INFURIATING mate in 3!

Chess puzzle

Infuriating Mate in 3

Lyrics:
Can you see the mate in 3? before punching a hole in the wall?
The pawns go these ways.

This is one of the most infuriating puzzles i have come across, which of course makes the solution very satisfying! It looks so simple, but it’s really not!

The key to solving it, is to deduce a couple of things, first, if black can wriggle his king away from his fairly cornered position, we are not mating him in 3. This check looks tempting but actually just chases him into the open.
Next, if he moves his pawn down, and our queen has access to the a6 square, he has denied his own kings escape, and will be mated… using this, we can force him to move his king instead.
So, the queen needs to display her impressive cornering abilities and pivot all the way on the h6 square, in order that she then can access the c1 square to keep the black king penned in while also setting up a superb queen manoeuvre, no matter which square the king moves to, with a little help from our pawn, it’s Checkmate!

Chess puzzle, chess problems. candidates checkmate, with magnus carlsen and gothamchess.

Made on @chess

#chess
#chesspuzzle
#checkmate

[Greatname]

Btw, if after Qh6, black plays King to a5, then after King b3, pawn b4 is the only move and fails to Queen b6 mate. Thanks for watching!

[alithemathguy]

I wouldn’t see it and just try to ladder mate

[mikelisemilsmikelsons]

If you've solved Sam Loyd puzzles before you know the answer is always Queen to the corner or far side of the board

[MrDigitoR]

I think I have an alternative mate in 3 starting with 1. Qe6
If 1. ...b4, 2. Qa6#
If 1. ...Ka5, 2. Kb3 b4 3. Qb6#
If 1. ...Kb4, 2. Qb3 Ka5 3. Qa3#

[crazy_gamer_bruh]

I see an mate in 2, but couldn't find in 3...

[miyabera]

ur already winning this just makes it faster

[Someoneoutthere-]

GM play mate in 3 meanwhile me just promoting the pawn and doing ladder mate

[aurority]

Finally a situation that ACTUALLY might happen in a chess endgame

[ctsirkass]

Qh6. This is pretty elementary if you think that the only mate-picture there is (if black does not move his pawn) is Qa3 (with back king on a4 or a5). So, you want to be able to play Qc1 when black plays Kb4, so that you can mate on a3 next move. Also you want to control a6 in case black pushes his pawn, to play Qa6#. Only square that we can put our queen to so that it covers a6 and c1 is h6. The solution: 1.Qh6
If 1... Kb4 2.Qc1 Ka4 (or Ka5 just the same) 3.Qa3#
If 1... b4 2.Qa6#
If 1... Ka5 2.Kb3 b4 (only move) 3.Qb6#

[Dan]

Why is it so important to mate in 3? I'd just do something simpler which takes more moves. A mate is a mate.

[zanierrules]

Yeah except this whole puzzle is contingent on moving the black pieces to spaces they're not forced to go.

[snug]

The way you say "checkmate!" at the end is so satisfying.

[TomatoFryEgg]

actually moving white pawn checkmate in 2 moves
the black queen cannot go backwards
if the black pawn move, blocking the escape block for queen, white king go to column a and checkmate
if the black queen move from column a to b, as the white pawn moves, white king can go diagonally to column d . while black pawn block by his queen, which cannot block the attack from white king

[PhetaFox]

Thank you for pointing out which ways the pawns go haha

[AttractionJapan]

Qd6 works too right. If black moves the pawn it’s Qa6 mate, if black moves the king up you move Kb3 only move for black is pawn b4 then Qb6 mate

[deemonicgod]

Mate in 2....
Move the king to the right and then the black pawn has to go ahead and then queen to the last column.

I might be wrong I'm not that good in chess

[samgreenberg]

Qe6 if (Kb4, Qb3 check forces Ka5 which is mate after Qa3) if (ka5, Qe4 forces ka6 which is mate after Qa8)

[nejmflight]

The way you express your mate is so satisfying for some reason. :P

[matejmatej]

U can also just move the pawn up one square. He will have have to move his pawn too and then queen a6 is mate

[FirstLast-jfon]

Black king has other move, he can move to a5 when the queen move to h6.