Christmas Quiz Part III

This is the final part of the Christmas Quiz.   It continues to use puzzles taken from Hugh Courtney‘s Christmas Quizzes in Chess magazine.   Today the puzzles are from the 1985 quiz.

Puzzle 1

The Black King is intentionally omitted.   This question is in three parts:

On which square must the Black King be placed:
a)   to be in stalemate?
b)   for White to be able to mate in one?
c)   so that it can never be mated (assuming the king remains on that same square)?

Puzzle 2

With so few pieces on the board, this one should be easy.   But be warned, it’s anything but!

In this position, White takes back his last move and instead plays a move that is instant checkmate.   What is the retracted move and what does White play instead?

Puzzle 3

Finally, another ‘retractor’ problem:

Firstly, Black retracts his last move (a capture).   Next, Black plays another move instead to allow White to checkmate in one.   What is:   a) the retracted move?   b) What White piece then emerges on the board?   c) What is Black’s next ‘helpful’ move?   d) How does White then checkmate?

If you have answered some (or all) of these puzzles over the past three days, then email me your answers to stand a chance of winning a new chess book