[ List Latest Comments Only For Pages | Games | Rated Pages | Rated Games | Subjects of Discussion ]
Comments/Ratings for a Single Item
Hmmm... Chessmaster 9000 should never lose or draw any winable endgame with 5 or less pieces; it has an end-game database which contains all possible positions with 5 or less pieces and can lookup the perfect responce and number of moves to mate. I just did a quick websearch and saw something about a flaw with the endgame database originally shipped with CM9000, so I assume that's the problem.
K-B-N vs. K : I have read that the maximum number of moves needed is 33, but the sequence must be extremely precise, an slight error can be enough for surpasing the 50th. move, so it is difficult win the game in every case. I have also read an old article that K-Q vs. K-R is a victory for the superior band in at most 36-40 moves, but the analysis is too complicated, even with computers, to be enterely sure, by cause of the high branching factor...And the article conclusion was based on a particular strategy by part of the K-R team. It is also certain that slight errors are enough for a draw by the 50 moves rule, playing under optimal defensive sequence. In the game Svidler-Gelfand 2001 world championship eliminatories, Svidler commited a slight error, but also Gelfand essayed a novel strategy, with the Rook close to his King amost all the time as theory suggests, but moving the Rook sometimes far from his King to precise squares in very precise moments. By curiosity, I made an experiment with Chessmaster 9000 playing against itself, with a far-from-trivial initial position I have found in Internet. The result: draw, by the 50 moves rule. This is not a conclusive remark, but may be an indicative of the difficulties for the superior band. This problem is a good exercise to be tested using high-level programs running on powerful computers.
My understanding is that KBN vs. K can win in under 50 moves from any starting position except those where the lone King can immediately capture the Knight or Bishop. If my memory's not too crazy, I think the maximum number of moves required is somewhere around 30-35. It can be done in 50, but there's often not much room for error.
King, Knight and Bishop CAN win against the lonely King, but I´m not sure it is mandatory in ANY initial position. I have my doubts about if there are certain positions which require more than 50 moves for a forced victory, and in such cases the game is draw. I suspect, indeed, that these initial positions exist. If someone has the answer, it should be interesting to see it here.
Also, no mate with king and two knights versus lone king. King and two
bishops are enough, as are king, knight and bishop.
If all you have is a King and a Knight, I don't think you've got enough material to mate a solitary King using traditional chess rules, even if your opponent were to help you out and move his King where you want it to be moved. However, if you are playing chess on a nonstandard board, it might be possible. For instance, if the traditional 8x8 board had extra corners that were squares that a King could stumble into, a 'mate' of some kind might be possible. Naturally, we'd be talking about a pretty strange chessboard - for instance, a non-euclidean board - perhaps with an extra square just beyond each corner square - reachable by King or Knight, and entered as though it were just another square on the diagonal. But short of that, the simple answer to your question is: 'No - a King and Knight cannot mate a solitary enemy King, on a traditional 8x8 board., with no other pieces to assist.'
There cannot be any checkmate when only King, Knight, and opposing King are left on the board. This is also true when only King, Bishop, and opposing King are left on the board.
how do i checkmate when i have one knight and king and opponent has only king ?
9 comments displayed
Permalink to the exact comments currently displayed.