[two Cannons] the longest forced mate is: 2 moves (I think)
In this thread we can discuss forced checkmates by a White King plus [one or two pieces] against a lone Black King on a 12x12 board, with stalemate counting as a draw. Three important questions: (1) How many moves does it take to mate? (2) How often can White reach an endgame position where such a mate is possible? (3) If the first two questions have favorable answers, can we hope that forced mate is usually possible on 16x16 boards, or is there a counterexample? The examples given above involve unusual endgame positions, which would normally result from a ridiculous blunder by Black. Dave McCooey has made a selection of pieces and posted elaborate tables with all possible results for [one or two pieces].
Recently H. G. Muller has posted comments on forced mates using the [Bison] and the [Carpenter]. While there is no PIECECLOPEDIA page, the Lion or Half-Duck can be found in several variants, including my Unicorn Great Chess. I have always hoped that this piece counts as 'suficient mating material' on a 12x12 board. I definitely find it easier to play with than Bisons (Camel + Zebra) or Carpenters (Knight + Dabbabah).
[two Knights] the longest forced mate is: 1 move
[two Cannons] the longest forced mate is: 2 moves (I think)
In this thread we can discuss forced checkmates by a White King plus [one or two pieces] against a lone Black King on a 12x12 board, with stalemate counting as a draw. Three important questions: (1) How many moves does it take to mate? (2) How often can White reach an endgame position where such a mate is possible? (3) If the first two questions have favorable answers, can we hope that forced mate is usually possible on 16x16 boards, or is there a counterexample? The examples given above involve unusual endgame positions, which would normally result from a ridiculous blunder by Black. Dave McCooey has made a selection of pieces and posted elaborate tables with all possible results for [one or two pieces].
Recently H. G. Muller has posted comments on forced mates using the [Bison] and the [Carpenter]. While there is no PIECECLOPEDIA page, the Lion or Half-Duck can be found in several variants, including my Unicorn Great Chess. I have always hoped that this piece counts as 'suficient mating material' on a 12x12 board. I definitely find it easier to play with than Bisons (Camel + Zebra) or Carpenters (Knight + Dabbabah).