What are the fewest number of turns in which checkmate can be accomplished in the game of chess (assuming that the loser makes all the necessary wrong moves to allow for the shortest possible game) and what are the required moves?

BungeeAZ

http://www.chess-poster.com/english/mail/mail_2003/shortest_game_ever.htm According to this, the shortest checkmate is possible in two moves. Oct 08 06, 3:59 PM

satguru

I was taught a fool's mate when I started which i think needs 4 moves by the first player. If you look it up you can find the exact ones and number, this was a long time ago... Oct 08 06, 4:01 PM

Ilona_Ritter

Yes it's 2 because I know people who have done it in two moves. Oct 08 06, 4:04 PM

Gnomon

The first move in that 2-move game does not seem to be legal to me. Can anyone explain it? Oct 08 06, 4:22 PM

ceetee

In the old notation, white's first move is P-KN4 , to which black responds P-KB4. Whites next move is P-KB3 and the rest, as they say in the better French classics, est histoire. Oct 08 06, 5:33 PM

Baloo55th

Looks legal to me. Here's a link to the current numbering system: http://www.hixoxih.com/games/chess/images/2d-chessboard-plain-16.gif and I can't find anything illegal with the moves given. Nothing can be interposed, and the queen can't be taken. Oct 09 06, 5:23 AM

davejacobs

It seems to me there is an error in the moves given. The referenced site gives;1: g4 f5 2: f3 Qh4++ Or in old money, 1: P-KKn4 P-KB4 1: P-KB3 Q-KR5 For the trick to work, black must move his King's pawn, in order to allow his Queen out. This requires his first move to be e3 or e4, not f3 Or, P-K3 or K4 Oct 09 06, 8:54 AM

Baloo55th

Well spotted. I thought this would work: 1: f4 e5 2: e3 Qh4 but white can and must (by the rules) interpose a pawn at g3 and drive the queen off. (Indeed, if playing the en passant rule the queen may even be taken!) It would be logical for white to play to e3 to protect the pawn on f4. However, if the play goes: 1: f4 e5 2: g4 Qh4++ which is very illogical play by white, the checkmate occurs. Come on, pick a hole in this one.... I'm not a very good chess player. Oct 09 06, 10:54 AM

davejacobs

The en passant rule only applies to pawns taking pawns. Oct 09 06, 1:26 PM

Baloo55th

Never too sure about en passant - no-one I ever played knew what it was. How about my rework of the short game? Does it work? Oct 09 06, 2:26 PM

davejacobs

Yes, I think 1: f4 e5 2: g4 Qh4++ does work. It is what I was trying to say, except that I got confused about where the numbers start. I had forgotten that in the modern system the numbering of rows is done from the white side, whereas in the old system the numbering is from the point of view of the mover. I'm sure that a good search engine will respond to the entry of 'en passant' with a precise description of the rule. But here is my attempt: Normally a player has a choice of whether to move a pawn one or two squares forward. If when moving two squares it finds inself alongside an opposing advanced pawn, the that opposing pawn may (not must) take your pawn as if it had only moved one square forward. Oct 10 06, 9:55 AM