checkmate in 3

Originally posted by Phlabibit
That's the one I found. I'm confused because the person posting this puzzle is rated 2000+.

It's Mate in TWO!~

Well I'm not sure what is going on here yet, but if white doesn't check on the first move so as to allow a mate in three then he has a problem dealing with 1...Rg8+.
I wondered about 1.Rxg6 but Nxg6 seems to force the mate in two...

Grrrr

I'm only a patzer, but it IS a mate in 2. No en passant or castling tricks available, and the board can't be turned around (both kings would be in check). I can't imagine what the trick is, unless it's a play on words or we're using some obscure, obsolete chess rules. (Are we playing Mephisto2 chess variant?)

Maybe a pawn is actually another piece, but it's hiding behind a cardboard cutout. 😕

Well, it IS mate in 3 half-moves. 😛

Originally posted by Mad Rook
Well, it IS mate in 3 half-moves. 😛

Perhaps he was playing chess in room 3 of a hotel?

Originally posted by Mephisto2
I don't know if this one has been posted before. White to play and checkmate black in three (3) moves.


[fen]1b1K3n/2pppprp/1p4p1/1p6/b1P2B2/RP2P1R1/r1PPQPPP/NB5k w - - 0 0[/fen]

Reveal Hidden Content

The last 50 moves are something like this:

Retract 0... Kg1-h1 -1. Kc8-d8 Ba7-b8 -2. Kb7-c8 Rg8-g7 -3. Qh5-e2 Ra8-g8 -4. Qd5-h5
Bb8-a7 -5. Kc8-b7 Rb2-a2 -6. Ba2-b1 Rb1-b2 -7. Kd8-c8 Rf1-b1 -8. Bb1-a2
Ra7-a8 -9. Ra2-a3 Ra8-a7 -10. Rb2-a2 Ra7-a8 -11. Ba2-b1 Ra8-a7 -12. Rb1-b2
Ra7-a8 -13. Re1-b1 Ra8-a7 -14. Re2-e1 Rb1-f1 -15. Ke8-d8 Rb2-b1 -16. Bb1-a2
Ra2-b2 -17. Kf8-e8 Ra3-a2 -18. Kg7-f8 Ra7-a8 -19. Kh6-g7 Ra8-a7 -20. Kg5-h6
Ra7-a8 -21. Bd6-f4 Ra8-a7 -22. Kf4-g5 Ra7-a8 -23. Ke4-f4 Ra8-a7 -24. Kd4-e4
Ra7-a8 -25. Kc3-d4 Ra8-a7 -26. Kb2-c3 Ra7-a8 -27. Kc1-b2 Ra8-a7 -28. Kd1-c1
Ra7-a8 -29. Ke1-d1 Kh1-g1 -30. Kf1-e1 Ra8-a7 -31. Re1-e2 Ra7-a8 -32. Ba2-b1
Ra8-a7 -33. Rb1-e1 Ra7-a8 -34. Rb2-b1 Ra8-a7 -35. Ke2-f1 Kg1-h1 -36. Kf3-e2
Kf1-g1 -37. Ke4-f3 Ke2-f1 -38. Rb1-b2 Ra7-a8 -39. Rh1-b1 Ra8-a7 -40. Bb1-a2
Ra2-a3 -41. Qg5-d5 Rb2-a2 -42. Ba2-b1 Rb1-b2 -43. Bf4-d6 Rg1-b1 -44. Qh4-g5
Kd1-e2 -45. Qg5-h4 Kc1-d1 -46. Qg4-g5 Kb2-c1 -47. Qg5-g4 Ka3-b2 -48. Qg4-g5
Kb4-a3 -49. Qh4-g4 Kc5-b4 -50. c3-c4



It has been 49.5 moves since the last pawn move or capture. If white plays 1.Qf1+, the game is drawn by the 50 move rule! Instead, he must force mate starting with a pawn move or capture.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
[hidden]stuff[/hidden]

The last 50 moves are something like this:

Retract 0... Kg1-h1 -1. Kc8-d8 Ba7-b8 -2. Kb7-c8 Rg8-g7 -3. Qh5-e2 Ra8-g8 -4. Qd5-h5
Bb8-a7 -5. Kc8-b7 Rb2-a2 -6. Ba2-b1 Rb1-b2 -7. Kd8-c8 Rf1-b1 -8. Bb1-a2
Ra7-a8 -9. Ra2-a3 Ra8-a7 -10. Rb2-a2 Ra7-a8 -11. Ba2-b1 Ra8-a7 -12. Rb1-b2
Ra7-a8 -13. Re1-b1 Ra8 is drawn by the 50 move rule! Instead, he must force mate starting with a pawn move or capture.

Edit: D'oh, I trapped the Ba2 in the SW corner.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
[fen]rb5n/2pppp1p/1p4p1/1pk5/b3KB1Q/1PP1P1R1/B1PP1PPP/N5rR[/fen]

Edit: D'oh, I trapped the Ba2 in the SW corner.

FIX'D

Retract: 0... Ba7-b8 -1. Kc8-d8 Kg1-h1 -2. Kb7-c8 Rg8-g7 -3. Qh5-e2 Ra8-g8 -4. Kc8-b7
Bb8-a7 -5. Kd8-c8 Rb2-a2 -6. Ba2-b1 Rb1-b2 -7. Ke8-d8 Rf1-b1 -8. Bb1-a2
Ra7-a8 -9. Ra2-a3 Ra8-a7 -10. Rb2-a2 Ra7-a8 -11. Ba2-b1 Ra8-a7 -12. Rb1-b2
Ra7-a8 -13. Re1-b1 Ra8-a7 -14. Re2-e1 Rb1-f1 -15. Kf8-e8 Rb2-b1 -16. Bb1-a2
Ra2-b2 -17. Kg7-f8 Ra3-a2 -18. Kh6-g7 Ra7-a8 -19. Kg5-h6 Ra8-a7 -20. Bd6-f4
Ra7-a8 -21. Kf4-g5 Ra8-a7 -22. Ke4-f4 Ra7-a8 -23. Kd3-e4 Ra8-a7 -24. Kc3-d3
Ra7-a8 -25. Kb2-c3 Ra8-a7 -26. Kc1-b2 Ra7-a8 -27. Kd1-c1 Ra8-a7 -28. Ke1-d1
Kh1-g1 -29. Kf1-e1 Ra7-a8 -30. Re1-e2 Ra8-a7 -31. Ba2-b1 Ra7-a8 -32. Rb1-e1
Ra8-a7 -33. Rb2-b1 Ra7-a8 -34. Ke2-f1 Kg1-h1 -35. Kf3-e2 Kf1-g1 -36. Kg4-f3
Ke2-f1 -37. Rb1-b2 Ra8-a7 -38. Rh1-b1 Ra7-a8 -39. Bb1-a2 Ra2-a3 -40. Qh3-h5
Rb2-a2 -41. Ba2-b1 Rb1-b2 -42. Qh4-h3 Rf1-b1 -43. Qh3-h4 Kd1-e2 -44. Qh4-h3
Kc1-d1 -45. Qh3-h4 Kb2-c1 -46. Qh4-h3 Ka3-b2 -47. Be5-d6 Kb4-a3 -48. Bb2-e5
Rb1-f1 -49. Bc1-b2 Kc5-b4 -50. b2-b3

ah, smokescreen.

mephisto has left the building...

Originally posted by SwissGambit
FIX'D

Retract: 0... Ba7-b8 -1. Kc8-d8 Kg1-h1 -2. Kb7-c8 Rg8-g7 -3. Qh5-e2 Ra8-g8 -4. Kc8-b7
Bb8-a7 -5. Kd8-c8 Rb2-a2 -6. Ba2-b1 Rb1-b2 -7. Ke8-d8 Rf1-b1 -8. Bb1-a2
Ra7-a8 -9. Ra2-a3 Ra8-a7 -10. Rb2-a2 Ra7-a8 -11. Ba2-b1 Ra8-a7 -12. Rb1-b2
Ra7-a8 -13. Re1-b1 Ra8-a7 -14. Re2-e1 Rb1-f1 -15. Kf8-e8 Rb2-b1 -16. Bb1-a2
Ra2-b2 -17. Kg7-f8 Ra3-a2 -18. ...[text shortened]... -b2 Kc5-b4 [b]-50. b2-b3

[fen]1b5n/r1pppp1p/1p4p1/1pk5/b1P3KQ/4P1R1/BPPP1PPP/NrB4R[/fen][/b]

I hereby officially boycott any problems presented by SwissGambit or Mephisto2. 😛

Cancel that.....

A good one.

When presented with a problem of this nature the obvious try is the trap.

If you are told the obvious answer is not the solution then you have
to think outside the box and look for castle, ep's, boards round the wrong way, etc.

The solution is now known and SG can prove it has been 49 moves since
the last capture or pawn push.
Going for Mate in two would envoke the 50 move rule.

If you want to have some fun with your buddies, show them this.


Black to play drew this. How?

They will try 1...Qxf3 and if 2. QxQ Stalemate but explain that definetly losses.
Show them 2.Qa3+

When they give up explain Black plays 1...Qb3 stopping both pawns
from moving. White's next move is move 50 without a pawn or capture
being made.......Black claimed the draw......Then run.

Originally posted by Mad Rook
I hereby officially boycott any problems presented by SwissGambit or Mephisto2. 😛

😕

"Thanks for solving that for us, SG. You could have left us hanging, wondering what the solution was, cursing the name of Mephisto2, making post after post insisting it was a mate in 2."

"You're welcome."

Originally posted by SwissGambit
😕

"Thanks for solving that for us, SG. You could have left us hanging, wondering what the solution was, cursing the name of Mephisto2, making post after post insisting it was a mate in 2."

"You're welcome."

Ah, OK, thanks for the solution. I'll take your word for it though, as I don't have the energy to walk through 49.5 moves in reverse order. (I'm not a huge fan of "recreate the entire game" problems, as you probably noticed. Just not my cup of tea.)

No, I do not understand.

Unless I'm the daftest of us, others wont also.

Please explain.

Originally posted by hedonist
No, I do not understand.

Unless I'm the daftest of us, others wont also.

Please explain.

Do you know the 50-move rule?

The game is drawn if 50 moves are played without the capture of any piece or the movement of any pawn.

In this position, White is about to play the 50th move without a capture or pawn move. If he does so, the game will be drawn. That's why the mate in 2 doesn't work. 1.Qf1+?? is a draw by the 50-move rule. On the other hand, 1.Rxg6!! captures something and thus stops the 50-move count. It also mates in two more moves, thus satisfying the Mate in 3 stipulation.