How did you find this song?
I vaguely remember hearing this long ago, and I was delighted that they noted a normal setup with white vs 15 black queens was a mate in 3... but maybe my memory is incorrect because in this song they say "maybe mate in 4"
It really is mate in 3 though heh.
I added the lyrics to the original post. This group "King Bishop and the Squares" has a full album of this kind of whimsical chess music. You can find the songs on Youtube.
I never knew the artist or song name, so I thought I'd never hear it again.
Not that it's so important, but you know, finding something after giving up on it years ago is very nice, so thanks for posting this.
I never knew the artist or song name, so I thought I'd never hear it again.
Not that it's so important, but you know, finding something after giving up on it years ago is very nice, so thanks for posting this.
I'm glad to share this, I enjoy these chess songs. I need to think about the shortest forced-mate with 15 black queens. I suppose white should reinforce the f2-square. Maybe 1.Nf3. Then black has many queens to sack, so maybe 1...Qbxf3. White should probably recapture, so 2.gxf3. Next 2...Qaxf3 3.exf3 Qxf3 4.Qe2 etc.
I don't know if there's a mate-in-3. More likely a mate-in-4, but I must be missing something.
Nf3 Qb2xf3
gxQ Qxf2
KxQ Qh4 mate
or
Nf3 Qb2xf3
d3 Qxf2
Kd2 Qe3 mate
If on move 1 white moves the f pawn then Qg3 followed by Qg3 again mates
If on move 1 white plays Nh3 then Qxf2 followed by Qxf2 again mates
@llama , you are correct in your observation that in a game between a normal white army versus a black army with 15 queens, black has mate-in-three on the first move. The song got it slightly wrong with "maybe mate-in-four".
Some fun chess music, family-friendly:
Fifteen Queens
by
King Bishop and the Squares
You get 16 pieces in a game of chess.
8 pawns in the second row.
2 rooks, 2 nights, 2 bishops, and a queen,
and a king in the middle of the show.
Well I sat down to play, and I looked across the board at my opponent in the coming game.
He had 16 pieces just like me, but I noticed something wasn't the same.
He had 15 queens, good lord the most powerful piece!
(15 queens)
Holy moly, will wonders ever cease?
(15 queens)
The game was over before it had begun -- facing 15 queens just ain't a lot of fun.
Well I got a little nervous, so I cleared my throat and said "buddy don't you think it's strange,
that you're sitting there with a fortune in queens, and all I got is loose change?"
He replied "well buddy, I'm a businessman, and success is my daily pledge,
so I like to play chess with this special set because it gives me a little edge.
(It had 15 queens)
Every queen was as white as snow,
(15 queens)
saddled up and ready to go.
(He had 15 queens)
I had black, and he had a mate-in-one -- facing 15 queens just ain't a lot of fun.
Hit the stairway up to the tournament board to see if there had been a mistake.
Playing with black against 15 queens was not a trip I wanted to make.
Well there were our names on the 82nd board, he was my opponent all right.
But I noticed one thing that made my heart sing, I was supposed to play white!
So I walked on back to board 82, just as confident as I could be.
I said "guess what buddy, I'm playing white, I guess those queens belong to me".
He said "oh really buddy? Well that's my mistake", and before I could blink and eye,
he replaced his set with another one yet, and I felt like I was going to cry.
(He had 15 queens)
Every queen was as black as night.
(15 queens)
And I was given a normal set as white.
(He had 15 queens)
Instead of mate-in-one, he had maybe mate-in-four.
15 queens just a' knocking at my door.
So people take heart, even if you're paired with a senior master in her teens,
you'll probably start out the game dead even -- you won't have to play against 15 queens.
(15 queens)
You've got a fighting chance there buddy!
(15 queens)
Just hunker down and think.
(15 queens)
C'mon, you can do it.
https://youtu.be/sZ2H4nYgpmA