Answers.Body: <p>Having run stockfish for a couple of days, I can confirm there is at least a mate in 15.</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/M93U6.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/M93U6.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-01-22T18:41:12.220Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-01-22T18:41:12.220Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Simd
Answers.Body: <p>Stockfish took a long time with this one, but with some help it eventually got to <a href="https://lichess.org/study/FJKaViJU" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here.</a></p>
  
  <p>Looks like it's <em>approximately</em> checkmate in 15 from your position. By move 9 (following Stockfish recommendations) it finds a checkmate in 6. Here's what Stockfish says is the best line:</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN "4k3/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQ - 0 1"]
  
  1. c3 b5 2. Qb3 c6 3. Qa3 a5 4. Qxa5 e5 5. Qc7 f6 6. Qc8+ Ke7 7. Qg8 e4 8. Qxg7+ Ke6 9. g3 f5 10. d4 e3 11. Bh3 b4 12. Bxf5+ Kxf5 13. Qf7+ Kg5 14. Bxe3+ Kg4 15. f3#
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Here's a sample game, me vs Stockfish. Took me 18 moves: <a href="https://lichess.org/AJFXfWmCQB5I" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://lichess.org/AJFXfWmCQB5I</a></p>
  
  <p>And another, also 18 moves: <a href="https://lichess.org/Ibno7F6cdfhT" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://lichess.org/Ibno7F6cdfhT</a></p>
  
  <p>I missed some sequences both times.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-01-21T08:44:01.807Z
Answers.Text: Maybe I'm misunderstanding something but for me your link shows the board, but no moves
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ian Bush
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-01-21T14:24:50.963Z
Answers.Text: Woops. My mistake. I'll see if I can get the move order in my answer
Answers.UserDisplayName: Brandon_J
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-01-21T15:56:35.597Z
Answers.Text: If you're struggling just cut and paste the text of the moves and someone (e.g. me) will make it suitable for the  replayer. Or look at https://chess.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/179/how-do-i-add-a-replayer-to-my-post
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ian Bush
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-01-21T16:41:31.797Z
Answers.Text: @IanBush crud, I can't get the starting FEN to work right. Would you mind editing it, or telling me how? I feel kind of goofy now lol.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Brandon_J
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-01-21T17:38:03.733Z
Answers.Text: Black can play 11. ... ef2+ just to lengthen the game one more omve
Answers.UserDisplayName: yrodro
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-01-21T17:42:01.533Z
Answers.Text: @yrodro in which game?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Brandon_J
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-01-21T19:07:16.790Z
Answers.Text: The board I see in your answer has all the pieces at the start for both black and white. Is that a mistake?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Simd
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-01-21T19:11:14.983Z
Answers.Text: Yes it is. I'm not sure how to fix it.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Brandon_J
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-01-22T09:37:14.177Z
Answers.Text: Stockfish has managed to find a mate in 16 so far for me.  I will leave it running and see if this improves.  e3 appears to be the best first move for white.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Simd
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-01-22T18:38:58.803Z
Answers.Text: It has now found mates in 15, just as you suspected.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Simd
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-01-22T18:41:43.417Z
Answers.Text: OK, cool. And sorry about that display board...not sure why it won't take my FEN for the starting position. @Anush
Answers.UserDisplayName: Brandon_J
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-01-23T14:27:47.947Z
Answers.Text: @Brandon_J I've fixed it; you need "halfmove clock" and "fullmove number" (just `0 1` works), see [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forsyth%E2%80%93Edwards_Notation#Definition). Also, there needs to be a line break between the FEN tag and the move list.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Glorfindel
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-01-21T01:31:02.277Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-01-23T14:24:39.510Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2019-01-23T14:24:39.510Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Brandon_J
Body: <p>In a standard opening position in chess, imagine that all Black pieces are removed except for the king and pawns.</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;4k3/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQ - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>What is the shortest forced mate, assuming White starts?</p>
  <p>I don't know the answer to this but it seems like a fun piece of chess trivia if it is solvable.</p>
  
Tags: <problems><checkmate>
Title: Black only has pawns: Mate in what?
ThreadText: # Black only has pawns: Mate in what?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2019-01-20)
  
  In a standard opening position in chess, imagine that all Black pieces are removed except for the king and pawns.
  [FEN "4k3/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQ - 0 1"]
  
  What is the shortest forced mate, assuming White starts?
  I don't know the answer to this but it seems like a fun piece of chess trivia if it is solvable.
  
  **Tags:** problems, checkmate
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_0 on 2019-01-22. Score: 5 | Accepted answer
  
  Having run stockfish for a couple of days, I can confirm there is at least a mate in 15.
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/M93U6.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/M93U6.png)
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2019-01-21. Score: 4
  
  Stockfish took a long time with this one, but with some help it eventually got to here.
  Looks like it's approximately checkmate in 15 from your position. By move 9 (following Stockfish recommendations) it finds a checkmate in 6. Here's what Stockfish says is the best line:
  [FEN "4k3/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQ - 0 1"]
  
  1. c3 b5 2. Qb3 c6 3. Qa3 a5 4. Qxa5 e5 5. Qc7 f6 6. Qc8+ Ke7 7. Qg8 e4 8. Qxg7+ Ke6 9. g3 f5 10. d4 e3 11. Bh3 b4 12. Bxf5+ Kxf5 13. Qf7+ Kg5 14. Bxe3+ Kg4 15. f3#
  
  Here's a sample game, me vs Stockfish. Took me 18 moves: https://lichess.org/AJFXfWmCQB5I
  And another, also 18 moves: https://lichess.org/Ibno7F6cdfhT
  I missed some sequences both times.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: Maybe I'm misunderstanding something but for me your link shows the board, but no moves  
  > **username_1**: Woops. My mistake. I'll see if I can get the move order in my answer  
  > **username_2**: If you're struggling just cut and paste the text of the moves and someone (e.g. me) will make it suitable for the  replayer. Or look at https://chess.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/179/how-do-i-add-a-replayer-to-my-post  
  > **username_1**: @IanBush crud, I can't get the starting FEN to work right. Would you mind editing it, or telling me how? I feel kind of goofy now lol.  
  > **username_3**: Black can play 11. ... ef2+ just to lengthen the game one more omve  
  > **username_1**: @username_3 in which game?  
  > **username_0**: The board I see in your answer has all the pieces at the start for both black and white. Is that a mistake?  
  > **username_1**: Yes it is. I'm not sure how to fix it.  
  > **username_0**: Stockfish has managed to find a mate in 16 so far for me.  I will leave it running and see if this improves.  e3 appears to be the best first move for white.  
  > **username_0**: It has now found mates in 15, just as you suspected.  
  > **username_1**: OK, cool. And sorry about that display board...not sure why it won't take my FEN for the starting position. @Anush  
  > **username_4**: @username_1 I've fixed it; you need "halfmove clock" and "fullmove number" (just `0 1` works), see [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forsyth%E2%80%93Edwards_Notation#Definition). Also, there needs to be a line break between the FEN tag and the move list.  
  
  ---
  
  