White to move and mate in 3 moves!
Provided by Anna Zatonskih.
GM Vachier-Lagrave solved it in 1 minute.
- About Us
- Chess Improvement
- Chess Puzzles
- Chess Research
- College Chess
- General News
- Home
- Major Tournaments
- News
- Polgar Events
- Privacy Policy
- Scholastic Chess
- SPICE / Webster
- Susan’s Personal Blog
- Track your order
- USA Chess
- Videos
- Women’s Chess
- Contact Us
- Daily News
- My Account
- Terms & Conditions
- Privacy Policy
One of the best short mate puzzles ever posted here. According to my notes posted about this time 3 year ago. A surprising first move, a hard to spot second move. A true brain teaser.
1. Kf6 Na5 2. Rd3+ Nxc6 3. f3X
No. 1. Kf6 is not right. 1.—b5 pins the bishop. I suggest 1. Rg4 b5 (or Nd6 or e1Q) 2. Rxf4+ Kxf4 3. Rf5X (Double checkmate)
1. Rg4 Nd6 2. Rxf4 Kxf4 3.Rf5+ is no duble check – therefore 3. … Nxf5
Yes you fajac are right. I missed it. Finally I found the right first move. 1. Rf1!! (Believe or not). But I let you others find the variations of that move.
59 seconds – faster tan V-L!!
! Rg4 Nd6
2 Rf4 Kf4
3 Rf5
It is amazing indeed. I’m not as smart as MVL or GM wannabe :-))) so it took me
more than 30 minutes to break this. After checking such moves as Rb1 and
Nf3 and Nf5 it became clear that f3-f2 is the most challenging escape for the
BK, so I came to Rg2 and then 1. Rf1! (with such threats as f3+ and Ng2#) since
when pawn e2 disappears, f2 square can be attacked with Rd2. So
1. Rf1! exf1Q 2. Nf3! (with a deadly threat Re5# or Rg5#) 2… Kxf3 3. Rd2#
1. Rf1 f4 2. Rg1 (back!) and 3. Rg4#
Who composed this masterpiece?
What happens after
1. Rf1 Qd3?
2. f3 Qxf3 no mate in 3
Well, it becomes a mate in 2 since there is 2.cxd3.
Walter Grimshaw in 1852.