3 Hardest Mate-in-3 Ever: Part 4

Yury Markushin
03.04.2015
8
Category: Problems

In today’s article we present 3 very tough mate-in-3 problems. Needless to say, how important it is to solve tactics consistently. If you’d only be allowed to pick a single training exercise to improve your game, solving tactics is no doubt one of the most effective ways to get there. Solving tactics in the correct way, will help you to improve much faster than just solving tactics. You may want to read here about what do I mean. Time to start solving. Good luck!

Problem 1: G. Hultberg, “Tidskrift for Schack”, 1963

position 1

White to move and mate in 3

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Problem 2: G. Boum, “De Waarheid”, 1968

position 2

White to move and mate in 3

Problem 3: E. Best, “Die Schwalbe”, 1966

position 3

White to move and mate in 3

Solutions will be posted soon.

Don’t forget to post your solutions.

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Updated 04.05.2023

Comments:

Piroki2003:
1. Wrong….your theory W: Nd5 B: Rf3+ Your solution falls apart. W must waste a move to capture. 2. Wrong…your theory W: Re8 B: Rb6 your solution falls apart. It guards b7 square at same time threatens check next move. 3. Wrong…your theory W; Rhf6 B: why h6 ? h1Q and your solution falls apart.
Piroki:
Your solution to 2 and 3 are wrong. Care to elaborate how you came up with them ?
Piroki:
Rh6h4!
Piroki:
Your resolution to 3 is also wrong. W: Rxh2 B: Kg6 W: Rh2g2+ B: Kh5 W: Nf6+ B: Kh6 no mate.
Robert:
I couldn't find a solution for puzzle number 3. The best I have tried is 1.Rf3 if 1...a1=q 2.Rg3# If 1...Kg4 2.Rhh3 a1=q 3.Rfg3# but in any case if the black promotes to knight then it cant be solved
Kyaw Min Han:
Key moves:Problem (1) N3d5Problem (2) Re8Problem (3) Rhf6Not the hardest. 1 puzzle 5 minutes each.
Brian:
Problem 1: Nc7a6+ Kd8,Nc3d5 Rf2 ,Na6c5 Rxe2,Qa8++Problem 2: Re7+ Rb7,Qa6+ Kb8 ,RxRb7+ BxRb7 QxBb7++Problem 3: Rxh2 (Kg6 or h5),Rg2h2+ Kh5,Nf6++in problem 1 and 2 I see 4 moves to mate
Alen:
Problem 1 - 1.N3d5 - Rf8 2.Ne7 + - Kb8 3. Qb6 mateProblem 2 - 1.Rd8 - Lb7 2.Qe7 - Rd8 3. Qb7 mateProblem 3 - 1.Rhf6 - h6 2.Ne7 - h1Q 3.R6f5 mate