Underpromotion Puzzle

Not mine, saw it from a book.

Thanx for posting, that is absolutely stunning.

Thanks for the puzzle; I enjoyed it.

Pretty interesting puzzle, but why would a queen promotion lead to a stalemate?

Look in the variations of the move list. On all 3 occasions promotion to queen leads to stalemate.

actually only 2 lead to a stalemate, one leads to white getting checkmated.

Nice composition. Only one flaw there (IMHO). Why didn't Black play 4. ... Bh8   ? What would White do if he did so? I don't see any reason why Black could not have played that.

Then white can play e8=Q (I think) attacking the bishop.

That's correct.

I think the given solution is not correct. After 8.b7 Black should not play 8...Be5? but instead 8... Kd3! which actually draw. A sample line: 9. Nc1+ Kd2 10.Kb2 Be5+ 11.Kb3 Kxc1 12.Nc7 Kb1! 13.b8=Q c1=Q =

As I recall Mark Liburkin later added a white pawn on c4 and white knight on h1, when after 8...Kd3? 9.Nf2+ wins

Ah Liburkin, the greatest chess composer ever, poetry on the board... beautiful, beautiful, beautiful...

I think

4-..... Bh8 better and win

9- .....Bd4 better and win

I get it at last, the underpromotion prevents checkmate by  Bishop.

Shouldn,t it be the no promotion at all puzzle, at least at first.

It is interesting though.

Very cool puzzle!

4...Bh8 5.e8=Q attacks the Bishop and wins.

9...Bd4 10.Bf4 prevents Black from queening and wins.

Beautiful  study.

Liburkin's original prize-winning study included a white pawn on c4. A later version of unknown origin omitted the pawn. Many publications have given the later version and incorrectly identified it as the original study. You can confirm this by consulting HHdbV.