White & King

[TimeSpaceLightForce]

From a game start setup ,how is it possible to arrive at the position shown above with only Black's 15 moves?

Edited April 29, 2014 by TimeSpaceLightForce

[TimeSpaceLightForce]

http://www.chess.com/analysis-board-editor#


Note:
1. click [Game Editor] tab
2. click [Paste PNG] button
3. Copy and paste all text (PNG String) below ,then click OKs
4. Play >


[FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"]
[Result "*"]

1.Nf3 g5 2.Nxg5 b6 3.Nxh7 c6 4.Nxf8 e6 5.Nxd7 Qc7 6.Nxb8 f5 7.Nxc6 f4 8.Nxa7 Nf6

9.Nxc8 Ne4 10.Nxb6 Ng5 11.Nxa8 Nh3 12.Nxc7+ Ke7 13.Nxe6 Ng1 14.Nxf4 Rh3 15.Nxh3

Ke8 16.Nxg1
*

[BMAD]

I don't believe it is possible. White would have to take all of blacks' 15 pieces in fifteen moves and return to its starting position. This would mean that they would only be able to move the knights. So if they were actually able to take all 15 pieces in 15 consecutive moves, the knights (at least 1) would still have to come out and return to their original positions (but only the latter can occur as it takes a piece).

So even if the knight could take all 15 pieces, it would have to, in the worst case make its first initial move which is 15 moves to take a piece + 1 initial move.

So i don't see a way of doing this in less than 16 moves (though I am unsure if 16 is even the true minimal case.

[TimeSpaceLightForce]

Must plan 15 moves ahead..i don't think this puzzle has only one unique solution..

[bonanova]

I'm not sure of the meaning of "only Black's fifteen moves."

Are we assuming anything at all about White's moves?

Do White and Black move in turn as in an ordinary game?

[BMAD]

In rethinking...if black can only move 15 times I would venture to guess that means white can move 16 meaning that the state shown in the op is the position before black makes its 16th move.

Edited April 30, 2014 by BMAD

[TimeSpaceLightForce]

@Bonanova -Black should command the game moves..white merely captures (w/o option) what is offered by black ,that is to help arrive to such position. White and Black move in turn as in an ordinary game.

@BMAD- Indeed!

[TimeSpaceLightForce]

In rethinking...if black can only move 15 times I would venture to guess that means white can move 16 meaning that the state shown in the op is the position before black makes its 16th move.

15 is the minimum black moves possible..i hope you don't doubt now

but there is no solution for using two knights

Edited April 30, 2014 by TimeSpaceLightForce

[bonanova]

That is amazing.

[BMAD]

Darn. I couldn't get less until 17 moves.