Deductive Puzzle #12

Ok, here is the guidelines for today's puzzle.

Take note of the White pawn on g3. Is he in-fact the f2 pawn or the h2 pawn?

The three pawns on the left hand side of the board must be the a, b and c pawns -- the one on a6 can't be the e-pawn because it's still on it's original square, and can't be the d-pawn because that would imply six captures in total (3 to get it to the a file, and three more for the pawns on a3, e6 and g3) while there are only five missing black peices.

So the question is: is the pawn on e6 the d-pawn or the f-pawn?

[Edit: If it is the d-pawn, the question is still not answered, but if it is the f-pawn, it is.]

Neither of white's d or f pawns could have promoted, as this would require an additional capture that can't be supported by the number of missing Black peices.

Black's pawn that is now on g4 made at least two captures to get there.  White is also missing five peices.

[Edit:  Scratch the d-pawn couldn't have promoted idea -- the d-file could have been cleared by Black's d-pawn capturing to another file]

And the White King is in check . . . How the heck did we reach this position?

EDIT: Ahh - it appears the bishop is a promoted pawn - otherwise, I can't see how we could reach the position?

No -- Black's last move must have been g5-g4 for discovered check.

 Grobe - I make it six missing black pieces - 2 pawns, 2 Knights, a Queen, and a Bishop . . .

Meaning it must be Black's e-pawn.

(Really, how did I miss that the king was in check?)

I think we need to examine which white pieces have been captured and where -- given the discovered check we can prove captures on f6 and g5 neither of which could have been the d-pawn, however the g-pawn could have been captured on g5.

There are three remaining missing white pieces.

Whoops! Got turned around - the black bishop didn't promote on d8! So how did we get to this position? 

EDIT: Ahhh - Kf6 to g6+. Which tells us only that the previous white move was NOT pe5 - e6.

Gah -- that's what I get for trying to do this at work....

Grobe -

Actually, the White Kingside bishop had to be captured in place, so it was not available for any of the black captures . . .

black's last move was Kg6

Another possibility, but why not g5-g4?

TheGrobe,

in g5 position it was already giving check to K! white could not have ended his last move with the K in check.

Yes, you are correct.

EDITED

black's last move can only have been Kf6-g6+ (g5-g4 not possible)

white's move before that can only have been dxe6+ e.p. or fxe6+ e.p.(bxa3+ not possible) as black's K is at f6

black's move before that must be e7-e5

So e6 pawn must be the d-pawn

I see it now.  Nice work dsarkar.

Couldn't whites last move be Ng6+? (are you sure a white pawn couldn't promote into a knight?)

LAST SEVERAL CERTAIN MOVES:

dsarkar you forgot this posibility: