This week will be devoted to Alexis Troitsky and his immortal studies. This first one is deceptive. The obvious first move doesn’t work and only draws, so be careful. Those knights are there for a reason.

Solution:



1.Nb3+ Kb6 [1...Kd5 2.Nc3+ Ke5 3.Nxe4; 1...Kc4 2.Nd2+] 2.c8=N+ Ka6 3.Nc5+ Kb5 4.Nxe4 Kc4 5.Ncd6+ and will mate: Kd4 6.Nac3 Ke5 7.Nc5 Kd4 8.N3a4 Ke5 9.Kc6 Kd4 10.Nb2 Kc3 11.Nbd3 Kd4 12.Nf5+ Kc3 13.Kd5 Kd2 14.Nf4 Kc3 15.Ne4+ Kb4 16.Nd3+ Kb5 17.Nc3+ Kb6 18.Nd4 Kc7 19.Kc5 Kd7 20.Kb4 Nb1 21.Nxb1 and two knights can’t force mate, but three can! BTW, 1.c8Q+ Kb6 2.Qc7+ Ka6 gets you nowhere.

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