Author: Don Dailey
Date: 19:20:22 12/07/97
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>>Could you tell me what is the maximum number of legal moves in a >>chess game position? >>A) In theory? >>B) In practice? >3r2k1/1p3ppp/p4P2/P3r3/1P3nPP/5RQ1/2q5/R6K b - - ; 65 legal moves. >>Q6Q/4Q3/1Q6/5Q2/2Q5/R5Q1/3Q2NN/1R3KBk w - - ; 195 moves. Here is an 82 move one found in the search from a normal position: 1r1Q3r/5k1p/B3b1N1/2p1QN2/4p3/8/1PP3KP/R3R3 w - - ; 82 legal moves But I noticed there were 2 queens on the board. White had 2 queens, 2 mobile rooks a mobile bishop and even the king had 7 sqaures it could move to. Both knights were pretty mobile and there were 3 pawns each on the board. The position looked natural, not like a construction. Since a lot of pieces were close to maximum mobility it would be hard for me to believe a 100 move position even exists with only 1 queen on the board. If each piece had maximum mobility and no multiple pieces were allowed unless they existed from the opening position: 27 queen 8 knight 8 knight 13 bishop 13 bishop 14 rook 14 rook 8 king --------- 105 moves. The pawns could add moves but it's hard to believe they would not interfere with the range of other pieces. Also it's hard to believe the pieces themselves would not interfere with each other. I believe it will be truly difficult if not impossible to find a position with 100 legal moves possible assuming only up to 1 queen and 2 of everything else. With multiple queens we see it's quite possible to exceed 200 moves. -- Don
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