3

The anomaly settles further as the solution to the problem takes effect. David Snowell exhales, shaking his head. "I can’t believe you cracked that one. Grinchuk really isn’t holding back this time, is he?"

Wesley Snow slumps into a nearby chair, looking at you with disbelief. "It’s way too early for puzzles that hard. Is this his idea of a warm-up?"

Magnus Carolsen walks in, sipping a mug of cocoa, saying, "You know, when the singularity messes with time, every choice branches the universe out into countless possibilities. In some of them, you solved it perfectly. In others, maybe not. But what matters is that the timelines where you keep trying are the ones that lead to success."

David nods. "Exactly. Every solved puzzle nudges us closer to the outcome we need. Grinchuk’s entire plan relies on people giving up – on abandoning the fight after one stumble. But as long as you stay in it, you’re still shaping the timeline in our favor."

The monitor beeps, interrupting the conversation, and flashes a new chess position on the screen. A note from Grinchuk appears alongside it: "Let’s see if you can resist the temptation to win."

Wesley Snow is confused. "What does that mean? Aren’t we supposed to win?"

David frowns, studying the note. "Not this time. This is one of Grinchuk’s signature tricks. Instead of delivering mate, you need to avoid it entirely - but only for three moves. One wrong step, and you’ll lose by succeeding."

"A puzzle where we’re punished for winning?"

In this problem, White tries to avoid mating in 3 moves or fewer! Like for helpmates, both players cooperate.

Give a sequence of moves where White starts and has not mated after White's third move. Here is the position on lichess. We recommend carrying out the moves on the Lichess analysis board. If it's not checkmate after White's third move, you have the correct answer.

Ask in our Discord if you're confused.