Series-mover #13

[Coyote]

While I'm not sure if it holds the record, 55 moves is an impressive accomplishment for a 9-piece seriesmover.

Don't let the large number of moves put you off though; this one's actually not too difficult if you approach it logically.

Series-helpstalemate in 55 moves A. Schurjakow, 1991
Chess Board

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b7/NB1P4/8/kP6/2N5/P4K2/8/8

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Solved by Mikko

Rules recap: Black makes 55 consecutive moves (White does not move during this series) to reach a position where White can stalemate Black in one move. Black may not place himself in check at any time*, nor may he check White unless it's the final move of the series. Capture of other pieces is allowed.

*Though obviously, he may start out in check.

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Taking jest as simply jest, and earnestness in earnest
Shows how little either of the two thou dost discernest.
--Piet Hein



[This message has been edited by Coyote (edited 02-02-2002 05:08 PM).]

[jwok]

55 consecutive moves!?!?

how peculiar....

never seen this sort of puzzle...

anyway, it seems it can be done in fewer (I peg it at 15) as long as black's king does a little tour-de-force of taking all white's pieces (shy of the bishop) and then uses his bishop to take white's bishop. At that point, its stalemate.

maybe im seeing this puzzle wrong

[mith]

that's not a stalemate, it's a draw.

[Mikko]

1.Ka4
2.Kb3
3.Kc2
4.Kd1
5.Ke1
6.Kf1
7.Kg1
8.Kh2
9.Kh3
10.Kh4
11.Kg5
12.Kf6
13.Ke7
14.Kd8
15.Kc7
16.Kb8
17.Kxa7
18.Kb8
19.Kc7
20.Kd8
21.Ke7
22.Kf6
23.Kg5
24.Kh4
25.Kh3
26.Kh2
27.Kg1
28.Kf1
29.Ke1
30.Kd1
31.Kc2
32.Kb3
33.Ka4
34.Kxb5
35.Ka4
36.Kb3
37.Kc2
38.Kd1
39.Ke1
40.Kf1
41.Kg1
42.Kh2
43.Kh3
44.Kh4
45.Kg5
46.Kf6
47.Ke7
48.Kd8
49.Kc7
50.Kxb7
51.Kc6
52.Bb7
53.Bc8
54.Kb7
55.Ka7

dxc8=Q stalemate

[Coyote]

ding ding ding! We have a winner!

It's a little late to say this now, I guess, but there's an accepted shorthand method for writing solutions to these longer series-problems. Only 'milepost' moves are given, typically when one unit stops moving and another starts, or when a capture takes place. Additionally, if one piece makes a particularly circuitous route like the BK does here, a midway point may be given. Thus, the solution here could be given as:

1.Ka4
8.Kh2
17.Kxa7
26.Kh2
34.Kxb5
42.Kh2
50.Kxb7
51.Kc6
53.Bc8
55.Ka7 Pxc8Q=

I'm mentioning this here mainly so that I can link back to it as an example of 'problemist shorthand' should I ever get around to posting another one of these type of puzzles.

[jwok]

I found this puzzle to be rather curious, the entire nature of consecutive moves and all, and i got to thinking of how to make one with more moves......the result follows:

(and for those of you who are following, this is NOT the puzzle I've spent days working on...I did this to beat a spat of insomnia last night and the puzzle that came about is rather clever in some aspects and not entirely obvious, i don't think...though I ended up with more than 9 pieces, my initial goal and all...)


Series HelpStalemate in 56 (damn straight,1 MORE!!!!)

Chess Board

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 7R/R3B1Pp/B2P/P1k1N2K/2P/1PPPP/8/1N

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Rules: same as above...(incidentally i created a series checkmate in 87 moves but its veryobvious and not of the same ilk as this puzzle entirely....)

Oh yeah, black is moving up....that's the way my board looks right now.