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5-piece mate

5-piece mate

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I feel like there's been a thread about this before but I couldn't find it. Nothing to be proud of in this game (too many pawns in the opening, I know) but I enjoyed the final position because 5 pieces are involved in mating the King. Anyone have mates with more?


Originally posted by patrickrutgers
I feel like there's been a thread about this before but I couldn't find it. Nothing to be proud of in this game (too many pawns in the opening, I know) but I enjoyed the final position because 5 pieces are involved in mating the King. Anyone have mates with more?

[pgn]1. c4 e5 2. e3 e4 3. d4 f5 4. f3 d5 5. Nb1c3 Ng8f6 6. Ng1h3 Nb8a6 7. Nh3f4 c6 8. ...[text shortened]... h8g7 27. Rc1c3 h5 28. Be6xf5 b5 29. h3 gxh3 30. Rh1xh3 Kg7h6 31. g4 Kh6g5 32. Rh3xh5 1-0[/pgn]
I only see 4 pieces.

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Originally posted by RJHinds
I only see 4 pieces.
I see five, two pawns, a bishop, a knight and a rook.

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Originally posted by Surtism
I see five, two pawns, a bishop, a knight and a rook.
Pawns don't count as pieces in my book. Pawns are just pawns.


Originally posted by RJHinds
I only see 4 pieces.
🙄

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Originally posted by RJHinds
Pawns don't count as pieces in my book. Pawns are just pawns.
Then wouldn't you only see 3 pieces?

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Originally posted by patrickrutgers
Then wouldn't you only see 3 pieces?
Oh, no....you have to be rated at least 2400 to know how to count the pieces. 😉

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Originally posted by RJHinds
Pawns don't count as pieces in my book. Pawns are just pawns.
Then what were your four 'pieces'?

Surely pawns are the Ultimate piece as they can metamorphosis into almost anything else.

3 edits
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Originally posted by Surtism
Then what were your four 'pieces'?

Surely pawns are the Ultimate piece as they can metamorphosis into almost anything else.
I was giving him the benefit of the doubt by counting the bishop, knight, and both rooks as pieces. 😏

P.S. I don't consider pawns as pieces until they are promoted to a piece. Before that they are just pawns. If I say, "I am two pieces ahead" I am not referring to being just two pawns ahead.

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Originally posted by RJHinds
I was giving him the benefit of the doubt by counting the bishop, knight, and both rooks as pieces. 😏

P.S. I don't consider pawns as pieces until they are promoted to a piece. Before that they are just pawns. If I say, "I am two pieces ahead" I am not referring to being just two pawns ahead.
What about the king?


I'd say if the mate in the original post only involves four pieces then one of them must have been fed to a troll. Best not to look for it until RHP adds a piece counting feature to the analyze board.

1 edit

I see RJ is displaying the symptoms for Foot in the Mouth Disease again.

Looked at the game. (although this game will play a minor part it kicked off an
idea so the next blog is sorted - Thank You.)

In the game itself ...Let's have a look.

patrickrutgers stop thinking of checks as cheques and cashing them in right away.
Think Dive Bombers!

Twice you had a chance to launch a Dive Bomber but you cashed your cheque instead.
(sometimes the cheques bounce - here you were cruising but headed in stormy waters.)


White played 16.Bxe6+ OK it's not wrong but Nxe6 turning the Knight into
a Dive Bomber (threatening a discovered check) was IMO better.

After 16.Bxe6+ Kh8.


White has won his piece but it's Black who is threatening things. Bxf4 or g5.
You have scored a goal and given them back the ball.

In the game you spotted the threat and played 17.Qd7.
(defending a piece with a Queen in the heart of the Black camp) 🙁


Black could have won back the piece with Bxf4. I'm not sure you can take
that back. exf4 (then Rad8) or gxf4 (which let's in Qh5+ as well) and Black is looking OK.
Anyway it's looks messy. White has some mines to avoid.

However After 16.Nxe6


You have scored a goal but you are also keeping the ball at your feet.
White has the threats. Not Black and it's not looking messy.

Next. This one is trifling but for the record.


White played 23.Bxf6+ forcing 23...Rxf6 and White is 2 pieces up.

but 23.Nxf6


White is threatening Checkmate in one. (threats....patrickrutgers...it's all about threats.)

You will still end up two pieces up. If Black prevents the mate by Kg7 or pushing
the h-pawn the Dive Bomber will pick the f8 Rook only this time you keep
Mr Magnificent on the board. The b2 Bishop.


Originally posted by greenpawn34
I see RJ is displaying the symptoms for Foot in the Mouth Disease again.

Looked at the game. (although this game will play a minor part it kicked off an
idea so the next blog is sorted - Thank You.)

In the game itself ...Let's have a look.

patrickrutgers stop thinking of checks as cheques and cashing them in right away.
Think Dive Bombers!

...[text shortened]... ll pick the f8 Rook only this time you keep
Mr Magnificent on the board. The b2 Bishop.
I still would not call that a 5-piece mate.


Originally posted by wolfgang59
What about the king?
No. Don't count.

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Here is an example of what I would call a 5-piece checkmate

White to move and mate in two.



Count them pieces - 2 bishops + 3 Knights = 5 pieces.
(See next diagram - the pawn is supposed to promote to a Knight.)

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