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Puzzle #CsmoK. Do you see a mate in 3?

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#1

Hello. I only do puzzles right now. I've been stuck on a mate in 3 puzzle for a while, even after I've slept on it: lishogi.org/training/CsmoK

I don't want the answer. But if you see a mate in 3, please say that you do!

I just want to know that there's merit to continuing to spend time on it. Several times over, I've tried everything I see except for not giving a check on the first move, so I'm feeling a bit blind. (I've only been drawing arrows, not moving pieces. Otherwise, I'd already be done.)

#2

Yes, yes there is. If you don't see it, either you haven't tried everything, or you've discarded the correct move without actually seeing that it works.

#3

Yeah, found it pretty quick.
A mild hint below, if you want:

I'd recommend highlighting the king's "safe" squares. How can they be covered?

#4

It's not even mate in 3, it's mate in 5 but the engine replies with an inferior defense that allows you to mate in 3.

#5

Since the five-move sequence includes an unnecessary interposition, it counts as a three-move solution under Tsume Shogi rules. Furthermore, because the attacker would have pieces left over even without that interposition, a different three-move sequence is considered the correct answer. I am not sure if puzzles on lishogi should follow these specific rules, though...

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#6

@Illya @LizardWizard Understood, thank you. I spent some more time on it.

@ComPromise I see a guaranteed mate in 5 that's sometimes mate in 3 with a bad defense: 飛車 to 2三, 王将 northwest to 4二, 飛車 takes 金将 and promotes, drop block forced, take with 龍王 for checkmate. Maybe that's what you meant? ... Okay, I just gambled with it since I've already spent enough time thinking to deserve the hit if I get it wrong. It is a mate in 5 tagged as mate in 3. I reported it.

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#8

@Illya Thank you, that made the reasoning for the implicit claim that 5 == 3 more clear. And it helped me see what @Air427 was trying to explain.

At least I know what it's actually expecting of me now (I hope). I don't have to like it.

You can't post in the forums yet. Play some games!