Faster mate · Racing for the Boat at the Ford

What the solver found: an exact audit of the classical manuals

13 moves

Racing for the Boat at the Ford (争舟走渡) — Elegant Pastime Manual (適情雅趣, 1570), no. 108 The book prints a mate in 7. Pxe9+ mates sooner, which breaks the stipulation outright. The mainline is the book’s solution; a branch, where there is one, is what the solver found. Record from…