Answers.Body: <p>The story is <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20121014115039/http://chessville.com/misc/Fiction/ThreeSailorsGambit.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">&quot;The Three Sailors' Gambit&quot;</a> (1916) by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Plunkett,_18th_Baron_of_Dunsany" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lord Dunsany</a>, who was an interesting character. Besides being a prolific writer, he was a winner of the Irish chess championship, and he managed a <a href="http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/dunsany.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">draw during a simul by Capablanca</a>. Dunsany was also a <a href="http://alangullette.com/lit/dunsany/chess/problems.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">problem composer</a>, some of them fairly typical chess problems and some of them more offbeat:</p>
  <h2>White to Mate in 4</h2>
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/MkqXr.png" alt="Dunsany's Problem" /></p>
  <p>This is very much a tricky problem.</p>
  
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Answers.Text: Cool. If `1. Nc6 Nh3` (threatening Nf4, where it can't be captured), then white can do `2. Ne5` (threatening both Nd3 and Nf3, which black cannot defend both at once now). Any other move is not mate in 4, as if `2. Rh3` then black can reply with `2. ... g1Q 3. ... Qg5+` preventing mate in 4. If `2. Nf6` (changing line to mate at Nf3 instead), black can wait by `2. ... Nc3`, and then depending which white knight is moved, reply with either `3. ... Nf4` or `3. ... Ng1`. Not as simple as I thought!
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Answers.Text: Here is guess at the problem. If black pawns are on 7th rank, I don't see a way to deliver mate. Also black's king and queen are reversed, so it looks as black pawns are on the 2nd rank. Hence, if a knight can get to d3 it is mate. A possible line: `1.Nc6 Nf3 2.Nb4 Ne5 3. Qxe5 g1Q 4. Nd3++`.
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Body: <p>There was a book of chess stories that I had read some time ago. In one, there were 3 sailors who had made a deal with Devil for a crystal because of which they were unbeatable at chess. They saw the move that they were to make in the crystal after each move of the opponent.</p>
  
  <p>Any ideas as to the story title?</p>
  
Tags: <identify-this><fiction>
Title: A chess story about three sailors
ThreadText: # A chess story about three sailors
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2012-09-04)
  
  There was a book of chess stories that I had read some time ago. In one, there were 3 sailors who had made a deal with Devil for a crystal because of which they were unbeatable at chess. They saw the move that they were to make in the crystal after each move of the opponent.
  
  Any ideas as to the story title?
  
  **Tags:** identify-this, fiction
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2012-09-04. Score: 10 | Accepted answer
  
  The story is ["The Three Sailors' Gambit"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121014115039/http://chessville.com/misc/Fiction/ThreeSailorsGambit.htm) (1916) by [Lord Dunsany](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Plunkett,_18th_Baron_of_Dunsany), who was an interesting character. Besides being a prolific writer, he was a winner of the Irish chess championship, and he managed a [draw during a simul by Capablanca](http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/dunsany.html). Dunsany was also a [problem composer](http://alangullette.com/lit/dunsany/chess/problems.htm), some of them fairly typical chess problems and some of them more offbeat:
  
  ## White to Mate in 4
  
  ![Dunsany's Problem](https://i.sstatic.net/MkqXr.png)
  
  This is very much a tricky problem.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: Here is guess at the problem. If black pawns are on 7th rank, I don't see a way to deliver mate. Also black's king and queen are reversed, so it looks as black pawns are on the 2nd rank. Hence, if a knight can get to d3 it is mate. A possible line: `1.Nc6 Nf3 2.Nb4 Ne5 3. Qxe5 g1Q 4. Nd3++`.  
  > **username_2**: Cool. If `1. Nc6 Nh3` (threatening Nf4, where it can't be captured), then white can do `2. Ne5` (threatening both Nd3 and Nf3, which black cannot defend both at once now). Any other move is not mate in 4, as if `2. Rh3` then black can reply with `2. ... g1Q 3. ... Qg5+` preventing mate in 4. If `2. Nf6` (changing line to mate at Nf3 instead), black can wait by `2. ... Nc3`, and then depending which white knight is moved, reply with either `3. ... Nf4` or `3. ... Ng1`. Not as simple as I thought!  
  
  ---
  
  