Chess

William Hartston
Sunday 14 April 1996 23:02 BST
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Now here's the perfect problem to fit a small space. The play takes place on the 4-by-4 board. The black king, rooks and bishops must make all the moves. Black may not move into check. How many moves does it take him to capture the knight with his king?

This was composed by the American problemist William Shinkman (1847-1933) who was a master of chessboard curiosities. We shall give you the answer tomorrow. It is longer than you might think.

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