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Questions tagged [forced-move]

Questions with this tag can be about why a move is forced, or puzzles/compositions involving forced moves.

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4 votes
1 answer
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Longest sequence of unique legal moves for one player, always in check and ending in checkmate

I recently played a bullet game, in which I thought I was in checkmate, but then realized I had one legal move, this then repeated again and again 6 times until ultimately I was in checkmate. I share ...
Mur's user avatar
  • 43
7 votes
1 answer
237 views

Do any unique proof games feature an en-passant capture?

Most positions that could be reached, in a specified number of moves, after an en passant capture could be reached just as well without one, suggesting that such positions could not occur in unique ...
supercat's user avatar
  • 1,144
2 votes
1 answer
120 views

Minimal forced checkmate

A forced checkmate is a situation in which the player whose turn it is has only legal moves which put the other player in checkmate. I’m searching for the minimal forced checkmate (the smallest amount ...
Alfe's user avatar
  • 123
3 votes
5 answers
485 views

A special "dead" position

Construct a position which forcibly leads to White or Black being stalemated (and both events are actually possible), meaning that the position is already dead. Further (or it would be too easy) all ...
Hauke Reddmann's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
507 views

What is the largest n such that discrete forced mate in one through mate in "n" exist?

This is admittedly a bit of an obscure question, so I apologize for the awkward wording of the question. To begin, assume you are playing as White, and that a "forcing move" is any move that ...
AKemats's user avatar
  • 435
6 votes
2 answers
1k views

Why is this position a forced mate?

I was playing a game against one of the chess.com bots, as shown below (I was playing as white). On analysing the game afterwards, I'm aware I made a lot of mistakes, but the one I'm really confused ...
ZsigE's user avatar
  • 185
4 votes
2 answers
842 views

What is the longest possible forced checkmate sequence?

As title says. My question is about legal positions (positions which could be reached in actual games), but if there is a known solution with an illegal position to start the sequence, I'd be ...
Mauro Giliberti's user avatar
24 votes
3 answers
5k views

Running out of time before playing a forced move that would draw the game

What happens if a player runs out of time before playing a forced move that would end in a draw? I suspect it is a loss, but it would be fair to be a draw. 7K/6P1/8/8/8/8/1k4p1/8 b - - 0 1 1... g1=Q ...
Chaotic's user avatar
  • 351
8 votes
1 answer
250 views

Is a both-sides forced perpetual check possible?

There are lots of positions where one side can force the other into a perpetual check. Is there any position in which there are no legal moves besides continuing the perpetual from both sides? For ...
Florian Wendelborn's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
285 views

What is the chess position with biggest X, where no matter what legal move black/white does, a specific player will be mated at a max X moves later?

There are positions where no matter what legal move black or white does during this sequence of moves, an specific player, will always be mated after X moves (sometimes earlier, but after X moves its ...
Colleg an Delta's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
415 views

Longest sequence of forcing moves?

What is the longest fixed consecutive series of moves for one player such that the other player's response is forced every move? Assume draw rules must be obeyed (threefold repetition, 50-move rule, ...
Mobeus Zoom's user avatar
  • 2,269
2 votes
2 answers
920 views

An interesting positional chess riddle [duplicate]

I was thinking about a situation on a chessboard. You can call it a riddle, but I am not sure whether it is solvable or not. Let's say that there are more than 5 pieces for both Black and White, ...
Amlan Saha Kundu's user avatar
20 votes
3 answers
6k views

Is there a double-forced mate position?

A usual forced mate position is where the winning player can play in a way that ensures checkmate, no matter what (legal) moves the opponent makes (unless the game ends due to a non-play reason, i.e. ...
Hymns For Disco's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
206 views

Which legal position has the smallest number of moves in a "forced loop"?

Consider this (illegal) position. [FEN "5n1k/3p1p1p/3PpPpP/4P1P1/1p1p4/pPpPp3/P1P1P3/K1N5 w - - 0 1"] If we do not consider the position's illegality, and the fact that it is clearly ...
Ferazhu's user avatar
  • 192
5 votes
2 answers
490 views

What is White's motivation to give up the Queen?

I received the following tactics puzzle on lichess.org. Even though, I ended up solving it correctly, I am still not clear about the move 2. Ng5, because this loses the Queen. What prevents 2. Qe2, ...
Stanley F.'s user avatar
6 votes
5 answers
2k views

Is this position a forced win for Black after move 14?

In this Lichess game, [FEN ""] 1.c4 e5 2.e4 d6 3.Nc3 Be6 4.Nf3 Nc6 5. d4 exd4 6.Nxd4 Nxd4 7.Qxd4 c5 8.Qd3 g6 9. Be2 Bg7 10.O-O Nh6 11.Re1 Ng4 12.Bxg4 Bxg4 13.e5 Bxe5 14.Nd5 Qh4 15. Nc7+ Kd7 16. ...
GridAlien's user avatar
  • 171
3 votes
1 answer
466 views

What is the highest number of forced checkmates in a legal position?

Having been inspired by a similar question, what legal positions have the most forced checkmates for one side and for both sides?
Rewan Demontay's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
1k views

A position in which checkmate is forced (obligatory)

I am looking for a position in which all possible moves are checkmate. This means, that if the player does not want to checkmate the opponent, because for example he feels sorry for him, even in that ...
Greece's user avatar
  • 49
12 votes
1 answer
4k views

What is the longest proven forced win (including 50 & 75 move rules)?

What is the longest (currently discovered) number of moves for a forced mate position where players will use both the 50-move draw rule and the 3-fold repetition rule if it will help them avoid losing?...
silent-tiger's user avatar
11 votes
4 answers
2k views

What is the longest forced mate optimally played in documented competition?

There are tons of questions about the longest forced mate on here and other chess forums. Usually the answers are the 2 Knights forced mate and another one that evidently takes 549 optimal moves. ...
marcman's user avatar
  • 259
5 votes
3 answers
176 views

What defines a forcing move with major/minor pieces?

I have been taking various training tests and the answer almost always involves some sort of forcing move. Clearly attacking a king will always force a response but when another piece is involved (...
Matt's user avatar
  • 165
22 votes
4 answers
4k views

What is the longest known sequence of forced moves leading to a checkmate for one side?

By forced move, it is meant that the player has only one legal move. [fen "7k/q5Q1/p4PPK/6PP/8/5P2/8/8 b - - 0 1"] 1... Qxg7+ 2. fxg7+ Kg8 3. f4 a5 4. f5 a4 5. f6 a3 6. f7# Above is an example with ...
Peter's user avatar
  • 3,359
2 votes
2 answers
144 views

About stalemates and how to cause one

Are their possible positions where the 'white' side is losing but the person is in a situation where they can force a stalemate? Are there chess positions one can 'look out for' to enable one to ...
201044's user avatar
  • 369
2 votes
3 answers
350 views

About unusual forced mates

Are there 'legitimate' chess positions were say white can force a mate by sacrificing 4 of its pieces in succession one after the other? Can this be done even if white has less material than black?
201044's user avatar
  • 369
3 votes
1 answer
507 views

Which international tournament game has the record for the longest sequence of forced moves until checkmate?

I want to know which international game has the longest sequence of forced moves until checkmate, even if the opponent resigned the game. The result should not be drawn, i.e. we should consider 50 ...
ManirajSS's user avatar
  • 543
5 votes
2 answers
1k views

About forcing a checkmate

Could a player sacrifice 3 of his pieces , the opponent's King being forced to take each piece in a sequence of moves where the opponent's King lands on a space where it is promptly checkmated? A kind ...
user128932's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
2k views

Longest forced sequence that ends with checkmate and every move is a check

What is the longest move sequence that ends with checkmate and every move is a check by both players?
jva's user avatar
  • 367
8 votes
1 answer
639 views

What is the longest non-cyclic forced sequence of moves? [duplicate]

I am looking for positions from where every move is forced up to a certain depth. If the original position (or one in between) occurs again, the sequence is finished there.
chaosflaws's user avatar
  • 1,819
27 votes
5 answers
5k views

Longest sequence of mutually forced moves

In this position, the black move 1. ... Qc3 results in two consecutive forced moves, Kxc3 and Ke7: 2rkr3/2p5/2q5/8/8/8/3KP3/3R4 b - - 0 1 1... Qc3 2. Kxc3 Ke7 What is the longest sequence of ...
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