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Level 290

Submitted by EJCC on Sun, 01/03/2009 - 01:00

We're used to doing puzzles which might be mate-in-one (Level I), mate-in-two (Level II) and so on.  Someone asked on Friday, what's the highest level you can get?  Well, I have heard of a 1220-move monster by Babson, but that has some peculiar conditions. 

The most moves in a forced-mate problem with no conditions is this one, from Otto Blathy, who published a whole book of such monsters.  Mate in 290 -- best of luck!

Mate en 290 jugadas
por O.T.Blathy

1929

bBrb-B--
P-n-r-bp
-Kp-P--p
--pk-P-p
-----P--
-P--pP--
-pP-P---
-R----n-
w - - 0 1

SOLUTION:

Youtube video of the solution

P.S. I thought that was the record, but when searching on the web this weekend I found this Level 292 problem (which is also an illegal position):

PUZZLE:

Blathy
1889

q-----nn
-p--p---
p-k-P-p-
------Pp
PKp-p-pP
--------
--P-P-PP
---Q----
w - - 0 1

SOLUTION:

The longest in a legal position I thought was a 226-mover, sent to me by David Beckwith, but
apparently some computer has found a Level-524 puzzle... I expect only a computer could invent or solve that one!

Chess Quotes

"If chess is a science, it's a most inexact one. If chess is an art, it's too exacting to be seen as one. If chess is a sport, it's too aesoteric. If chess is a game, it's too demanding to be *just* a game. If chess is a mistress, she's a demanding one. If chess is a passion, it's a rewarding one. If chess is life, it's a sad one. "
— pinched from http://freedom.NMSU.Edu/~jdenman/