By discovery from Q 8 By discovery from R at Q 6th 13 By discovery from B at R 8th 11 Given by Kt at R 5th 2 Given by pawns 2 -- Total 36 Is it possible to construct a position in which more than thirty-six different mates on the move can be given? So far as I know, nobody has yet beaten my arrangement. 354.--AN AMAZING DILEMMA. Mr Black left his king on his queen's knight's 7th, and no matter what piece White chooses for his pawn, Black cannot be checkmated. As we said, the Black king takes no notice of checks and never moves. White may queen his pawn, capture the Black rook, and bring his three pieces up to the attack, but mate is quite impossible. The Black king cannot be left on any other square without a checkmate being possible. The late Sam Loyd first pointed out the peculiarity on which this puzzle is based. 355.--CHECKMATE! Remove the White pawn from B 6th to K 4th and place a Black pawn on Black's KB 2nd. Now, White plays P to K 5th, check, and Black must play P to B 4th. Then White plays P takes P _en passant_, checkmate. This was therefore White's last move, and leaves the position given. It is the only possible solution. 356.--QUEER CHESS. +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | | | | | | | | | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | | |R|k|R|N| | | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | | | | | | | | | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ If you place the pieces as follows (where only a portion of the board is given, to save space), the Black king is in check, with no possible move open to him. The reader will now see why I avoided the term "checkmate," apart from the fact that there is no White king. The position is impossible in the game of chess, because Black could not be given check by both rooks at the same time, nor could he have moved into check on his last move. I believe the position was first published by the late S. Loyd. 357.--ANCIENT CHINESE PUZZLE. Play as follows:-- 1. R--Q 6 2. K--R 7 3. R (R 6)--B 6 (mate). Black's moves are forced, so need not be given. 358.--THE SIX PAWNS.