Triple Knight Checkmate. Is it possible?
Yes, and it is very easy. Remember, when 2 knights can stalemate the king by force, how easy would it be to replace the stalemate with mate by engaging an extra pony?
In fact, three knights can generally win against a king and a bishop, although sometimes the 50-move rule has to be suspended.
White to play and mate in 96
Paradoxical. The bishop looks so strong in the open position and the knights have to visit black squares every other move. How could white win?
This is a diagram where you might include the solution. Nobody will attempt to solve it unless they are 2 years old and emperor of China (with nothing else to do but crawl to their coffin at age 99).
This is a diagram where you might include the solution.
Well, I didn't want to work that hard. But I will give you the moves, and you can feed them into a puzzle if you want to.
1. Nc4 Kc6 2. Nf7 Kd5 3. Na3 Bc5 4. Nb5 Kc6 5. Nc3 Bd4 6. Na2 Kc5 7. Nc1 Kd5 8. Ng3 Be5 9. Nf1 Kd4 10. Nb3+ Kc3 11. Nc5 Kc4 12. Ne6 Kd5 13. Neg5 Bf4 14. Nf3 Ke4 15. Ne1 Bc7 16. Ng5+ Kf5 17. Ngf3 Ba5 18. Ng2 Ke4 19. Nfh4 Kd3 20. Ng3 Bc7 21. Ngf5 Bb6 22. Ng6 Ke4 23. Ng2h4 Bf2 24. Nd6+ Kd5 25. Nhf5 Bc5 26. Nc8 Ke6 27. Nfh4 Bf2 28. Nf3 Bc5 29. Nf4+ Kf5 30. Nd3 Ke4 31. Nfe1 Be3 32. Nd6+ Kd5 33. Nf7 Ke4 34. Nde5 Bd2 35. Nc2 Kd5 36. Nf3 Ke4 37. Nh4 Be3 38. Ng6 Bc5 39. Nge5 Kd5 40. Nd3 Kc4 41. Nce1 Bb4 42. Nde5+ Kd5 43. N1d3 Bc3 44. Ng6 Ke4 45. Ndf4 Bb4 46. Ne2 Kf3 47. Nd4+ Ke4 48. Nc6 Bd6 49. Kb7 Kf5 50. Nh4+ Kg4 51. Ng2 Kf3 52. Ne1+ Ke2 53. Nc2 Bc5 54. Na1 Kd3 55. Nb3 Kc4 56. Nc1 Be3 57. Ne2 Kd3 58. Ng3 Bf2 59. Nf5 Bg1 60. Ng5 Bh2 61. Nce7 Bf4 62. Nf7 Bh2 63. Ng7 Bg3 64. Ne6 Be1 65. Kc6 Bb4 66. Nd5 Bc3 67. Nc5+ Kc2 68. Ne3+ Kd2 69. Nc4+ Kc2 70. Kd5 Bb4 71. Ne6 Be1 72. Ncd6 Kd2 73. Ne4+ Ke2 74. Nd4+ Kf1 75. Kc4 Bf2 76. Nf5 Ke2 77. Ne5 Bb6 78. Nc3+ Kf2 79. Nd5 Bd8 80. Nf7 Ba5 81. Kd3 Be1 82. Ng5 Ba5 83. Nf6 Bb6 84. Nfe4+ Kf1 85. Nfg3+ Kg1 86. Ke2 Kg2 87. Ne6 Kh2 88. Nf5 Kh3 89. Nf6 Kh2 90. Kf1 Bd4 91. Nexd4 Kh3 92. Nc6 Kh2 93. Ne5 Kh1 94. Nd3 Kh2 95. Ng4+ Kh1 96. Ndf2#
50-move rule would be called long before the mate happens
Nope. Just call it an endgame study and the 50-move rule does not apply. All legal and FIDE approved!
I decided it was time I figured out how to add a move list to a chess.com position without putting the moves in manually. Having done so, I can now give the solution as a game you can play through. (Optimal moves for both sides.)
White to play and mate in 96
Thx, n9531l! I can officially confirm that the final position is indeed checkmate. All that preceded it, I did not understand though. Whenever I'll encounter this endgame with the lone bishop in the future, I will happily steer it around to harrass the knights forever and ever. If I were to run into it on the side of the stallions though, I would immediately resign. The incessant stalking by a bishop is definitely worse than losing!
This is the position after White's move 90. It might be the point at which Black would regret having ended up with the lone bishop.
Black to play and find the move(s) that holds out longest
Whenever someone mentions 3 knights, I always have to think of this endgame. Took me a little while to locate on the web. And no, it is not mate!
One of Tim Krabbé's 10 favorite studies!
I got part of it, but I thought White could draw after 6.Kg3. However, the tablebase says Black has a mate in 19.
I got part of it, but I thought White could draw after 6.Kg3. However, the tablebase says Black has a mate in 19.
A fair try. I added the variation to the analysis.