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White to move and force mate:  Hint: White’s thematic attack forces Black to resort to multiple under-promotions of pawns to knights.  At one time or another in chess history, all three of these problems were presented with the exact same solution.  Only one of the above fits the solution truly!

The Story:  As a student of chess history, this is one of most intriguing positions I have ran across.  It is amazing that with White to move, White can force a win.  These are three versions of the same thematic problem that has been around for over 50 years.  Two of these positions were used in lectures by top Grandmasters for years, apparently not suspecting their version was flawed.

The flaw was discovered as we entered the computer age.  The corrected version of the study has only evolved recently.

Okay -- Only one position above is correct. Study and click on your choice!

I choose position A          I choose position B          I choose position C

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Solution
 

You are correct!  Thus . . . 1.Nf6+  (No good would be 1.d8=Q  Nf7+ and Black still retains enough material for an easy win) … Kg7  2.Nh5+  Kg6  3.Bc2+!  Kxh5  4.d8=Q  Nf7+ ( Now 4...Kg4? allows a quicker brute force mating attack beginning with 5.Qh4+)  5.Ke6!  Nxd8+  6.Kf5  e2  7.Be4  e1=N  8.Bd5  c2  9.Bc4  c1=N  10.Bb5  Nc6  11.Bxc6  Nc7  12.Ba4  Nf3  13.Bd1  Ne2  14.Bxe2  any  15.Bxf3 mate - Solution works – no flaws!

C

For the record, instead of placing a Black knight at h8, placing it at e5 would also work.  But in the eyes of many, not as aesthetically pure.  For analysis of the other two options, read the rest of the story by Daren Dillinger, To Tell the Truth!
 

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