Mate in 3: bishop to c6 (g2·5)
li-03DDFnaming tag (square·N)The tactical motive
Mate in 3: a forced sequence that ends in checkmate.
Difficulty 2136 ShuffleRating — expert level — few solve it at first try.
White to move — find the best continuation
Position on the board
White: king h1, rook a7, bishop g2 b4, pawn h3.
Black: king e8, queen e2, pawn f4 g6 h6.
5 white and 5 black pieces are on the board; the puzzle position arises after move 41.
Solution & explanation
Main line
41. Bc6+ Kd8 42. Ba5+ Kc8 43. Ra8#
Why it works
- Great move! bishop to c6 keeps the pressure (#2).
- Well found: bishop to a5 (#1).
- Strong! rook to a8 is the sharp choice (#).
- The line ends in a forced mate in 3.
- If instead Kd8, then Ba5+ and you stay on top.
Types in this puzzle
Mate in 3
A forced checkmate in three moves.
Mate in three is a forced staircase: each of your moves narrows the opponent's choices, and the third one ends the game. Look for the start among checks and sacrifices — quiet first moves are rare in mating problems, but deliciously sneaky. Keep the tree in your head: every defense gets its own branch. Do not stop calculating after move two — see the final mating picture with your own eyes.
Queen endgame
Queens on an open board — precision above all.
Queen endgames are treacherous: the queen reaches everywhere, and one slip turns a win into perpetual check. The signs are few pawns, exposed kings, and checks hanging in the air. Tuck your king away early, and use your own checks to bring the queen closer or push your passer with tempo. The typical mistake is grabbing pawns while leaving your king exposed to endless checks.
Provenance
Derived from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0).
Verified by Stockfish at depth 20+.
Solution forcedness confirmed (verified).
Pack 015
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