Mate in...how many exactly?

When someone says "Mate in three", should (s)he be counting the attacker's moves, or the defenders', or both? Just curious.

Originally posted by Davross
When someone says "Mate in three", should (s)he be counting the attacker's moves, or the defenders', or both? Just curious.

Just the attackers.

Originally posted by Davross
When someone says "Mate in three", should (s)he be counting the attacker's moves, or the defenders', or both? Just curious.

=> mate in three for white means that he will checkmate in "his next 3 moves" ...

mate in 3 - is about 5 ply
........in 4 - is 7 ply

And so on.

(N = x2 -1)

thats how I work it out, by ply

How prompt and courteous. Many thanks to you all!

Originally posted by Davross
courteous

Knobhead.

Originally posted by Davross
When someone says "Mate in three", should (s)he be counting the attacker's moves, or the defenders', or both? Just curious.

Chess moves almost always imply a move for white and a move for black.See how a game is numbered.So in a mate in three there are 3 moves for the attacker and 2 moves for the defender.

When someone announces mate in three, this is the only time I'll play to checkmate. I always tend to wonder if they have calculated every single possible reply I could make.

Originally posted by Derfel Cadarn
When someone announces mate in three, this is the only time I'll play to checkmate. I always tend to wonder if they have calculated every single possible reply I could make.

"mate in 3's" tend to consist of forced moves.

So, your 'replies' will only ever be a choice of 1, or 2 moves.