Answers.Body: <p>15:</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;&quot;]
  1. e3 f6 2. a4 Kf7 3. a5 Kg6 4. Ra4 Kf5 5. Bc4 Ke4 6. Qh5 Qe8
  </code></pre>
  <p>There are 11. discovered check mates plus 7. Qd5# 7. d3# 7. f3# and 7. Nc3#</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-01-28T16:15:41.450Z
Answers.Text: I moved the "accepted" to this. Funny, a position like that was I instinctively strived for initially.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Hauke Reddmann
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-01-28T17:25:11.367Z
Answers.Text: I wonder whether there is a way to improve this considering that black has a semi-move spare.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Albert.Lang
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-01-27T21:26:14.213Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-01-27T21:26:14.213Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Albert.Lang
Answers.Body: <p>11 without discovered checks:</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;&quot;]
  [startply &quot;12&quot;]
  
  1. e3 e6 2. d4 Ke7 3. Bc4 Kf6 4. Nh3 Kf5 5. Bxe6+ Ke4 6. Qh5 Qe8
  </code></pre>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-01-23T22:59:29.800Z
Answers.Text: I count 12, 3 knight, 1 pawn, 2 bishop, 6 queen
Answers.UserDisplayName: Charles Roddie
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-01-23T23:40:33.277Z
Answers.Text: @CharlesRoddie only 1 bishop mate because alas Bf5+ Kd5
Answers.UserDisplayName: Noam D. Elkies
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-01-22T23:18:10.210Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-01-22T23:18:10.210Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Noam D. Elkies
Answers.Body: <p>5.5 moves to 14 fool's mates:</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;&quot;]
  [startply &quot;11&quot;]
  
  1. b4 e6 2. Bb2 Qh4 3. Bxg7 Ne7 4. Bb2 Rg8 5. g3 Rxg3 6. f4
  </code></pre>
  <p>For 6.0 moves, start with something like 1. a3 and then reverse the colors
  (1. a3 b5 2. e3 Bb7 3. Qh5 Bxg2 etc.).</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-01-22T22:23:38.260Z
Answers.Text: This raises the old adage of if unique or not and such is wanted.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Rewan Demontay
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-01-22T22:45:03.850Z
Answers.Text: @RewanDemontay Usually in such tasks different discoveries do count as different mates;
  I note that you accepted such an answer yourself
  <https://chess.stackexchange.com/questions/24061>.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Noam D. Elkies
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-01-22T23:45:36.873Z
Answers.Text: Very true; I raised the point as Hauke did not specify, and you can never quite know with him.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Rewan Demontay
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-01-23T07:27:14.113Z
Answers.Text: Hauke says that in this setting, discovered checks are perfectly OK and he already tried in vain to set up such a battery (to his defense, 6 o'clock in the morning half asleep in his head :-)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Hauke Reddmann
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-01-25T22:04:28.230Z
Answers.Text: Accepted; I lack the imagination how a full rook cross shall be beaten.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Hauke Reddmann
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-01-22T21:27:58.183Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-01-22T21:27:58.183Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Noam D. Elkies
Answers.Body: <p>I bid 7.</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;&quot;]
  [startply &quot;12&quot;]
  
  1. e4 f6 2. Qf3 Kf7 3. Be2 Kg6 4. e5 Kg5 5. d4+ Kh4 6. d5 e6
  </code></pre>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-01-22T19:29:44.707Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-01-22T19:29:44.707Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Rewan Demontay
Body: <p>Found this construction problem from '83 and liked it. I don't know the best solution (yet), and maybe you can top it anyway.</p>
  <p>Consider the (help) &quot;game&quot; 1.e4 a6 2.Bc4 a5 3.Qh5 a4. Now White can mate in two ways (and I doubt this value can be increased having 6 preceding half-moves). Maximize the number of possible White mates after 12 half-moves (which you choose).</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-01-23T00:33:02.427Z
Comments.Text: The count for 6 preceding half-moves can be increased! 1.e4 f5 2.Bc4 fxe4 3.Qf3 g5, followed by 4.Qh5#, 4.Qf7# or 4.Bf7#
Comments.UserDisplayName: James Martin
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-01-23T07:29:21.627Z
Comments.Text: THX. If I had had formulated as a question, the post might have been closed due to one question too many :-)))
Comments.UserDisplayName: Hauke Reddmann
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-01-23T18:04:57.387Z
Comments.Text: I can confirm by brute force that 1. e4 f5 2. Bc4 fxe4 3. Qf3 g5 is the only position with 3 different mates after 6 half-moves. There are also 5 other transpositions of those moves that yield the same position.
Comments.UserDisplayName: LegionMammal978
Tags: <problems><checkmate><puzzles><records>
Title: Most mate options after 6 moves
ThreadText: # Most mate options after 6 moves
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2024-01-22)
  
  Found this construction problem from '83 and liked it. I don't know the best solution (yet), and maybe you can top it anyway.
  
  Consider the (help) "game" 1.e4 a6 2.Bc4 a5 3.Qh5 a4. Now White can mate in two ways (and I doubt this value can be increased having 6 preceding half-moves). Maximize the number of possible White mates after 12 half-moves (which you choose).
  
  **Tags:** problems, checkmate, puzzles, records
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: The count for 6 preceding half-moves can be increased! 1.e4 f5 2.Bc4 fxe4 3.Qf3 g5, followed by 4.Qh5#, 4.Qf7# or 4.Bf7#  
  > **username_0**: THX. If I had had formulated as a question, the post might have been closed due to one question too many :-)))  
  > **username_2**: I can confirm by brute force that 1. e4 f5 2. Bc4 fxe4 3. Qf3 g5 is the only position with 3 different mates after 6 half-moves. There are also 5 other transpositions of those moves that yield the same position.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 4 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2024-01-27. Score: 3 | Accepted answer
  
  15:
  [FEN ""]
  1. e3 f6 2. a4 Kf7 3. a5 Kg6 4. Ra4 Kf5 5. Bc4 Ke4 6. Qh5 Qe8
  
  There are 11. discovered check mates plus 7. Qd5# 7. d3# 7. f3# and 7. Nc3#
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: I moved the "accepted" to this. Funny, a position like that was I instinctively strived for initially.  
  > **username_3**: I wonder whether there is a way to improve this considering that black has a semi-move spare.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2024-01-22. Score: 11
  
  11 without discovered checks:
  [FEN ""]
  [startply "12"]
  
  1. e3 e6 2. d4 Ke7 3. Bc4 Kf6 4. Nh3 Kf5 5. Bxe6+ Ke4 6. Qh5 Qe8
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_5**: I count 12, 3 knight, 1 pawn, 2 bishop, 6 queen  
  > **username_4**: @CharlesRoddie only 1 bishop mate because alas Bf5+ Kd5  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2024-01-22. Score: 8
  
  5.5 moves to 14 fool's mates:
  [FEN ""]
  [startply "11"]
  
  1. b4 e6 2. Bb2 Qh4 3. Bxg7 Ne7 4. Bb2 Rg8 5. g3 Rxg3 6. f4
  
  For 6.0 moves, start with something like 1. a3 and then reverse the colors
  (1. a3 b5 2. e3 Bb7 3. Qh5 Bxg2 etc.).
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_6**: This raises the old adage of if unique or not and such is wanted.  
  > **username_4**: @RewanDemontay Usually in such tasks different discoveries do count as different mates; I note that you accepted such an answer yourself <https://chess.stackexchange.com/questions/24061>.  
  > **username_6**: Very true; I raised the point as Hauke did not specify, and you can never quite know with him.  
  > **username_0**: Hauke says that in this setting, discovered checks are perfectly OK and he already tried in vain to set up such a battery (to his defense, 6 o'clock in the morning half asleep in his head :-)  
  > **username_0**: Accepted; I lack the imagination how a full rook cross shall be beaten.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2024-01-22. Score: 3
  
  I bid 7.
  [FEN ""]
  [startply "12"]
  
  1. e4 f6 2. Qf3 Kf7 3. Be2 Kg6 4. e5 Kg5 5. d4+ Kh4 6. d5 e6
  
  
  ---
  
  