1.
[
{F:B}{B:6R1/7q/8/5k2/3K1B2/8/8/8}
Since this is the first helpmate, here are a few words of explanation to those who are new to this type of puzzle. In a helpmate, both sides cooperate to help White mate Black. While this idea may seem slightly bizarre, helpmates are favorites of many over-the-board players, perhaps because normally they can only dream of such a cooperative opponent! It is a convention of helpmates that Black moves first, so in this puzzle both sides make three moves and White's final move delivers mate. Although Black is helping White, all the moves must be legal.The first few helpmates are quite easy, so there is no need to be afraid!]

2.
[
{F:B}{B:6R1/7q/8/5k2/3K1B2/8/8/8 BLACK}
{V:Black to play, helpmate in three.;f5f6;Correct;Incorrect.;The key to any helpmate is to spot the mating position. Once this has been accomplished, it is normally not to hard to find the sequence of moves which leads to the mate. In this position try to visualize a mating position with the given material, and then see if it can be reached in three moves. It is easier to mate a king on the edge of the board than in the center, and it is easier still in the corner!}]

3.
[
{F:B}{B:6R1/7q/8/5k2/3K1B2/8/8/8}
It is possible to mate in the center of the board with the given material (for example, with the bishop on h4, king on d5 and rook on f6 against a king on f5 and queen on g4), but it doesn't take long to see that such a mating position requires more than three white moves to set up. Mating on the edge of the board is more tempting, because then mate can be arranged without the participation of White's king. Once again, however, the time element proves an insurmountable problem. The final possibility is to mate in the corner, which here implies h8 since that is the only corner which Black can reach in three moves. It also means that Black has no time to move his queen. A corner mate requires a double check, and now we need only work out how to temporarily block off White's pieces to allow Black's king to actually move into the corner. The method is pleasantly geometrical.]

4.
[
{S:f5f6}
1...Kf6]

5.
[
{S:g8a8}
2 Ra8]

6.
[
{S:f6g7}
2...Kg7]

7.
[
{S:f4b8}
3 Bb8]

8.
[
{S:g7h8}
3...Kh8]

9.
[
{S:b8e5}
4.Be5 mate
Although the last move is numbered '4', it is actually White's third move of the solution, justifying the stipulation 'helpmate in three'.]
