Answers.Body: <p>When I put the black K at h1, which seems fairly worst-case, Stockfish says mate in 16.   This doesn't necessarily mean it's the fastest way, or even completely accurate; chess engines without end-game tables can be very awful.</p>
  
  <p>Here's the solution.  Good chance of being accurate ;-)</p>
  
  <p>[FEN "3K4/8/8/8/3b4/3b4/8/7k b - - 0 1"]</p>
  
  <pre><code>1. ... Kg2 2. Ke7 Bc4 3. Kd6 Kg3 4. Kc6 Kf4 5. Kd6 Bf2
  6. Kc6 Ke5 7. Kd7 Bb5+ 8. Ke7 Bh4+ 9. Kf7 Kf5 10. Kg7 Bg5
  11. Kf7 Bf6 12. Kg8 Kg6 13. Kf8 Bg5 14. Kg8 Bh6 15. Kh8 Bg7+
  16. Kg8 Bc4#
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Again, I started the black K on h1.</p>
  
  <p>I am not surprised. Consider that the K needs 8 moves to get all the way across the board.  The adjacent bishops might need 8 more.  That's 16, so 9 moves remain for rearranging pieces.  No sweat.  B+N is harder.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-07-29T15:47:28.693Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-07-29T15:59:16.433Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2012-07-29T15:59:16.433Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Answers.Body: <p>This likely is not the answer you are looking for, but Jerry (A 2200+ USCF National Master) from the Chess Network has a nice video explaining the algorithmic approach to checkmate with two bishops.   I think it solves your problem in less than 25 moves.</p>
  
  <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uimbIq9h_7A">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uimbIq9h_7A</a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-07-29T17:00:41.270Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-07-29T17:00:41.270Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: EPN
Answers.Body: <p>Endgame tablebases, which you can find at <a href="http://www.k4it.de/index.php?topic=egtb&amp;lang=en">this website</a>, will assure you that there is no placement of the Black King such that White can hang on for longer than sixteen moves if given the right to move first.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-07-29T23:22:03.747Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-07-29T23:22:03.747Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: David Spencer
Body: <p>Consider the following position:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/aM0SL.png" alt="Bishops checkmate"></p>
  
  <p>What are the possibilities for checkmating the white king within 16 moves?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-07-29T15:30:20.057Z
Comments.Text: Where's the black king?  It could be critical.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-07-29T18:57:09.543Z
Comments.Text: I went ahead and edited in the position of the black king as h1.
Comments.UserDisplayName: ETD
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-07-30T19:36:52.727Z
Comments.Text: well there s an mate at 15 the move i hope you will guess it,hopes to get more winning combinations
Comments.UserDisplayName: BlueBerry - Vignesh4303
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-07-31T08:17:37.940Z
Comments.Text: vignesh, welcome to the Chess beta. Is there something particular that you're trying to learn from (or about) the position in your question? It's not clear (to me at least) what sort of information you're seeking to get from answers.
Comments.UserDisplayName: ETD
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-07-31T08:20:13.923Z
Comments.Text: @EdDean sir thanks for welcome i mated the white king within 16 moves in an friendly match. i hope to get more winning combinations for checkmating it withing 16 moves(notably i have one winning combination i post it soon)
Comments.UserDisplayName: BlueBerry - Vignesh4303
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-08-01T03:56:05.860Z
Comments.Text: -1: Consult a tablebase if you really want to know. There is little to be gained by asking humans about this.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Evan Harper
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-08-01T17:17:54.607Z
Comments.Text: @EvanHarper even though tablebases were created based on human's past moves in tournament,
Comments.UserDisplayName: BlueBerry - Vignesh4303
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-08-01T21:03:48.147Z
Comments.Text: No, they weren't. Tablebases are mathematical solutions to endgames compiled by exhaustive computer searches. Tournament moves have nothing to do with it.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Evan Harper
Tags: <checkmate><combinations>
Title: What are the possibilities for checkmating with two bishops here?
ThreadText: # What are the possibilities for checkmating with two bishops here?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2012-07-29)
  
  Consider the following position:
  
  ![Bishops checkmate](https://i.sstatic.net/aM0SL.png)
  
  What are the possibilities for checkmating the white king within 16 moves?
  
  **Tags:** checkmate, combinations
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Where's the black king?  It could be critical.  
  > **username_2**: I went ahead and edited in the position of the black king as h1.  
  > **username_0**: well there s an mate at 15 the move i hope you will guess it,hopes to get more winning combinations  
  > **username_2**: vignesh, welcome to the Chess beta. Is there something particular that you're trying to learn from (or about) the position in your question? It's not clear (to me at least) what sort of information you're seeking to get from answers.  
  > **username_0**: @EdDean sir thanks for welcome i mated the white king within 16 moves in an friendly match. i hope to get more winning combinations for checkmating it withing 16 moves(notably i have one winning combination i post it soon)  
  > **username_3**: -1: Consult a tablebase if you really want to know. There is little to be gained by asking humans about this.  
  > **username_0**: @EvanHarper even though tablebases were created based on human's past moves in tournament,  
  > **username_3**: No, they weren't. Tablebases are mathematical solutions to endgames compiled by exhaustive computer searches. Tournament moves have nothing to do with it.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2012-07-29. Score: 5 | Accepted answer
  
  When I put the black K at h1, which seems fairly worst-case, Stockfish says mate in 16.   This doesn't necessarily mean it's the fastest way, or even completely accurate; chess engines without end-game tables can be very awful.
  Here's the solution.  Good chance of being accurate ;-)
  [FEN "3K4/8/8/8/3b4/3b4/8/7k b - - 0 1"]
  1. ... Kg2 2. Ke7 Bc4 3. Kd6 Kg3 4. Kc6 Kf4 5. Kd6 Bf2
  6. Kc6 Ke5 7. Kd7 Bb5+ 8. Ke7 Bh4+ 9. Kf7 Kf5 10. Kg7 Bg5
  11. Kf7 Bf6 12. Kg8 Kg6 13. Kf8 Bg5 14. Kg8 Bh6 15. Kh8 Bg7+
  16. Kg8 Bc4#
  
  Again, I started the black K on h1.
  I am not surprised. Consider that the K needs 8 moves to get all the way across the board.  The adjacent bishops might need 8 more.  That's 16, so 9 moves remain for rearranging pieces.  No sweat.  B+N is harder.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2012-07-29. Score: 7
  
  This likely is not the answer you are looking for, but Jerry (A 2200+ USCF National Master) from the Chess Network has a nice video explaining the algorithmic approach to checkmate with two bishops. I think it solves your problem in less than 25 moves.
  
  <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uimbIq9h_7A>
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2012-07-29. Score: 6
  
  Endgame tablebases, which you can find at [this website](http://www.k4it.de/index.php?topic=egtb&lang=en), will assure you that there is no placement of the Black King such that White can hang on for longer than sixteen moves if given the right to move first.
  
  
  ---
  
  