@LizardWizard
There is also:
- +B-14, Kx14, R*15
- +B-14, Kx22, R*32
I guess they are not the best solutions but they work nonetheless.
@ladyontheshogiboard
That's 3 variations; it's a bit different.
The "solution" to the puzzle is +B-14; we both agree on this.
But why is it the solution? What makes it the best move? Because our opponent has no way out. If Kx14, then R*15. If Rx14, R*23. We mate in 3 either way.
Yeah it has a branch, but that branch is not during our turn. Every time it's OUR turn, we have one - and ONLY one - move that is the "solution".
If there's a puzzle where WE, as the player, have more than one valid option, then yes it's a bad puzzle. Because which option is the correct one? Hard to say. This isn't one of those puzzles though.
Maybe think of it like the puzzle is testing that you actually know WHY +B-14 is the solution, and you have to play it out to the end.
Hopefully that makes sense.
Hello, @ladyontheshogiboard .
In this first half, I'm just giving an example. I'm basically saying what's already been said.
Here's an example of a mate-in-3 puzzle that could've been a bad puzzle but isn't:
lishogi.org/training/sTgNt
I found 5 paths to mate-in-3, which I've shown here (will delete after you've seen it):
< deleted >
For mate-in-n puzzles, our job is mostly to ensure that we can guarantee a checkmate with the current theme, then continue down the path that the computer chooses.
We don't have to, but can we predict which branch the computer's going to use for a given puzzle by ruling out the branches that don't involve a unique response to the computer's moves. In the puzzle above, two of the three branches give us 2 choices each, so we can predict that the computer won't choose either of those.
---
There's something I've dealt with that I want to let you and the others here know about in case it comes up later.
Let's imagine you go to the puzzle dashboard, themes, and then mate-in-3:
1. lishogi.org/training/dashboard/30
2. lishogi.org/training/themes
3. lishogi.org/training/mateIn3
You then encounter a puzzle that seems to only have a guaranteed mate-in-5 or more. There might even be mate-in-3, but you can only get it if the computer doesn't try to delay for mate-in-5 or more. It's most likely not a bug. There's a rule about "futile interposition" that messed me up pretty bad.
See the thread in which I learned about this: lishogi.org/forum/general-shogi-discussion/puzzle-csmok-do-you-see-a-mate-in-3
Also see the link that Illya posted in that thread. Skip to the futile interpositions section: note.com/tsume_springs/n/nb271ba70da2d
❝That's 3 variations...❞
Yes, I forgot that the answer to the first move is not our choice, it's imposed by the computer. 🫤 I'll have to remember that in the future. If I get back to these puzzles.
> There's a rule about "futile interposition" that messed me up pretty bad.
Yeah, that's why I personally think “mate in 𝑛” puzzles are silly when there are more than one path that lead to mate. Just because one is slower doesn't mean it wouldn't still win me the game if I were to spot it, and isn't that the point of the puzzle? You could say “well, what if you lose on time”, but that's an unsound argument. Let's ignore the fact that even one second of increment/byoyomi would entirely prevent that AND ignore the fact that I would never get into a situation where I have so little time that I have to care about move count yet so much time that I'm able to sit and care about move count. “Futile interpositions” are still moves, and thus still waste the clock.
Also, what counts as a “futile” interposition? Really, any method of delaying checkmate is futile, so should all checkmate sequences be counted as mate in zero?
You can't post in the forums yet. Play some games!