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**: @username_5 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**: @username_6 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 username_0 did not specify, and you can never quite know with him.  
  > **username_0**: username_0 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
  
  ```
  
  
  ---
  
  