White to move and mate in 6.
8/Pk1K4/2N5/8/4B3/8/8/8 w – – 0 0
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Took me a few minutes to see what needed to be done even though I had an idea of what I wanted to force black to do. I wanted to force black to capture at a7 at some point, but only after white is prepared to put the king on c7 (cutting off b6), and having control of a6 already. Now, of the two moves that take control of a6, both can mate black, I think, but one allows white the time to get to c7 in time to shorten the mate by 1 move:
1. Bd3 Ka8
A much quicker, and straightforward, mate comes if black allows 2.a8Q: [1. …Kb6 2.a8Q Kc5 3.Qa5#]. Now white is prepared to sacrifice the a7 pawn:
2. Ne7 Ka7 (Kb7 3.Nc8 Ka8 4.Be4#)
And now white can enforce the standard mate with N and B vs K:
3. Kc7 Ka8
4. Bb5 Ka7
5. Nc8 Ka8
6. Bc6#
I am pretty sure this is the only 6 move mate, though white can mate with many different other moves. The only other one I was concerned with is 1.Nb4 taking control of a6:
1. Nb4 Ka7 (Kb6 2.a8Q #s in 5)
2. Kc6
And we see the difference now-white cannot play Kc7 immediately since he would stalemate black. He must play Kc6 to block the bishop’s line to a8, and this costs a tempo making it a mate in 7:
2. …..Ka8 (Kb8 3.Bf5 #s in 7)
3. Kc7 Ka7
4. Bf5 Ka8
5. Bc8
Freeing the knight from guarding a6:
5. …..Ka7
6. Nc6 Ka8
7. Bb7#
Pardon my lack of knowledge but what is the type of notation you use on your web site?
do you mean the ‘8/Pk1K4/2N5/8/4B3/8/8/8 w – – 0 0’ under the position? if so; that’s a FEN. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forsyth%E2%80%93Edwards_Notation)
Thanks!!
Standard algebraic chess notation.
I can find mate in 7 but I’ll be darned to find it in 6. I need help on this one.
Susan please post the solution.
1.Nb4+ Kxa7
2. Kc6 Kb8
3. Bf5 Ka7
4. Kc7 Ka8
5. Kb6 Kb8
6. Na6+ Ka8
7. Be4 mate
Bd3 ka8
Na5 kxa7
Kc7 ka8 and mate in few moves
Ok Susan! I will try:
1. Be4-f5 Kb7-a8. 2. Nc6-b8 Ka8xa7.
3. Kd7-c7 Ka7-a8. 4. Bf5-c8 Ka8-a7.
5. Nb8-c6+ Ka7-a8. 6. Bc8-b7#
Is this correct?
Sincerely Magnus
1.Bd3 Ka8
[1…Kb6 2.a8Q Kc5 3.Qa7+ Kd5 4.Qd4#]
2.Ne7 Kb7
[2…Ka7 3.Kc7 Ka8 4.Bf1 Ka7 5.Nc8+ Ka8 6.Bg2#]
3.a8Q+ Ka8 4.Kc7 Ka7 5.Nc8+ Ka8 6.Be4#
1.Bd3 Ka8
[1…Kb6 2.a8Q Kc5 3.Qa7+ Kd5 4.Qd4#]
2.Ne7 Kb7
[2…Ka7 3.Kc7 Ka8 4.Bf1 Ka7 5.Nc8+ Ka8 6.Bg2#]
3.a8Q+ Ka8 4.Kc7 Ka7 5.Nc8+ Ka8 6.Be4#