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My solution has: a

181 moves (certainly suboptimal) - Note that it is the same as Johnathan Allan's solution (see his for a gif of the solution), I made an arithmetic error doing it by hand and not checking with a computer (Don't believe me? Check the revision history!).

I will use P to denote pawn for nice formatting (sorry chess fans) and instead of writing multi-move chains of sliding the same type of piece in a line I will just put the start of the chain, the end of the chain and the number of moves between in brackets.

The key part is the start:

Rh3-e7 (9 moves) For example, this denotes Re8-e7, Rf8-e8, Rg8-f8, etc. round to Rh3-h4.
Ng5-e3 (1 move)
Pg2-g5 (3 moves)
Rg1-g2 (1 move)
Nh3-g1 (1 move)
Re7-h3 (9 moves)
Qe6-e7 (1 move)
Pe2-e6 (4 moves)
Ng1-e2 (1 move)
Rc1-g1 (4 moves)
Ne2-c1 (1 move)
Rb8-e2 (17 moves)

This gives:

The position shown here after 52 moves.

This is the brute force part:

Ka8-b8 (1 move)
Ra2-a8 (6 moves)
Nc1-a2 (1 move)
Rc8-c1 (17 moves)
Kb8-c8 (1 move)
Pb1-b8 (7 moves)
Rd8-b1 (17 moves)
Kc8-d8 (1 move)
Pc2-c8 (6 moves)
Re8-c2 (16 moves)
Kd8-e8 (1 move)
Pd2-d8 (6 moves)
Rf8-d2 (14 moves)
Ke8-f8 (1 move)
Qe7-e8 (1 move)
Pe3-e7 (4 moves)
Rg8-e3 (13 moves)
Kf8-g8 (1 move)
Pf2-f8 (6 moves)
Rh8-f2 (8 moves - note the shortcut via g2)
Kg8-h8 (1 move)

This gives the final position of:

This! (after another 129 moves)

Animated solution credits to Johnathan Allan:

My solution has:

181 moves - Note that it is the same as Johnathan Allan's solution (see his for a gif of the solution), I made an arithmetic error doing it by hand and not checking with a computer (Don't believe me? Check the revision history!).

I will use P to denote pawn for nice formatting (sorry chess fans) and instead of writing multi-move chains of sliding the same type of piece in a line I will just put the start of the chain, the end of the chain and the number of moves between in brackets.

The key part is the start:

Rh3-e7 (9 moves) For example, this denotes Re8-e7, Rf8-e8, Rg8-f8, etc. round to Rh3-h4.
Ng5-e3 (1 move)
Pg2-g5 (3 moves)
Rg1-g2 (1 move)
Nh3-g1 (1 move)
Re7-h3 (9 moves)
Qe6-e7 (1 move)
Pe2-e6 (4 moves)
Ng1-e2 (1 move)
Rc1-g1 (4 moves)
Ne2-c1 (1 move)
Rb8-e2 (17 moves)

This gives:

The position shown here after 52 moves.

This is the brute force part:

Ka8-b8 (1 move)
Ra2-a8 (6 moves)
Nc1-a2 (1 move)
Rc8-c1 (17 moves)
Kb8-c8 (1 move)
Pb1-b8 (7 moves)
Rd8-b1 (17 moves)
Kc8-d8 (1 move)
Pc2-c8 (6 moves)
Re8-c2 (16 moves)
Kd8-e8 (1 move)
Pd2-d8 (6 moves)
Rf8-d2 (14 moves)
Ke8-f8 (1 move)
Qe7-e8 (1 move)
Pe3-e7 (4 moves)
Rg8-e3 (13 moves)
Kf8-g8 (1 move)
Pf2-f8 (6 moves)
Rh8-f2 (8 moves - note the shortcut via g2)
Kg8-h8 (1 move)

This gives the final position of:

This! (after another 129 moves)

Animated solution credits to Johnathan Allan:

My solution has:

181 moves (certainly suboptimal) - Note that it is the same as Johnathon Allan's solution (see his for a gif of the solution), I made an arithmetic error doing it by hand and not checking with a computer (Don't believe me? Check the revision history!).

I will use P to denote pawn for nice formatting (sorry chess fans) and instead of writing multi-move chains of sliding the same type of piece in a line I will just put the start of the chain, the end of the chain and the number of moves between in brackets.

The key part is the start:

Rh3-e7 (9 moves) For example, this denotes Re8-e7, Rf8-e8, Rg8-f8, etc. round to Rh3-h4.
Ng5-e3 (1 move)
Pg2-g5 (3 moves)
Rg1-g2 (1 move)
Nh3-g1 (1 move)
Re7-h3 (9 moves)
Qe6-e7 (1 move)
Pe2-e6 (4 moves)
Ng1-e2 (1 move)
Rc1-g1 (4 moves)
Ne2-c1 (1 move)
Rb8-e2 (17 moves)

This gives:

The position shown here after 52 moves.

This is the brute force part:

Ka8-b8 (1 move)
Ra2-a8 (6 moves)
Nc1-a2 (1 move)
Rc8-c1 (17 moves)
Kb8-c8 (1 move)
Pb1-b8 (7 moves)
Rd8-b1 (17 moves)
Kc8-d8 (1 move)
Pc2-c8 (6 moves)
Re8-c2 (16 moves)
Kd8-e8 (1 move)
Pd2-d8 (6 moves)
Rf8-d2 (14 moves)
Ke8-f8 (1 move)
Qe7-e8 (1 move)
Pe3-e7 (4 moves)
Rg8-e3 (13 moves)
Kf8-g8 (1 move)
Pf2-f8 (6 moves)
Rh8-f2 (8 moves - note the shortcut via g2)
Kg8-h8 (1 move)

This gives the final position of:

This! (after another 129 moves)

My solution has: a

181 moves (certainly suboptimal) - Note that it is the same as Johnathan Allan's solution (see his for a gif of the solution), I made an arithmetic error doing it by hand and not checking with a computer (Don't believe me? Check the revision history!).

I will use P to denote pawn for nice formatting (sorry chess fans) and instead of writing multi-move chains of sliding the same type of piece in a line I will just put the start of the chain, the end of the chain and the number of moves between in brackets.

The key part is the start:

Rh3-e7 (9 moves) For example, this denotes Re8-e7, Rf8-e8, Rg8-f8, etc. round to Rh3-h4.
Ng5-e3 (1 move)
Pg2-g5 (3 moves)
Rg1-g2 (1 move)
Nh3-g1 (1 move)
Re7-h3 (9 moves)
Qe6-e7 (1 move)
Pe2-e6 (4 moves)
Ng1-e2 (1 move)
Rc1-g1 (4 moves)
Ne2-c1 (1 move)
Rb8-e2 (17 moves)

This gives:

The position shown here after 52 moves.

This is the brute force part:

Ka8-b8 (1 move)
Ra2-a8 (6 moves)
Nc1-a2 (1 move)
Rc8-c1 (17 moves)
Kb8-c8 (1 move)
Pb1-b8 (7 moves)
Rd8-b1 (17 moves)
Kc8-d8 (1 move)
Pc2-c8 (6 moves)
Re8-c2 (16 moves)
Kd8-e8 (1 move)
Pd2-d8 (6 moves)
Rf8-d2 (14 moves)
Ke8-f8 (1 move)
Qe7-e8 (1 move)
Pe3-e7 (4 moves)
Rg8-e3 (13 moves)
Kf8-g8 (1 move)
Pf2-f8 (6 moves)
Rh8-f2 (8 moves - note the shortcut via g2)
Kg8-h8 (1 move)

This gives the final position of:

This! (after another 129 moves)

Animated solution credits to Johnathan Allan:

My solution has:

181 moves (certainly suboptimal) - Note that it is the same as Johnathon Allan's solution, I made an arithmetic error doing it by hand and not checking with a computer (Don't believe me? Check the revision history!).

I will use P to denote pawn for nice formatting (sorry chess fans) and instead of writing multi-move chains of sliding the same type of piece in a line I will just put the start of the chain, the end of the chain and the number of moves between in brackets.

The key part is the start:

Rh3-e7 (9 moves) For example, this denotes Re8-e7, Rf8-e8, Rg8-f8, etc. round to Rh3-h4.
Ng5-e3 (1 move)
Pg2-g5 (3 moves)
Rg1-g2 (1 move)
Nh3-g1 (1 move)
Re7-h3 (9 moves)
Qe6-e7 (1 move)
Pe2-e6 (4 moves)
Ng1-e2 (1 move)
Rc1-g1 (4 moves)
Ne2-c1 (1 move)
Rb8-e2 (17 moves)

This gives:

The position shown here after 52 moves.

This is the brute force part:

Ka8-b8 (1 move)
Ra2-a8 (6 moves)
Nc1-a2 (1 move)
Rc8-c1 (17 moves)
Kb8-c8 (1 move)
Pb1-b8 (7 moves)
Rd8-b1 (17 moves)
Kc8-d8 (1 move)
Pc2-c8 (6 moves)
Re8-c2 (16 moves)
Kd8-e8 (1 move)
Pd2-d8 (6 moves)
Rf8-d2 (14 moves)
Ke8-f8 (1 move)
Qe7-e8 (1 move)
Pe3-e7 (4 moves)
Rg8-e3 (13 moves)
Kf8-g8 (1 move)
Pf2-f8 (6 moves)
Rh8-f2 (8 moves - note the shortcut via g2)
Kg8-h8 (1 move)

This gives the final position of:

This! (after another 129 moves)

My solution has:

181 moves (certainly suboptimal) - Note that it is the same as Johnathon Allan's solution (see his for a gif of the solution), I made an arithmetic error doing it by hand and not checking with a computer (Don't believe me? Check the revision history!).

I will use P to denote pawn for nice formatting (sorry chess fans) and instead of writing multi-move chains of sliding the same type of piece in a line I will just put the start of the chain, the end of the chain and the number of moves between in brackets.

The key part is the start:

Rh3-e7 (9 moves) For example, this denotes Re8-e7, Rf8-e8, Rg8-f8, etc. round to Rh3-h4.
Ng5-e3 (1 move)
Pg2-g5 (3 moves)
Rg1-g2 (1 move)
Nh3-g1 (1 move)
Re7-h3 (9 moves)
Qe6-e7 (1 move)
Pe2-e6 (4 moves)
Ng1-e2 (1 move)
Rc1-g1 (4 moves)
Ne2-c1 (1 move)
Rb8-e2 (17 moves)

This gives:

The position shown here after 52 moves.

This is the brute force part:

Ka8-b8 (1 move)
Ra2-a8 (6 moves)
Nc1-a2 (1 move)
Rc8-c1 (17 moves)
Kb8-c8 (1 move)
Pb1-b8 (7 moves)
Rd8-b1 (17 moves)
Kc8-d8 (1 move)
Pc2-c8 (6 moves)
Re8-c2 (16 moves)
Kd8-e8 (1 move)
Pd2-d8 (6 moves)
Rf8-d2 (14 moves)
Ke8-f8 (1 move)
Qe7-e8 (1 move)
Pe3-e7 (4 moves)
Rg8-e3 (13 moves)
Kf8-g8 (1 move)
Pf2-f8 (6 moves)
Rh8-f2 (8 moves - note the shortcut via g2)
Kg8-h8 (1 move)

This gives the final position of:

This! (after another 129 moves)