Chess Puzzle #5454

CHESS PUZZLE #5454

Added by:	hutchkool
Added on:	01-Aug-08
Description:	Two solutions. One is easy, one is harder.
Difficulty:	online chess puzzle #5454
Attempts:	1393
Solved:	1147 (82%)


Black to move, mate in 3

Comments: (10) » Last

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macheide
01-Feb-13, 05:10

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Nice puzzle. Thanks.

iamme2
01-Feb-13, 06:59

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I cant spot the "harder" solution. Am I being an idiot?

alpha16eta
01-Feb-13, 08:45

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@iamme2

I'm guessing the easy one is 3. Kc1 a1=Q# and the "harder" one is 3. Ka1 Bc3# - if there's another solution I don't see it. Not much difference in difficulty of the solutions though considering you're looking for a checkmating move at that point.

phonybenoni
01-Feb-13, 09:33

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The hard part for me was an illusion that White was stalemated.

yadasampati
01-Feb-13, 09:42

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There is just one solution

The fact that the opposing color (white in this case) can respond in more than one way, does not mean that there are more solutions. That is only the case when the starting color (black in this case) has at least one alternative move at some point.

yadasampati
01-Feb-13, 09:52

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Of course with my definition above 1. ... a3 2. Kc1 a2 3. Kd1 a1=R# could be seen as another solution in a sense, since the mate is given by a rook and not a queen. But in another sense it is the same mate, and the GK puzzle engine also does not accept it as another solution.

yadasampati
01-Feb-13, 09:58

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Of course 1. ... a3 2. Kc1 a2 3. Kd1 a1=R# can be entered as normal solution (alternative to 1. ... a3 2. Kc1 a2 3. Kd1 a1=Q#). Strangely enough only a1=Q# is the only alternative shown.

phonybenoni
01-Feb-13, 10:13

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In the GameKnot sense, "alternate solution" means the winning side has more than one way of fulfilling the conditions of the puzzle. Here's a simple example:

(Mate in 2) White can start with either 1.Ra7+ or 1.Rb7+. Black's three responses to either move would be "variations" within that solution.

Here's a more clear-cul example:

(Mate in 2) Now White can play either 1.Ng5 and 2.Nf7#, or 1.Ba2 and 2.Rxg8#. These are clearly alternate solutions.

yadasampati
01-Feb-13, 10:45

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@phonybenoni

>> In the GameKnot sense, "alternate solution" means the winning side has more than one way of fulfilling the conditions of the puzzle.

If that is so, then it is strange that a1=R# is not given or accepted as an alternative to a1=Q# in the variation i mentioned above. Technically speaking, it is a different move, so there are two ways of fulfilling the conditions of the puzzle.

fezzik
01-Feb-13, 11:36

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The difference...

When the gameknot puzzle bot checks for mates in one move, it doesn't list all the different ones that are possible. I don't really know why.

From an aesthetic point of view, the fact that both a8 (R) and a8(Q) mate in several positions here is a mark against the puzzle.

1.5 Stars difficulty
2 Stars Aesthetics

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CHESS PUZZLE #5454