Answers.Body: <p>On 4 January 2007, in item 334 of his <a href="https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/chess2/diary_17.htm" rel="noreferrer">Open Chess Diary</a>, Tim Krabbé considered the question of what is the worst chess move. His specification was &quot;White has n moves, (n-1) of which would mate Black in 1; the nth forcing Black to mate [them] in 1.&quot; The higher n, the better. Noam Elkies found an example with n=28.</p>
  <pre><code>[Title &quot;Noam Elkies, after H H Cross&quot;]
  [StartFlipped &quot;0&quot;]
  [fen &quot;8/1b1nn3/p1N2p2/P1r5/P3KPr2/QBk1NRP1/P2R1P2/4B3 w - - 0 1&quot;]
  
  1. Qxc5+ Nxc5#
  </code></pre>
  <p>Krabbé goes on to list other examples with higher n, but they entail the use of promoted pieces in the diagram and/or promotion moves. One example:</p>
  <pre><code>[Title &quot;Joaquim Crusats and Kasper Henriksen (after Dittmann), 2007&quot;]
  [StartFlipped &quot;0&quot;]
  [fen &quot;b2qQRQ1/3P1N1Q/n2K1k2/3P3Q/4P1Qp/5pNP/1R5b/B7 w - - 0 1&quot;]
  
  1. Qe7+ Qxe7#
  </code></pre>
  
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Rosie F
Answers.Body: <p>Here's an idea, which I'm sure of can be optimized:</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;Q2Q1B2/4R3/N1Q5/3Q4/2Q2Q2/k4NQ1/p1Q5/K1b1Q3 w - - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>1. Qb2 forces Bxb2#; there are more than forty mate-in-ones you can choose from instead.</p>
  
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Glorfindel
Answers.Body: <p><strong>Every</strong> single legal move from White checkmates—except the extremely stupid Bd7. There are 12 (discovered) checkmates with the rook on g2 alone. After the stupid move, Black is forced to give checkmate in 1.</p>
  <p>EDIT: Thanks to @Noam D. Elkies for his improvements:
  Here Black has the <strong>choice</strong> between no less than <strong>6</strong> legal moves - all of which checkmate!</p>
  <pre><code>        [FEN &quot;k1B5/p1P1p3/P3P3/8/1p6/bpp5/qnp3R1/2K4B w - - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p><em>Interesting side note</em>: We are in effect asked to create a chess puzzle for a chess variant where the goal is not to give checkmate, but to get checkmated, with only one losing move.
  This chess variant can be played against the <a href="https://lichess.org/@/WorstFish" rel="noreferrer">WorstFish lichess bot</a>. It's actually quite hard to make it win against you.</p>
  
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Hauptideal
Body: <p>I define a stupid move as a move that</p>
  <ol>
  <li>puts the opponent in zugzwang so that all their moves result in mate in one (weaker version: a loss);</li>
  <li>is chosen instead of a move that gives mate in one (weaker version: a limited number of moves).</li>
  </ol>
  <p>A move is more stupid as the ratio of type 2 moves over type 1 moves grows. I'm looking for a position with the most stupid move possible.</p>
  <p>This question is similar to these interesting questions:</p>
  <ul>
  <li><a href="https://chess.stackexchange.com/q/5655/26956">Position with the most (or many) distinct refutations?</a></li>
  <li><a href="https://chess.stackexchange.com/q/33904/26956">Is there a double-forced mate position?</a></li>
  </ul>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-08-18T22:14:30.180Z
Comments.Text: I would think a truly stupid move would be to avoid choosing a mate-in-1 to instead choose a move that forces your opponent to checkmate you.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Greg Martin
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-08-19T07:15:27.793Z
Comments.Text: @GregMartin that's the question OP is asking, I think. I didn't get it at first, but all the answers so far are answering what you mentioned.
Comments.UserDisplayName: justhalf
Tags: <problems><checkmate><zugzwang>
Title: Is there a position with the stupidest possible move?
ThreadText: # Is there a position with the stupidest possible move?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2022-08-18)
  
  I define a stupid move as a move that
  
  1. puts the opponent in zugzwang so that all their moves result in mate in one (weaker version: a loss);
  2. is chosen instead of a move that gives mate in one (weaker version: a limited number of moves).
  
  A move is more stupid as the ratio of type 2 moves over type 1 moves grows. I'm looking for a position with the most stupid move possible.
  
  This question is similar to these interesting questions:
  
  * [Position with the most (or many) distinct refutations?](https://chess.stackexchange.com/q/5655/26956)
  * [Is there a double-forced mate position?](https://chess.stackexchange.com/q/33904/26956)
  
  **Tags:** problems, checkmate, zugzwang
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: I would think a truly stupid move would be to avoid choosing a mate-in-1 to instead choose a move that forces your opponent to checkmate you.  
  > **username_2**: @GregMartin that's the question OP is asking, I think. I didn't get it at first, but all the answers so far are answering what you mentioned.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2022-08-18. Score: 35 | Accepted answer
  
  Every single legal move from White checkmates—except the extremely stupid Bd7. There are 12 (discovered) checkmates with the rook on g2 alone. After the stupid move, Black is forced to give checkmate in 1.
  EDIT: Thanks to @Noam D. Elkies for his improvements:
  Here Black has the choice between no less than 6 legal moves - all of which checkmate!
          [FEN "k1B5/p1P1p3/P3P3/8/1p6/bpp5/qnp3R1/2K4B w - - 0 1"]
  
  Interesting side note: We are in effect asked to create a chess puzzle for a chess variant where the goal is not to give checkmate, but to get checkmated, with only one losing move.
  This chess variant can be played against the WorstFish lichess bot. It's actually quite hard to make it win against you.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2022-08-19. Score: 19
  
  On 4 January 2007, in item 334 of his Open Chess Diary, Tim Krabbé considered the question of what is the worst chess move. His specification was "White has n moves, (n-1) of which would mate Black in 1; the nth forcing Black to mate [them] in 1." The higher n, the better. Noam Elkies found an example with n=28.
  [Title "Noam Elkies, after H H Cross"]
  [StartFlipped "0"]
  [fen "8/1b1nn3/p1N2p2/P1r5/P3KPr2/QBk1NRP1/P2R1P2/4B3 w - - 0 1"]
  
  1. Qxc5+ Nxc5#
  
  Krabbé goes on to list other examples with higher n, but they entail the use of promoted pieces in the diagram and/or promotion moves. One example:
  [Title "Joaquim Crusats and Kasper Henriksen (after Dittmann), 2007"]
  [StartFlipped "0"]
  [fen "b2qQRQ1/3P1N1Q/n2K1k2/3P3Q/4P1Qp/5pNP/1R5b/B7 w - - 0 1"]
  
  1. Qe7+ Qxe7#
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2022-08-18. Score: 18
  
  Here's an idea, which I'm sure of can be optimized:
  [FEN "Q2Q1B2/4R3/N1Q5/3Q4/2Q2Q2/k4NQ1/p1Q5/K1b1Q3 w - - 0 1"]
  
  1. Qb2 forces Bxb2#; there are more than forty mate-in-ones you can choose from instead.
  
  
  ---
  
  