White to play and mate in three. This will probably get solved pretty quickly. After all, this board solves mates in 8!

The bishop on d7 has no function. Just might leave it out.

It puts black's point value above whites.

Then take away another useless piece, the bishop on f1.

but this way both sides still have all their pieces on the board (minus pawns)

Originally posted by doodinthemood
[fen]2n2rk1/2pbQpp1/ppNq1R1R/6PN/1PPn2r1/B7/K2b4/5B2[/fen]
White to play and mate in three. This will probably get solved pretty quickly. After all, this board solves mates in 8!

If in response to Rf g6 Black does Rxg5...

Qxf8+, Qxf8, Nf6++

congrats. People on here really are quite good at puzzles.

Originally posted by Mephisto2
The bishop on d7 has no function. Just might leave it out.

damn you making my ideas more beautiful 😉

Originally posted by SwissGambit
And, while we're at it, we might as well remove a few more pieces.

[fen]2nn1rk1/4Qpp1/2Nq1R1R/3r2PN/8/8/3p4/3K4 w - - 0 1[/fen]
#3

7 less units for the same content.

Originally posted by Gastel
Is it the same? After Rfg6 cannot black reply Ne6 and disrupt the mate in 3?

Originally posted by SwissGambit
2.Nf6#

In the original version, Black still had the option of 1...Ne6. The N is needed to stop 1...Bc3 from defending.

In my version, I needed Nd8 to stop 1.Rxd6 from working - before I moved the bR to d5. So, removing Nd8 saves yet another piece.

One last fix for this problem - adding a Bb8 removes the duals 1.Rfg6 Qe5 2.Qxe5 and 2.Nxe5.

Edit: I just noticed that White really has two threats after the key 1.Rfg6 - 2.Qxf8+, and 2.Rxg7+. Black has no defenses [in the technical sense of the word - in compositions, a "defense" is a move that stops the threat(s)]. This robs the problem of much of its interest.

Apollo