Author: Machiel de Heer
Date: 14:10:06 12/08/97
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On December 07, 1997 at 22:20:22, Don Dailey wrote: >>>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 Hi Don, I've played a bit with the "1 queen, 2 of everything else"-problem (pawns excluded). Initially i could only get to 99, but: 4k3/8/4N3/4B3/2N1B1K1/1R7/5Q2/3R4 w - - ; 100 legal moves Hope i didn't miscount. My program wouldn't accept it. Seems to be the maximum, since the Queen + 2 Bishops can only get to 49 (out of a possible 53), after which there isn't enough space left for the knights (giving up one square). Can't prove it though :-) -- Machiel
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