WHITE mates in 8 moves WHITE: King (g3), Elephants (b3,c4), Ferz (c3) BLACK: King (e1)
1.Kf3 Kf1 2.Fd2 Kg1 3. Kg3 Kf1 4.Ed3+ Kg1 5.Fe3 Kh1 6.Ea6 Kg1 7.Ff2+ Kh1 8.Ef3 mate is the fastest line I could find. I rejected both stalemate and Bare King wins in my latest Courier Chess VIII, which renews my interest in chess problems like this one.
More such problems can be found in the article The Courier Game, by FIDE Master Paul Byway in Variant Chess No. 8, July-December, 1992. He uses "Couriers"(AD) for his Elephants, on a 12x8 board that includes Queens and Bishops. He offers the conjecture: "K + 3 minor pieces v. K is a general win" and states the exception that the Black King can draw against E,E,F by reaching a corner accessible to none of them. My unusual opening setups in this game and Shatranj Kamil X ensure that every square on the board is accessible. But Byway may not have considered the case of "same color" Elephants - he certainly was not studying my more feeble (AmD) pieces. Anyway, it looks like his full strength Alibabas can mate in only six moves:
WHITE mates in 8 moves WHITE: King (g3), Elephants (b3,c4), Ferz (c3) BLACK: King (e1)
1.Kf3 Kf1 2.Fd2 Kg1 3. Kg3 Kf1 4.Ed3+ Kg1 5.Fe3 Kh1 6.Ea6 Kg1 7.Ff2+ Kh1 8.Ef3 mate is the fastest line I could find. I rejected both stalemate and Bare King wins in my latest Courier Chess VIII, which renews my interest in chess problems like this one.
More such problems can be found in the article The Courier Game, by FIDE Master Paul Byway in Variant Chess No. 8, July-December, 1992. He uses "Couriers"(AD) for his Elephants, on a 12x8 board that includes Queens and Bishops. He offers the conjecture: "K + 3 minor pieces v. K is a general win" and states the exception that the Black King can draw against E,E,F by reaching a corner accessible to none of them. My unusual opening setups in this game and Shatranj Kamil X ensure that every square on the board is accessible. But Byway may not have considered the case of "same color" Elephants - he certainly was not studying my more feeble (AmD) pieces. Anyway, it looks like his full strength Alibabas can mate in only six moves:
1.Ee4 Kf1 2.Fd2 Kg1 3.Ed3 Kh1 4.Fe3 Kg1 5.Ff2+ Kh1 6. Ef1 mate.