Puzzle Title: The King's Escape

 

Puzzle Title: The King's Escape

Puzzle Design:

• Objective: White to move and deliver checkmate in 3 moves.
• Scenario: The White King is under significant pressure, boxed into a corner by a combination of Black’s pieces. White needs to find a way to deliver checkmate within three moves, utilizing unexpected tactics.

Setup:

1. White Pieces:

   • King on g1
   • Queen on f6
   • Rook on d7
   • Knight on e5
   • Bishop on c4
   • Pawn on g2

2. Black Pieces:

   • King on g8
   • Queen on d8
   • Rook on g6
   • Bishop on e6
   • Pawn on f7

Board Layout:

css
8  .  .  .  .  k  .  r  .  
7  .  .  r  .  .  .  .  .  
6  .  .  .  q  b  .  .  .  
5  .  .  .  N  .  .  .  .  
4  .  .  B  .  .  .  .  .  
3  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  
2  .  .  .  .  .  .  P  .  
1  .  .  .  .  K  .  .  .  
    a  b  c  d  e  f  g  h

Clue:

The Queen is the key, but the Knight holds the surprise.

Solution:

1. White's 1st move: Qf8+ (forces the Black King into a vulnerable position)
2. Black's reply: Kh7 (the only escape)
3. White's 2nd move: Rxf7+ (removes the last defender)
4. Black's reply: Bxf7
5. White's 3rd move: Nxf7# (checkmate)

This puzzle teaches players to think strategically about sacrifices and piece coordination, focusing on setting up an unavoidable sequence leading to checkmate.