Puzzle of the week #49

Submitted by oldadmin on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 22:03

Mate in 3

Level
3-Bishop
Chess Diagram
[Event "Puzzle #49"][Date "2008.12.11"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "k7/8/8/4P3/8/p7/6PQ/R3K3 w Q - 0 1"]
Vladimir Nabokov is the author of "Poems and Problems". It is a book full of interesting puzzles, with an appearance of being easy while being rather challenging when you work on their solutions. This week's miniature was composed by Vladimir in Montreux, Switzerland, on March 1, 1965. White has an overwhelming advantage and the only true challenge here is to mate as soon as possible. Question:
White to move and mate in 3.
Total available points for this puzzle is 15. The answers will be published next week together with puzzle #50.

Puzzle #48 solution:
Darren wrote the best answer this time:
At first, White's situation seems dire. He is a Knight and two pawns down, and the potential mating squares f6, f8, h7, g7, and e8 are all well covered. Most sacrifices fail, for example 1. Qxf8+? Bxf8 2. Rxe8 Rf7 and Black can avoid zugzwang. The one sacrifice that does work is (see solution)
There were 2 other possible moves #2 for White leading to mate in 4. Those who could find one or the other got 2 extra points. Four managed to find one of them.
[Event "Puzzle #48"][Date "2008.12.05"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "4nr1k/2qr3p/pp1b1p1Q/2p5/6R1/P7/1PB1RP2/5K2 w - - 0 1"]1.Re7!! {Blocking Black's Rook and Bishop from their duties at h7 and f8. Both captures block either the Rook or the Bishop, so Black's only defence is} 1...Rf7 (1...Bxe7 2.Qxh7#) (1...Rxe7 2.Qxf8#) 2.Rxe8+ ({The second solution:} 2.Qxh7+ Rxh7 3.Rxe8+ Bf8 4.Rxf8#) ({The third solution:} 2.Bxh7 Ng7 3.Rxg7 Rxg7 4.Qxg7#) 2...Bf8 3.Rxf8+ Rxf8 4.Qxf8#

Correct solutions:
John, Joshua, Mark and Darren - 8+2 points
Wilson, Karl and Jeremy - 8 points
James, Jacky and Nathaniel - 1 point

Standings:
Joshua - 125 points
John - 119 points
Jeremy - 118 points
Andy Q - 106 points
Mark - 101 points
Joanne - 95 points
Jacky - 72 points
Wilson - 71 points
Karl - 68 points
Nathaniel - 65 points
Katerina - 53 points
Darren - 51 point
James - 46 points