White to play and mate in three (3) moves.
12, L d8† K d8: 13, N g5†† K e8 14, M d8‡
In the last two games we gave the first move to White, but will now give it to Black, and show another series of moves, which lead to a pretty termination.
BLACK. WHITE. 1, P e5 P b3 2, N c5 N b2 3, P d6 P e3 4, O f6 O f3 5, N g4 O c3 6, K M N e2 7, N f3: P f3:
It is better for White to take with the P than with the N, for the M h1 can move to g1, and occupy the important g file, in which the black K stands.
8, O c6 M g1 9, O e7 O e4 10, O e4: P e4: 11, O g6 P d4 12, P d4: P d4: 13, N b6 P a4 14, P c6 N c4 15, L h4 L d3 16, L h5 K d2 17, O h4 P d5
White is now tempting Black to give the check with the O.
White to play and mate in four (4) moves.
19, M g7:† 20, K h8 M g8†† 21, K g8: M g1† 22, L g2 M g2:‡
The following is the termination of a game played by Adolph Anderssen:--
White to play and mate in five (5) moves.
BLACK. WHITE. 1, L e6† L e6: 2, O d7 (threatening a mate with the M at b8). L d7: 3, M b8† K b8: 4, P d7: Any move. 5, P d8 L‡
Problem No. 1.--1, P e8 O, any of four moves. 2, O d6 or f6, mate, accordingly.
Problem No. 2.--1, K c5, K g2: (or, Q, R, S, T, U). 2, L f3:‡.--(Q) O g1. 2, O g3‡.--(R) O h2. 2, O f2‡.--(S) O d2 or e1. 2, L h7‡.--(T) O g5 or h4. 2, L b1‡.--(U) O d4 or e5. 2, L b1 or h7‡.
White: K a6; L f5; M a5, h1; N g1, h5; O b8, d1; P b2, c2, d5, g6, h3. Black: K c4; L g8; M h4; N f1; O a3; P a4, b4, b6, g2. (13 + 9 = 22 pieces.) White gives mate in two moves.
White: K b7; L f4; M d8; N a2; P a3, e5. Black: K c5; M h5; N f7, g1; O a8; P a5, b5, c2, c7. (6 + 9 = 15 pieces.) White gives mate in two moves.
The following game was played, and the mate in eight moves announced by H. F. L. Meyer.
WHITE. BLACK. 1, P b4 P e5 2, N b2 P d6 3, P b5 P a6 4, P c4 P b5: 5, P b5: N e6 6, P a4 N e7 7, P e3 O f6 8, O c3 K M 9, O f3 O b d7 10, O g5 P h6 11, O e6: P e6: 12, N c4 P d5 13, N b3 O c5 14, N c2 P c6 15, P d4 O c d7 16, P e5: O e5: 17, O d5:
White wins a P, but the move is really a bad one. He ought to have played K g1 M f1.
The K could not well move to f1, for the O would have checked at e3, and then taken the L.
The N might have moved to f4, but then the black L would have taken the P g2, and won. Indeed, White’s game is hopeless, as the following diagram and the solution show:--