This is a chess problem taken from ICC (Internet Chess Club).
White to mate in two moves:

White: Knight - 4f

Black: Queen - H7

Black: Rook - H1 (check mate)

Another one, white to mate in four moves:
2)

capture black knight with white knight

the mantri (queen? whatever its called) has to capture the white knight (hatti)

Check with white queen

again check with white queen if the King moves to white square

` i don't think that works...

1. capture black rook with white rook - f4 to f8
black queen captures white rook - e7 to f8
2. white queen checks black - d5 to e5
now if king moves to white square - h8 to g8, white queen has two options to check - go to either e6 or g7. neither produces a check mate.

` here are some possibilities (depending upon how black moves)

2-step solution:
1. white queen - d5 to e5 + check
black queen captures white queen - e7 x e5
2. white rook captures black rook - f4 x f8 ++ check-mate

4-step:
1. white queen - d5 to e5 + check
black queen - e7 to f6 (black rook f8 to f6)
2. white queen - e5 x f6 + check
black rook - f8 x f6 (black queen e7xf6)
3. white rook - f4 x f6
black moves anything BUT king
4. white rook - f6 to f8 ++check-mate

But, I cannot figure out a SOLID four move check mate because at step 3, the black king can move h8 to g8, so the above would not work.

1) white: qd5-e5 check
black has 4 options
option a) qe7Xe5 which will lead to 2) f4Xf8 checkmate!
option b) kh8-g8, after which (2) white queen takes black queen and clearly the game is over in one more step, no matter what black does
the other options are shielding the black king with either the rook (in which case queen takes queen, and game is over quick) or else with the queen (in which case rook takes queen, leading to a swift death). in both scenarions, there are a lot of options for black to take, but white can always force a result in 4 moves.

` if the king is shielded by the queen after white's first move, and white rook captures black queen, then black king can move to g8, in which case there is no checkmate in 4 steps!

All solutions leads to checkmate within 4 moves. Exact 4 moves is exagerated, i think. White's Q e5 will check mate within 4 moves no matter what...

ok i too got thinkin hehe...

what more..as नुईटे suggested..at the most white will take 4 moves get a checkmate..thats wat i can find meself hehe..

i guess ur scenario is,
1-white queen- d5 to e5 (check)
black queen - e7 to f6 (shield white king)

2-white rook - f4 to f6 (take out black queen)
black king - h8 to g8 (is this ur thinkin?)

3-white queen - e5 to e6 (check)
from here...2 options for black..
a)run- move king from g8 to h8
b)shield-move black rook from f8-f7

if a)4- white rook f4-f8 (checkmate)

if b)4-white queen e6-f7 (check)but down here..only option for black king would be move g8 to h8..and well..if we are black..dun we give up and admit defeat and topple our black king ourself?than to move that last move??so well i dunno..i guess this could still be considered 4 steps?even tho if we really count.and do move..its 5 ;oP hehe dunno if there is any name for such a position to be....any chess freaks wanna clarify?cos i aint hehe..anyways thats the furthest..i can see black goin..anyone got a better defensive option?hehe

isnt chess such an arse game to play?(mero opinion hehe..katti thinkin ho bhaney!:@ hehe ma ta too lazy ke :oS hehe)..but seriously i dunno if any of u can break me record..tho i didnt count..i think checkmate in less than 10moves!!def more than 5 i think ;oP hehe..and yes i was the one who got checkmated!!!wahahahaahaa....

anyways have fun..no more tauko ghumaying for me here ;oP hehe..

good day :oD

` thanks anon. that was one scenario i was thinking where it will take 5 steps - it is still not 4 steps and sometimes it MAY matter because people bet on the no. of steps, i.e. something like "i can beat you in x many steps..." hehe.

for your scenario 3(a) as well when the rook advances from f6 to f8, the king can move to g7 because the queen is in e6. again, black's defeat is inevitable but it takes more than 4 steps.


# btw here, what is the shortest route for black to win if black were to move first?

` ok, nevermind my move after 3(a) - i missed the strategic pawn

but with 3(b) - it still takes 5 moves...

1. Q e5 ch
a. .... Q x e5
2. Rx f6 checkmate

b. .... Q g7
2. Q x g8 mate

c. ... K g8
2. Q x e7. ch
i. ... .....
3. Q g7 mate

ii. .... R f7
3. Q x f7 mate.

d. ... Q f6
2. R x f6
i. .... R x f6
3. Q x f6 ch ... K g8
4. Q f7 mate

ii. ... K g8
3. R f5
a. ... P x f5
4. Q g7 mate

b. ... R f6
4. Q e8 mate

c. .. R x f5
4. Q g7 mate

here is a better view

actually, if king moves to g8 after the black queen is taken, game over in 4 moves...
the key is the third step
yall have been considering the wrong 3rd move for white
forget qe5-e6 check
the correct move is
3) white rook f6xg6 check
then the only option for black is ph7xg6, which leads to
4) qe5-g7 checkmate

3 R f5
  b. R f6 (or f7)
  4. Q e8 + (not ++)
    i. R f8
    5. Q xf8 ++

` the above was in response to sujanks. but i buy नुईटे's move now

actually, i see one more option for black after rook f6Xg6 (but it still leads to checkmate in 4)
3) r f6Xg6
black kg8-f7
4)qf5-f6 checkmate

4) Q e5-e6 on the last one. Yeah, that works - 4 steps

nice game