Qxh2+ forcing white to exchange queens to win a bishop- but white is already down a rook so is then still down an exchange and now a pawn.
Puzzle for Alena:
I don’t know if this is your idea of difficult, but this is the most difficult Mate in 3 puzzle I have ever seen anywhere. I eventually solved it after over 2 hours of work the first time I saw it here 7 years ago. To check my solution, I actually put it into an online Rybka program and it couldn’t find the solution after an hour of calculation, but verified my solution instantly after I put in the first move:
8/5N2/2k5/4p3/1B6/K2Q4/8/8 w – – 0 1 Sam Loyd
At first I have found mate in 4. Then I managed to find mate in 3.
1. Qh7! Kb5
2. Nd6+ Ka6
3. Qb7#
or
1. Qh7! Kb7
2. Nd6+ Kb8
3. Qb7#
And how many variations after 1.Qh7 did you find?
I left you another problem in the next thread.
I have found a lot of variations. I considered all the king’s moves and the pawn I just didn’t write them all.
I counted seven variation.
Two more puzzles for Alena- find the shortest mates in both. Neither was quite as difficult for me as the first Loyd puzzle above, but are challenges none the less:
b1B5/1r2p3/kp2P2p/1N2p1pP/1P2Q1P1/P7/3K4/8 w – – 0 1 unsure of the author.
8/8/8/7R/3k4/8/1N1K4/3B4 w – – 0 1 Sam Loyd 1858
1. Nd3 Ke4
2. Kc3 Ke3
3. Re5#
And the mirror image if black plays 1. …..Kc4.
Of the three puzzles, this one is the easiest.
1. Nd3 Kc4
2. Ke3 Kc3
3. Rc5#
At first I saw only mate in 8, but I thought more and saw mate in 3.
1. Kc3 Kxb5
2. Qc4+ Ka4
3. Qa6#
Yes. Have you solved the first puzzle yet?
Yes, I have.