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Here's a "simple" task for all of you solvers out there: With White to play first, and with both sides working together to checkmate White, aka a helpmate, what is the quickest way for Black to checkmate White?

All normal rules of chess apply. The Black pawn on Black's first rank moves and promotes like a normal Black pawn. However, it is not allowed to have a double-step on it's first move. It moves down the board.

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UPDATE: Just for fun, here is a slight variation of my main puzzle that should definitely take longer to complete. How many moves can you complete it in?

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2 Answers 2

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I did it in 38 moves:

PGN:

[FEN "BkBBBKBp/1B1BBB1B/B1BRBRBR/PBBBBBBB/BBBBBBBB/BBBBBBRB/BBBBBBPP/BBBBBBBR w KQkq -"] [SetUp "1"] [White "?"] [WhiteElo ""] [Black "?"] [BlackElo ""] [Result "*"] [Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [ECO ""] 1.Bc7+ Kxc7 2.Bd8+ Kxd8 3.Ba7 Kc7 4.Bb8+ Kxb8 5.Ba7+ Kc7 6.Bb8+ Kxb8 7.Ba7+ Kc7 8.Bb8+ Kxb8 9.Ba7+ Kc7 10.Bb8+ Kxb8 11.Ba7+ Kxa7 12.Bc5+ Kb8 13.Ba7+ Kxa7 14.Bc5+ Kb8 15.Ba7+ Kxa7 16.Bed4+ Kb8 17.Ba7+ Kxa7 18.Bfe3+ Kb8 19.Ba7+ Kxa7 20.Bd4+ Kb8 21.Ba7+ Kxa7 22.Bde3+ Kb8 23.Bc5 Kc7 24.Bcd4 Kxd6 25.Bc5+ Kxc5 26.Bb4+ Kxb4 27.Ke7 Kxa5 28.Kd8 Kb6 29.Ba3 Ka7 30.Bf8 Kb8 31.Bg7 hxg7 32.Rg1 gxh6 33.Ba3 hxg5 34.Be7 gxh4 35.Bb2 hxg3 36.Ba1 gxh2 37.Bb2 hxg1=B 38.Ba1 Bb6# *

Play it here at https://lichess.org/Y40oicwA

My basic goal was to move a white bishop next to the black pawn so that the black pawn could start moving down the board. But to do that, one of the white rooks had to be removed in order for the white king to get out of the way. I'm pretty sure someone can find a more optimal solution.

For the update, I did it in 43 moves:

PGN:

[FEN "BkBBBKBp/1B1BPB1B/B1BRBPBP/PBBBBBBB/BBBBBBBB/BBBBBBPB/BBBBBBPP/BBBBBBBB w - -"] [SetUp "1"] [White "?"] [WhiteElo ""] [Black "?"] [BlackElo ""] [Result "*"] [Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [ECO ""] 1.Bc7+ Kxc7 2.Bb6+ Kb8 3.Bc7+ Kxc7 4.Bb6+ Kb8 5.Bc7+ Kxc7 6.Bb6+ Kb8 7.Bc7+ Kxc7 8.Bb6+ Kb8 9.Bc7+ Kxc7 10.Bb6+ Kb8 11.Bc7+ Kxc7 12.Bed4 Kb8 13.Ba7+ Kxa7 14.Bd4+ Kb8 15.Ba7+ Kxa7 16.Bd4+ Kb8 17.Ba7+ Kxa7 18.Bd4+ Kb8 19.Ba7+ Kxa7 20.Bfe3+ Kb8 21.Ba7+ Kxa7 22.Bge3+ Kb8 23.Ba7+ Kxa7 24.Bc5+ Kb8 25.Ba7+ Kxa7 26.Bc5+ Kb8 27.Ba7+ Kc7 28.Bb6+ Kxd6 29.Bc5+ Kxc5 30.Bhg5 Kd6 31.Bge3 Ke5 32.Ba7 Kxf6 33.Bg5+ Ke5 34.Bh4 Kd6 35.Bd4 Kc7 36.Bg7 hxg7 37.Bcg5 gxh6 38.Bed2 hxg5 39.Be3 gxh4 40.Bf2 hxg3 41.Bg1 gxh2 42.Kg7 hxg1=Q 43.Kh8 Qd4# *

Play it here at https://lichess.org/JtodIV1z

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For starters,

the first moves must be 1. Bc7+ Kxc7; otherwise the Black king has no moves and it's stalemate.

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    $\begingroup$ I really don't think this is enough thought to justify being a partial answer. $\endgroup$
    – greenturtle3141
    Jul 13, 2019 at 18:56
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    $\begingroup$ @greenturtle3141 first moves are incredibly important; it can change the whole game in the biggest of ways. So I'll have to disagree with you there, but most partial answers aren't very great when they are one line long ;) $\endgroup$
    – Mr Pie
    Jul 14, 2019 at 3:45

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