White to move and checkmate in 3.
8/8/5B1N/3B4/3p1k2/7K/3P4/8 w – – 0 1
Another Lloyd classic
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1.Bh1 d3
2.Kg2 Ke4
3.Kg3# ..obviously read the caption ‘Checkmate in 3’ clearly this time. lol
Note: Any move other than Bh1 would render more than the 3 moves to mate black, like..
1.Bg2 d3
2.Bg7 Kg5
3.Be4 Kf4
4.Bxd3 Kg5
5.Ng4 Kf4
6.Bd4 Kf3
7.Bc5 Kf4
8.Be3+ Kf3
9.Nh2#
Cool one – sounds simple but so very tricky to find the first move.
1. Bh1 d3
2. Kg2 Ke4
3. Kg3#
Well, at least I don’t think Susan has posted this one before (I did a search of her site). However, I have certainly seen this one before, too. The solution simply occurred to me too readily for it be otherwise.
The black king is trapped on single square. Ideally, white wants to make him use up the d3 move, give him a square to move to on move 2 without opening a big hole for him to escape through, and then reclose that escape with check and take away the original square at the same time. This greatly narrows what you are looking for- it almost can be nothing else but a discovered checkmate with either the king or knight, so this immediately suggested
1. Bh1 d3 (only move)
2. Kg2!! Ke4 (only legal move)
3. Kg3#
Quite pretty.
1. Bh1 d3
2. Kg2 Ke4
3. Kg3 mate.
Is it really possible?
1 Bh1 d3
2 Kg2 Ke4
3 Kg3#
The trouble for white is if he relaxes control over some squares( like e5,f5,g5 and h5)black K will attack one piece or the other and will find his way out.Black has one valid move in the given position d3.Can we force black to play d3 and will it achieve our object? i took a long time(shame on me).
1Bh1 d3
2Kg2 block your own piece to give black K freedom.
2…. Ke4
3Kg3#
very difficult
To Anon “Aug 20 12:38”:
yes, 3! is actually 3x2x1=6
🙂
Ok, the solution:
1. Bh1 and then 2. Kg2.
Nice problem, typical Sam Lloyd.
It is not difficult.
The black king has no free squares.
1. Bh1 (Why Bh1? Because it is the only move that prevents the Stalemate).
1. Bh1 d3
2. Kg2! Ke4
3. Kg3#
Best regards
Stef
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,very nice puzzle.White wins the game { But in 4 moves ) – Variations exist.
Example
=======
1.B*d4 Kg5
2.Be4 K*Nh6
3.Be3+ Kh5
4.Bf3++ Mate
As of now,this is the least possible combination,I could come up with for checkmate.
I will think about this puzzle later on,for 3 moves mate.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,my second post to this puzzle – first post is just for relaxation,it has no real strength in it.
White wins the game but still in 7 moves.( Still not in 3 )
Example
=======
1.B*d4 Kg5
2.Nf7+ Kg6
3.Kg4 Kh7
4.Ng5+ Kh6
5.d3 Kg6
6.Be4+ Kh6
7.Nf7++ Mate.
White wins the game, I will work it out later for 3 moves mate. [ Good Puzzle,there must be a way,if its a fact that mate happens in three moves.]
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
1Bh1 d3 2 Kg2 ke4 3 Kg3 Mate
Thanks Susan for brain exercise.
I took a long time to solve the problem with the effect that I do not know whether I already have posted the solution.
1Bh1 It is difficult to touch other B or N without losing control of squares adversely.
1…. d3
2Kg2 allows black K moving space.
2…. Ke4
3Kg3+
As a clue, if Susan will publish it, there are ways to give the black king a square to move to without moving a piece just to break it’s coverage of that square.
This is a tough puzzle, but I had seen the solution years ago, I believe, and remembered just enough to be able to work it out.
1. Bh1 d3(only move by black)
2. Kg2 Ke4 (again, black’s only move)
3. Kg3 ++
Fred (Philippines)
1. Bh1 d3(only move by black)
2. Kg2 Ke4 (again, black’s only move)
3. Kg3 ++
Oops!
As suspected I have posted the solution twice. the beauty of the problem is out of 3 moves two are by K and the mate occurs by K move.
@Venky: It’s called the Indian theme
@Susan Polgar
1) It is Samuel Loyd and not (NOT) Lloyd. Cf Chess notes 1695 by Winter to read this:
“The magazine Gens una sumus, edited by Dimitrije Bjelica, first appeared after the 1986 Dubai Olympiad. Issue 2-3 is dated July 1987. The two issues contain a spectacular historical article by D.B. entitled ‘Kings of Chess’ in which the reader is introduced to such greats of the golden era as Blackbern, Dikon, Mongredijen, Grin, Anderson, Berd (Henri Eduard), Blackburn, Zuckertot, Vinaver, Mekenzy, Golmaj, Martines, Bahman, Janevski, Sesil de Vara, Andersen, Kolis, Levental, Harvik, Tarash, Pilsbery, Lloyd, Zueckertot, Charusek, Frenk Marshal, Byrne, Gunsburg, Mizes, Minoti, Li, Kiesericky, Cukertot, Mesona, Marocia, Marozi.
There is less fantasy with the modern masters, although the first issue does have an article by ‘Pol Banko, Granmster (USA)’.”
The ghosts of Adolf Anderssen, Ludwig Ernst August Bachmann, Joseph Henry Blackburne, Amos Burn, Rudolf Rezso Charousek, Frederic Deacon, Valentine Green, Frank James Marshall, Celso Golmayo Zupide, Isidor Gunsberg, Daniel Harrwitz, David Janowski, Lionel Adalbert Bagration Felix Kieseritsky, Ignatz Von Kolisch, Johann Jacob Loewenthal, Francis Joseph Lee, Sam Loyd, Geza Maroczy, Dion M Martinez, George Henry Mackenzie, James Mason, Nickolas Miniati, Jacques Mieses, Augustus Mongredien, Harry Nelson Pillsbury, Cecil Valentine De Vere, Siegbert Tarrasch, Simon Winawer, Johannes Zukertort will all be pleased if somebody won’t distort their names.
2) The source of this problem is
Samuel Loyd, Saturday Courier, 1856
What are yours to constantly misspell Samuel Loyd’s name?