What drawn position that can be reached legally has the highest material imbalance?

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BradDBailey

Feb 4, 2021

Threefold repetitions and stalemate do not count, or else the question would be too easy to answer, as you could create a position like this:

Where despite black having the highest possible amount of material, there is no way to stop the white knight's perpetual checks. Or this:

Where black once again has the highest possible amount of material and white only has a lone king, but white can manage a draw because of stalemate.

I have three possible solutions that are not drawn because of stalemate or repetition

This position is drawn despite black being ahead by 56 points of material because none of black's pieces are mobile except for his knights, one of which will fall immediately, and 1 knight cannot break the pin by itself.

However, if you want a position with no immobile pieces, your best bet is 9 same-color bishops, or +27:

Or this position if it is white to move, which has a massive material imbalance of +61, but most of it is won by white, and when the dust settles, black will have 2 knights and white will have either 1 or 2 pawns, but neither possibility is winning for black:

Improvements can definitely be made, though. Let me know if you can find any better solutions!

BradDBailey

Feb 4, 2021

Just realized I put 10 bishops instead of 9 in the 4th board... oops