user10726: https://en.lichess.org/training/5571
Why is White knight to f5 not an ideal move in this situation? As far as I can see, unless Black takes the white bishop with the rook, it's mate in 2.


user9531: The puzzle is a mate in 3 starting with a rook check. After knight to f5, there is a mate in 4 on the board, so that line is a mate in 5.
Of course one forced mate is as good as another, but if you did want to differentiate between forced mates of different length, then an argument can be made that fewer moves is better.  This is certainly how lichess does it in these puzzles, though it is certainly annoying if such a move is judged as a mistake.  Sometimes you get an admonition that your move although good is not the best and that is less annoying though arguably also incorrect.

10726: <p><a href="https://en.lichess.org/training/5571" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.lichess.org/training/5571</a></p>

<p>Why is White knight to f5 not an ideal move in this situation? As far as I can see, unless Black takes the white bishop with the rook, it's mate in 2.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/kwAOF.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/kwAOF.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
 9531: <p><a href="https://en.lichess.org/analysis/7r/p4p1p/4kp2/8/4P3/r1BR2N1/5PPP/3R2K1_w_-_-_0_31?color=white#61" rel="nofollow">The puzzle is a mate in 3 starting with a rook check. After knight to f5, there is a mate in 4 on the board, so that line is a mate in 5.</a></p>

<p>Of course one forced mate is as good as another, but if you did want to differentiate between forced mates of different length, then an argument can be made that fewer moves is better.  This is certainly how lichess does it in these puzzles, though it is certainly annoying if such a move is judged as a mistake.  Sometimes you get an admonition that your move although good is not the best and that is less annoying though arguably also incorrect.</p>
