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Not very easy for me.  I did like the last move of the Queen - rather elegant.

Maybe Black was in time pressure and that's why it ended in 3 instead of 4 moves.

Ice Queen saves herself to deliver mate for her King.

easy

chesssticks: if 2...Kxe6, then 3.Qg8+ Ke7 4.Nd5#

For a Friday puzzle, this was unbelievably easy.

Of course, I doubt that I would have gotten it had I not known (1) it was a puzzle, so there had to be a solution, and (2) it was mate in 3.

First it was obvious that every move had to be a check (Black was  ready to checkmate White on the first tempo).That narrowed down the options immediately.

Fortunately, I was not taken in by the option of a checking with (and sacrificing) my queen on the eightth rank.   The sequence of
1. Rxf7+ Kxf7 (forced),
2. Bxe6+ Kxe6
3. Qe8#
was just too obvious.

So, Okay, Black moved 2. ... Kg6, but with my bishop at c1 protecting the g5 pawn, and that pawn blocking escapes to f6 or h6, I quickly saw Qe8 was still checkmate.

------------------

I think this puzzle was specially selected as a response to those of us who noted (or even complained) that queen sacrifice was "always" the key to solving the daily puzzle.  Don't take anything for granted - not even the idea that queen sac witll solve the daily puzzle.

nice but was confused by not Kxf6?

Why show this endgame with absolutely horrible play by black (particularly 9... Kf7 when 9. ... Kg7 would have prevented promotion at h8.)?

We are looking for illustrations of wins by clever play by the winner, not obvious blunders by the loser.  If loser blunders are to be shown, they should at least be the result of a trick play by the winner, such as enticing the loser to capture a queen and set up a position for the winner's successful attack.

Nice combination...

I didn't want to search through all the comments so excuse if it was already covered but everyone is saying it is mate in four.  Now am I mistaking or is 2:kxe6 followed by the mate qe8?  I saw the mate in four if you check on g8 but e8 is mate it seems.  Defferps comment above seemed correct to me

Nice spotting.  It is not too often that they make a mistake with the daily puzzles.  Clearly the move by black, 2...Kg6, is a mistake. Black lives a longer life if he either captures the Bishop or moves to safety on the e7 square.

Here are your lines illustrated:

its not very good puzzle, because the King can take the bishop instead of walking away. Not cool

 after 4-Nd5? Black wins with 4...Qf2+ 5-Kh1 Qf1#

I think you are right.  and I missed black's options after 2.Bxe6+

I actually expected him to respond 2. ... Kxe6.  Then I thought 3. Qe8 would be checkmate, but I missed 3. ... Be7.  White would have to move 4. d5+ forcing
4. ... Ke5  and 5. Qxe7# 

ilmago's sequence 2...Kxe6 3.Qg8+ Ke7 4.Nd5# is more efficient, but still not mate in 3.

So while I easily made the right moves to solve the puzzle, I did not find a forced mate in 3.

This should have been a mate-in-4 puzzle, with black making the best available moves.  I probably would have blundered with 3.Qe8+ instead of the more efficient 3.Qg8_

easy :) 

nice

it was effortless!!

"Mate in 3" was misleading.  I saw the first two moves, but didn't initially play them because 2... Ke7 results in a longer sequence.

easy