Answers.Body: <pre><code>[FEN "1B1Q1Q2/2R5/pQ4QN/RB2k3/1Q5Q/N4Q2/K2Q4/6Q1 w - - 0 1 "]
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>105 mates — Nenad Petrovic, <em>Sahovski Vjesnika</em> 1947 (<a href="http://pdb.dieschwalbe.de/search.jsp?expression=probid=%27P0004129%27" rel="noreferrer">Chess Problem Database</a>)</p>
  
  <p>In this position any check is mate. There are 3 knight mates (c4, g4, f7), 23 discovered mates (14 moves for the rook on c7, 9 for the bishop on b5), and 79 queen mates: 1 on a1, 2 on b2, 3 on c3, 4 on c5, 6 on d4, 3 on d5, 6 on d6, 3 on e1, 2 on e2, 4 on e3, 4 on e4, 2 on e6, 4 on e7, 3 on e8, 5 on f4, 3  on f5, 6 on f6, 4 on g3, 5 on g5, 2 on g7, 3 on h2, 3 on h5, and 1 on h8, for a total of 105 mates.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-09-20T06:39:51.990Z
Answers.Text: The a6 pawn is probably there to make sure Black's last move was legal (a7-a6).
Answers.UserDisplayName: Glorfindel
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T07:09:01.313Z
Answers.Text: Thank you! Did you just get this from a book or do you also know if that's proven to be the maximum or have any additional information?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Simon Fromme
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T11:44:07.047Z
Answers.Text: What's wrong with putting the knight from a3 to b2, allowing not one but two mates with it (Kc4# or Kd3#)?
Answers.UserDisplayName: YSC
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T12:00:38.227Z
Answers.Text: @YSC You gain one knight mate but lose two queen mates, Qbb2# and Qdb2#.
Answers.UserDisplayName: bof
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T13:10:51.443Z
Answers.Text: @bof You're right!
Answers.UserDisplayName: YSC
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T13:27:18.043Z
Answers.Text: You would even lose three queen mates (Qa1# too)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Simon Fromme
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T18:50:49.023Z
Answers.Text: Just out of interest, is this known to be the best possible? Has it been asserted to be the best that anyone has found? Or is it "just" a position with a heck of a lot of checkmates?
Answers.UserDisplayName: David Richerby
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T19:22:59.547Z
Answers.Text: bof mentioned in a now deleted comment that he got the position from a book which didn't include any proof that the number is a maximum. Since I didn't find any useful information on the problem online I would suspect it's an open problem.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Simon Fromme
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T19:39:04.320Z
Answers.Text: @DavidRicherby I've seen this position cited as a record in books, none of them very recent. I'm pretty sure that 105 mates *was* at one time the record number of mates in a legal position. I do not know if that record has been broken or if it has been proven to be a maximum.
Answers.UserDisplayName: bof
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T23:02:34.977Z
Answers.Text: White to move and draw. 
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jivan Scarano
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T23:13:49.210Z
Answers.Text: @JivanScarano Too many solutions: 1.Qxa6 or 1.Rxa6 or 1.Ka1 axb5 2. Ba7 etc. etc.
Answers.UserDisplayName: bof
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T23:24:51.077Z
Answers.Text: Reminds me of puzzle I saw a while ago without quite so many pieces, but with heaps of double checks and discovered checks possible, all giving mate, where the problem was white to move and not checkmate. If I remember right, the only possible solution was a bishop move that discovered a check, and covered up another piece, giving the king one escape square. Every other legal move was checkmate.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jivan Scarano
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-07T00:04:41.067Z
Answers.Text: @JivanScarano [Is this it?](http://www.mindcipher.com/puzzles/49)
Answers.UserDisplayName: bof
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-07T00:10:28.830Z
Answers.Text: Yep, that's the one. 1.Rc6(+) allows Rxh7, because the rook is no longer pinned by the Ba8.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jivan Scarano
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-11-17T09:16:14.863Z
Answers.Text: @JivanScarano It has come up again [here](https://puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/52154/a-very-unique-chess-puzzle/52157#52157).
Answers.UserDisplayName: boboquack
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T06:22:26.763Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-08-20T20:18:21.143Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2019-08-20T20:18:21.143Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: bof
Answers.Body: <p>Anthony Stewart Mackay Dickens found another solution, also with 105 mating moves, but with only 17 units in the diagram (16 white and the black king):</p>
  
  <pre><code>[title "Anthony Stewart Mackay Dickens, The Problemist, Jan 1970. 105 mates"]
  [fen "2Q1Q3/2Q4Q/Q4Q2/3k4/Q5Q1/1R6/B1NBQ3/K2R1N2 w - - 0 1"]
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>This may be found <a href="http://pdb.dieschwalbe.de/search.jsp?expression=PROBID=%27P1180418%27">here on PDB</a>.</p>
  
  <p>Black's last move must have been <code>...Kc5-d5</code> following <code>Qxc7+</code>.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-08T17:11:30.767Z
Answers.Text: "Yakety Sax", you must mean https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakety_Sax
Answers.UserDisplayName: Noam D. Elkies
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T20:07:33.160Z
Answers.Text: I can imagine a video of this game as the queens chase around this king to the tune of yakety yak or something...
Answers.UserDisplayName: corsiKa
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T08:52:18.237Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-06-06T08:52:18.237Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Rosie F
Answers.Body: <p>The following version has 99 threats <strong>none of which is a discovered check</strong>. It is possibly the best under that additional requirement.</p>
  
  <p>I made it as an answer to <a href="https://puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/81096/how-many-total-checkmates-can-you-possibly-make-against-the-enemy-king/81097#81097">the same question asked on Puzzling SE</a>.</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/PIZBS.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/PIZBS.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-03-29T00:12:23.087Z
Answers.Text: Nice - need bK e.g. h1
Answers.UserDisplayName: Laska
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-03-28T23:08:35.313Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-04-25T11:46:08.963Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2019-04-25T11:46:08.963Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Arnaud Mortier
Body: <p>A friend and I yesterday asked ourselves what the highest number of possible mates in a (legal) position is. We were able to come up with the following position which has a total of <strong>76 unique mates in 1</strong>, but we then failed to improve upon this one.</p>
  
  <pre><code>Q3Q3/4K2Q/6R1/3R4/QB2k3/5R1N/2R5/QQ1Q1N1B w - - 0 1
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Do you know if this problem ever has been solved and what the highest possible number is? It was hard for us to come up with a reasonably low upper bound so that I have no idea whether this solution is close to the maximum.</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-06-09T04:56:11.263Z
Comments.Text: @Glorfindel I assume 141 (from the Puzzling.SE Q) is a legal answer, then? Is it strange that nobody has posted it here yet?
Comments.UserDisplayName: PythonNut
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-06-09T04:59:32.430Z
Comments.Text: Well having 27 queens with only 8 pawns being able to promote is rather hard to accomplish
Comments.UserDisplayName: Simon Fromme
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-06-10T04:02:58.193Z
Comments.Text: In this position, what was Black's last move?
Comments.UserDisplayName: M.M
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-12-13T23:54:57.590Z
Comments.Text: @M.M Very belated, but it looks like we can retract ...Ke5-e4, Rd4-d5, possibly with an uncapture on the latter, and then even ...Kf5-e5, R-f3 if needed; from there the position seems to unwind fairly reasonably.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Steven Stadnicki
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T05:45:55.243Z
Comments.Text: Related [question](http://puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/30409/highest-number-of-mates) on Puzzling SE.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Glorfindel
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T05:48:25.860Z
Comments.Text: Note that this question didn't impose the requirement for a position to be legal.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Simon Fromme
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T23:10:50.290Z
Comments.Text: It also apparently doesn't impose the requirement that the position be reachable in a real game.  Or is that what you meant?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Michael
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-06-06T23:12:17.700Z
Comments.Text: That's what I meant by "legal".
Comments.UserDisplayName: Simon Fromme
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-06-07T02:20:19.157Z
Comments.Text: I'm glad to see this wasn't on sexuality stack exchange.  ;)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Wildcard
Tags: <checkmate><problems><records>
Title: What is the highest number of different mates in 1 you can have in one (legal) position?
ThreadText: # What is the highest number of different mates in 1 you can have in one (legal) position?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2016-06-06)
  
  A friend and I yesterday asked ourselves what the highest number of possible mates in a (legal) position is. We were able to come up with the following position which has a total of **76 unique mates in 1**, but we then failed to improve upon this one.
  
  ```
  Q3Q3/4K2Q/6R1/3R4/QB2k3/5R1N/2R5/QQ1Q1N1B w - - 0 1
  
  ```
  
  Do you know if this problem ever has been solved and what the highest possible number is? It was hard for us to come up with a reasonably low upper bound so that I have no idea whether this solution is close to the maximum.
  
  **Tags:** checkmate, problems, records
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_4**: Related [question](http://puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/30409/highest-number-of-mates) on Puzzling SE.  
  > **username_0**: Note that this question didn't impose the requirement for a position to be legal.  
  > **username_5**: It also apparently doesn't impose the requirement that the position be reachable in a real game.  Or is that what you meant?  
  > **username_0**: That's what I meant by "legal".  
  > **username_6**: I'm glad to see this wasn't on sexuality stack exchange.  ;)  
  > **username_1**: @username_4 I assume 141 (from the Puzzling.SE Q) is a legal answer, then? Is it strange that nobody has posted it here yet?  
  > **username_0**: Well having 27 queens with only 8 pawns being able to promote is rather hard to accomplish  
  > **username_2**: In this position, what was Black's last move?  
  > **username_3**: @username_2 Very belated, but it looks like we can retract ...Ke5-e4, Rd4-d5, possibly with an uncapture on the latter, and then even ...Kf5-e5, R-f3 if needed; from there the position seems to unwind fairly reasonably.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_7 on 2016-06-06. Score: 28
  
  ```
  [FEN "1B1Q1Q2/2R5/pQ4QN/RB2k3/1Q5Q/N4Q2/K2Q4/6Q1 w - - 0 1 "]
  
  ```
  
  105 mates — Nenad Petrovic, *Sahovski Vjesnika* 1947 ([Chess Problem Database](http://pdb.dieschwalbe.de/search.jsp?expression=probid=%27P0004129%27))
  
  In this position any check is mate. There are 3 knight mates (c4, g4, f7), 23 discovered mates (14 moves for the rook on c7, 9 for the bishop on b5), and 79 queen mates: 1 on a1, 2 on b2, 3 on c3, 4 on c5, 6 on d4, 3 on d5, 6 on d6, 3 on e1, 2 on e2, 4 on e3, 4 on e4, 2 on e6, 4 on e7, 3 on e8, 5 on f4, 3 on f5, 6 on f6, 4 on g3, 5 on g5, 2 on g7, 3 on h2, 3 on h5, and 1 on h8, for a total of 105 mates.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Thank you! Did you just get this from a book or do you also know if that's proven to be the maximum or have any additional information?  
  > **username_8**: What's wrong with putting the knight from a3 to b2, allowing not one but two mates with it (Kc4# or Kd3#)?  
  > **username_7**: @username_8 You gain one knight mate but lose two queen mates, Qbb2# and Qdb2#.  
  > **username_8**: @username_7 You're right!  
  > **username_0**: You would even lose three queen mates (Qa1# too)  
  > **username_9**: Just out of interest, is this known to be the best possible? Has it been asserted to be the best that anyone has found? Or is it "just" a position with a heck of a lot of checkmates?  
  > **username_0**: bof mentioned in a now deleted comment that he got the position from a book which didn't include any proof that the number is a maximum. Since I didn't find any useful information on the problem online I would suspect it's an open problem.  
  > **username_7**: @username_9 I've seen this position cited as a record in books, none of them very recent. I'm pretty sure that 105 mates *was* at one time the record number of mates in a legal position. I do not know if that record has been broken or if it has been proven to be a maximum.  
  > **username_10**: White to move and draw.   
  > **username_7**: @username_10 Too many solutions: 1.Qxa6 or 1.Rxa6 or 1.Ka1 axb5 2. Ba7 etc. etc.  
  > **username_10**: Reminds me of puzzle I saw a while ago without quite so many pieces, but with heaps of double checks and discovered checks possible, all giving mate, where the problem was white to move and not checkmate. If I remember right, the only possible solution was a bishop move that discovered a check, and covered up another piece, giving the king one escape square. Every other legal move was checkmate.  
  > **username_7**: @username_10 [Is this it?](http://www.mindcipher.com/puzzles/49)  
  > **username_10**: Yep, that's the one. 1.Rc6(+) allows Rxh7, because the rook is no longer pinned by the Ba8.  
  > **username_4**: The a6 pawn is probably there to make sure Black's last move was legal (a7-a6).  
  > **username_11**: @username_10 It has come up again [here](https://puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/52154/a-very-unique-chess-puzzle/52157#52157).  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_12 on 2016-06-06. Score: 20
  
  Anthony Stewart Mackay Dickens found another solution, also with 105 mating moves, but with only 17 units in the diagram (16 white and the black king):
  
  ```
  [title "Anthony Stewart Mackay Dickens, The Problemist, Jan 1970. 105 mates"]
  [fen "2Q1Q3/2Q4Q/Q4Q2/3k4/Q5Q1/1R6/B1NBQ3/K2R1N2 w - - 0 1"]
  
  ```
  
  This may be found [here on PDB](http://pdb.dieschwalbe.de/search.jsp?expression=PROBID=%27P1180418%27).
  
  Black's last move must have been `...Kc5-d5` following `Qxc7+`.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_14**: I can imagine a video of this game as the queens chase around this king to the tune of yakety yak or something...  
  > **username_13**: "Yakety Sax", you must mean https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakety_Sax  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_15 on 2019-03-28. Score: 8
  
  The following version has 99 threats **none of which is a discovered check**. It is possibly the best under that additional requirement.
  
  I made it as an answer to [the same question asked on Puzzling SE](https://puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/81096/how-many-total-checkmates-can-you-possibly-make-against-the-enemy-king/81097#81097).
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/PIZBS.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/PIZBS.jpg)
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_16**: Nice - need bK e.g. h1  
  
  ---
  
  