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#3 #3

05-05-2010 , 12:25 AM
Thought I'd post a problem after trying the #4 from bigpooch.




White to play and mate in 3. How long did it take you to find?
#3 Quote
05-05-2010 , 02:17 AM
Spoiler:
qf3 Nc4 Qc1+ b2 Rh3+ Ne4 Qxb2# but thats 4 moves so i guess i fail
#3 Quote
05-05-2010 , 04:26 AM
I looked at this for almost an hour but don't see it. There may be a "hole" in my reasoning below:

Black is going to play ...Nc4-d2 ( where it's check! ) and capturing on c4 doesn't lead to a mate in 1 ( Black plays ...Ra5/a8 ) and capturing on d2 is not a mate so therefore, after 2...Nd2, White needs to play 3. -- # ! There could be a King move, but how does the White queen deliver mate?

At the very least, there is a mate in four: 1. Qd3 with the idea of 2. Rh2 and eventually Ra2#: e.g., 1...Nc4 2. Rh2 Nd2+ 3. Rxd2.

I also don't get why there is a pawn on e7 and how it contributes to the problem. Is the White king really on b1 or is there a "cook"?
#3 Quote
05-05-2010 , 04:38 AM
with a rook on the d-file nc4 could be met by qxb3+ and rd3 mate. that is a long shot in 3 moves tho

edit: oh it is the key, stupid me. lunch helped clearly. this took somewhere between 5-10 mins
Spoiler:
1.rd6 followed by rd2/qxb3+/qh8

Last edited by smilingbill; 05-05-2010 at 05:01 AM.
#3 Quote
05-05-2010 , 05:53 AM
5 minutes. Once you see that black`s plan is N-c4-d2+ there`s only one way to stop it
#3 Quote
05-05-2010 , 08:10 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Falbrav
5 minutes. Once you see that black`s plan is N-c4-d2+ there`s only one way to stop it
Yes, it's clear now:
Spoiler:
"Obviously" 1. Rd6! ( with the idea of 2. Rd2 and 3. Ra2#: now 1...Nc4 2. Qxb3+ and 1...ed6 2. Qh8
It shouldn't have taken an hour to see that!

I didn't look at the other posts until finding it; smilingbill hit upon the solution quickly too
#3 Quote
05-05-2010 , 08:45 AM
20 minutes.
#3 Quote
05-05-2010 , 01:58 PM
I found the key and main line in about 1 minute, maybe another minute to figure out the other variations. I feel so smart

otoh I gave up on the other one after more than 20 minutes and didn't really feel I was anywhere close to solving it.
#3 Quote
05-06-2010 , 03:48 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hackdeath
Thought I'd post a problem after trying the #4 from bigpooch.




White to play and mate in 3. How long did it take you to find?
I think mate in 3 is impossible unless black plays like this 1. Qe3 Nc4 2. Qc1+ Nb2 3. Qxb2#

black (imo) is more likely to 2. Qc1+ b2 3. Qxc4 b3 4. Qc5+ Rb4 5. Ra6# resulting in mate in 5

I don't understand how black can even get from Nc4 to Nd2+ seeing as how black is in check before he can move Nd2 and his only two available moves are Nb2 or b2, if he does b2 we take his knight and if he does Nb2 we just capture the knight and he is in checkmate.

go easy on me if the above sounds like i'm babbling nonsense, i'm very new.


Quote:
Originally Posted by RoundTower
I found the key and main line in about 1 minute, maybe another minute to figure out the other variations. I feel so smart
what does key/mainline mean?
#3 Quote
05-06-2010 , 04:43 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by fear
what does key/mainline mean?
key to solving this is solving exactly the problem you were struggling with, e.g. how to stop nc4-nd2+
#3 Quote
05-06-2010 , 08:36 AM
"key" in problem solving means the first move

the main line is the most thematic one, in this case I meant what happens after Black plays 1...Nc4
#3 Quote
05-06-2010 , 09:49 PM
2 minutes. Polgar's book full of mate in 2s & 3s helps. Sometimes they come to me quickly and other times I really have rack my brain.

Spoiler:
The queen getting to a1 is the key so the rook has to move out of the way. First thought is to block the pawn. Second thought is the d-file only place knight can't block check Qxb3.
#3 Quote

      
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