3 testpositions..... 1 pretty for humans too! :-)

[George Tsavdaris]

White to play and win with 1.exf5!
1.exf5 wins on the spot. All other moves are bad for white....
[d]2r1r1k1/1b1n2bp/pq1p2p1/1p1P1pBn/1P2P2Q/2N2NP1/5PBP/2R1R1K1 w - - 0 1 bm exf5;

This is easier for computers. Black is better but it has to find the move to prove it.
1...Nd4!
[d]2rq1rk1/pb3ppp/1pn1pb2/2p5/8/PPBBPN2/2QP1PPP/R2R2K1 b - - 0 1 bm Nd4;


This is for humans.
White to play and mate in 3 moves.
One of the best i know! I couldn't find it....
[d]8/4KBpk/R5Np/7p/7P/1p6/1P6/8 w - - 0 1

[Marc Lacrosse]

This is for humans.
White to play and mate in 3 moves.
One of the best i know! I couldn't find it....
[d]8/4KBpk/R5Np/7p/7P/1p6/1P6/8 w - - 0 1

Very nice.
I was lucky enough to see the solution quickly.
For those who need help : why are there pawns on b2 and b3?

Another nice one for humans only (#4) :

[d]8/8/8/8/6N1/6p1/4K1p1/R3B1bk w - - 0 1

Marc

[telmo]

This is for humans.
White to play and mate in 3 moves.
One of the best i know! I couldn't find it....
[d]8/4KBpk/R5Np/7p/7P/1p6/1P6/8 w - - 0 1

Very nice.
I was lucky enough to see the solution quickly.
For those who need help : why are there pawns on b2 and b3?
[...]
Marc

I don't know why are those pawns there. My solution is 1.Be8 Kg8 2.Ke6 Kh7 3. Kf5 Kg8 4. Ra8 Kh7 5. Rb8 Kg8 6. Bd7+ and mate next move. So those little pawns look irrelevant. I guess there is another solution.

Telmo

[Marc Lacrosse]

This is for humans.
White to play and mate in 3 moves.

I don't know why are those pawns there. My solution is 1.Be8 Kg8 2.Ke6 Kh7 3. Kf5 Kg8 4. Ra8 Kh7 5. Rb8 Kg8 6. Bd7+ and mate next move. So those little pawns look irrelevant. I guess there is another solution.

Telmo

White to play and mate in 3 moves.

[Tony Thomas]

This is for humans.
White to play and mate in 3 moves.

I don't know why are those pawns there. My solution is 1.Be8 Kg8 2.Ke6 Kh7 3. Kf5 Kg8 4. Ra8 Kh7 5. Rb8 Kg8 6. Bd7+ and mate next move. So those little pawns look irrelevant. I guess there is another solution.

Telmo

White to play and mate in 3 moves.

If I had played my move of choice, it would have been a stalemate.

[Edsel Apostol]

I think the winning move is Nh8!!!

Edsel Apostol (Twisted Logic)

[M ANSARI]

Once you do a few of these you get pretty good at it because you end up looking for these little tricks. In a real game though I would go for a slower mate ... or even more fun ... chomp up those little pawns like they were chocolate treats.

[Edsel Apostol]

Very nice.
I was lucky enough to see the solution quickly.
For those who need help : why are there pawns on b2 and b3?

Another nice one for humans only (#4) :

[d]8/8/8/8/6N1/6p1/4K1p1/R3B1bk w - - 0 1

Marc

Ra5!

[Marc Lacrosse]

I think the winning move is Nh8!!!

Edsel Apostol (Twisted Logic)

No no no

1. Nh8 KxN?? 2. Bg6 3. Ra8 works ...

But on 1. Nh8 Black moves his g pawn ...

[Marc Lacrosse]

Very nice.
I was lucky enough to see the solution quickly.
For those who need help : why are there pawns on b2 and b3?

Another nice one for humans only (#4) :

[d]8/8/8/8/6N1/6p1/4K1p1/R3B1bk w - - 0 1

Marc

Ra5!

1.Ra5 ? Bc5! and then the g pawn queens ...