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White to play and mate in 3

White to play and mate in 3

Only Chess

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White mates in 3

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Wurzburg, Bristol 😛

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is that secret code speak for I`m trying to solve it?

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R to Kn's 1

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Originally posted by National Master Dale
is that secret code speak for I`m trying to solve it?
Indeed it is.

Wurzburg was the name of the whaling ship that left Bristol
on the 24th May 1836.

It ran into a storm and sunk. 17 of the crew managed to climb into
the life boat but after 27 days adrift they started to eat each other.

When the boat was found 56 days later one person was left alive.
Henry P.J. Clapperworth. He had ran out of shipmates to eat so
started to eat himself. He had just cut of his left foot to eat when
he was rescued.

Henry P.J.Clapperworth devoted the rest of his life to composing
mate in three chess problems. This is not one of them.

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Originally posted by greenpawn34
[b]Wurzburg was the name of the whaling ship that left Bristol
on the 24th May 1836.[/b]
Yes, that is the famous story I was referring to.

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Did anyone solve this mystery yet

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I think Heinzkat may have solved it

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1.Rb1 Kg7 2.Qb7+ K any 3. h8 Q++

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Exuma that`s partially correct only since 2K-any doesn`t always allow h8/Q++
But the key first move is correct.

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And it was composed by... Ado Kraemer, Deutsche Schachzeitung 1936.

(shame on me it was not Wurzburg)

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Ado Kraemer was also on the Wurzburg's lifeboat but jumped
overboard before he could be eaten.

He swam to Peru, married a girl called Carla Mendosa and spent his
spare time composing chess problems. This is one of them.

The Captain of that stricken vessel was a chess player called Evans.

One day whilst looking at the position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5




A sudden wave hit the ship and the b-pawn slip up to b4.




"That is interesting." thought Evans.

He showed the position to his 1st mate. One Horatio Nelson.

Nelson said.

"If that works you pull off my right arm and poke my eye out."

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Originally posted by National Master Dale
Exuma that`s partially correct only since 2K-any doesn`t always allow h8/Q++
But the key first move is correct.
If 2. ... Kh8, then 3. Qb2#

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Originally posted by Kristaps
[hidden]If 2. ... Kh8, then 3. Qb2#[/hidden]
Ah - yes, I did miss that. Give us another then.

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And for completeness sake you ought to post the solution to 2...kf6 trying for the e6 square.