1) 8 2) 40 3) as below

Q1) 5
Q2) 40
Q3) copied from Redsales.

ok, I am reposting:
1) 4 2) 40 3) Be3..etc solution given below.

Chessmaster1000: very good point, I forgot about 0-0-0! But what about the second solution I listed, you didn't mention if it was right:

1 Be3 Qa5 2.b4 Bxb4 and white can't take back with axb4 but now I see the forced win too, which is pretty: 3. Bxf7!! now if Ke7 or Kf8 or 0-0-0, 4. axb4 wins the Q or B next move, if Kxf7, 4. Qf3 Bf5 5. axb4 wins in the same fashion a move later, and if 3..Bxf7 we get the same theme with 4. Qf3 Of course 4..Nd7 allows the R to take N and 4..Ng8 or Nh7 allow the win with 5. axb4 where white wins Q or B next move (6).

Walter do you recognise the game? It's one of your extinction games........Against Oliotavio i think.......Only you failed to find the forced win! You won though........

Chessmaster1000: And remember, as there are no checks in Extinction Chess, there are also no checkmates either. Hopefully you mean on the sixth move something of Black's is extinct, not that he has no way out of it and it will happen on the seventh move. Just asking for clarification.

Right nice puzzles you have here. I think I should give them a serious go if no one has claimed the prize by tomorrow. Time for bed now.

All the Maharajah's are not unique of course. A Maharajah is the same of course with another Maharajah.
So the following is not true:"
"A position that has a Maharajah-1 on a1 and a Maharajah-2 on a2 is different from the position that has the Maharajah-2 on a1 and the Maharajah-1 on a2."
Both positions are the same............

As for the Extinction, Redsales after Bb5+ there is the O-O-O! which saves the day(remember you can castle at Extinction when you are in check!).
As for the 1.e5 Ng8 2.b4 Qb6 3.Be3 Bc5? 4.Bxc5 Walter, there is the 3...c5! that leads to no win in less 3 moves.........
And there is no win in less than 6 moves for white.

Cerebro: Where's my months? :)
Sounds like a fair way to go, but first we'll have to see what the right answers are, and if they've been posted by anyone as of yet. If the answers that I posted are the correct ones, then I was the first one to post all the correct answers. If one or more of them are wrong, then it'll depend on if anyone has posted all three of the correct answers yet. If my answers are correct and he agrees that I should get the prize, we'll work something out. I won't take any of it and let him do as fencer will allow. If I have a wrong answer or if he doesn't allow my post to count though they're correct and first, then what I want to do has less say in what actually is done.

Cerebro I think you have a typo since ughaibu answered Q3 first, not Q1

I think they should split the prize. 2 months for Ed Trice, for answering first Q2, 2 month for Ughaibu, for answering first Q1, and two month for redsales, for answering first Q3 in the shortest number of moves.

ScarletRose: I also copied ughaibu's answer and I didn't hear you complain about that.
Perhaps it's Cerebro prize to claim after all. When will ChessMaster be log on next? I'm waiting to see if anybody has it yet.

is a mathematical genius LOLOL and only in his early 20's :) It is good to see :)
I love anything to do with figures only because Im a bookkeeper ...not a genius as LJ will attest to LOLOL, but love to work with figures :) as in numbers..before all you "people" jump on the word figures LOLOL
***EDIT*** i meant to add, have a damn good look around his website...amazing....i dont understand it but amazing :)

BerniceC: I think he meant that the maharajahs were all the same, but if you, for example, "tagged" each one, you could switch the pieces around without disturbing the actual coordinates in the solution(s). From what I know, CM1000 is a math genius, and some of the mathematical proofs he posted on the Goth board were way over my head. Also, for most chess problems the convention is usually that if the problemist writes "white to win in 6" it usually carries the implication "white to win in 6 or less" but I'm not judge or jury here, I'll stop cluttering up Fencer's nice board. Nice little contest though, very stimulating.

Q1) I see only 4, assuming all the maharajas are identical.
Q2) 40, all knights on the white squares, or all knights on the black squares.
Q3) 1. Bb5 C6 2. Be3 Qe5 3. Bd4 or 1. Bb5 Kf8 2. Be3 Qe5 3. Bd4 . Then black's next move and white wins in the 4th move.

I didn't want to modify my answer because it might change the time stamp, but I meant to write in for Q3)
"Originally I thought [you couldn't play 1. Be3] because of ...."

It just means 1. Be3 works too, but it is a longer solution than 1. Bb5.

redsales makes an interesting point that wasnt clarified by CM1000.....
Are the maharajahs unique
god knows what it means but he seems to know :)
we could have 2 winners here, and they could Both be REDSALES sort of...maybe LOL

Walter Montego: You are so opposed to Ed Trice.. yet, you use his answers.. hmmm

i wasn't sure if CM1000 wanted 6 exactly. I hope I get bonus marks for paring it down!

ooooohhhhh.....57 secs divides the first 2 people with 3 answers LOLOL....drum roll********* who is correct

I posted all three answers first, though I only know that one of them is correct for sure. But the stipulation was correct answers, not understanding the answers.
I'll give it to redsales if his answer is to the Extinction Chess problem is correct since it's in less than six moves, otherwise to ughaibu.

ok, here it is:
q1) 4 but 132 if all maharajahs are considered unique.

q2) 40 by placing all on squares of one color.

q3) I have two answers, one is nicer than the other, but both are less than 6 moves.

1. Bb5 black plays either c6 which allows 2. Be3 Qe5 3. Bd4 and white captures the Q or N next move due to the skewer. Or: 1. Bb5 Kf8 2. Be3 Qe5 and the game ends the same way.

Originally I thought because of 1..Qa5 2.b4 Bxb4 and white can't take back with axb4 but now I see the forced win too, which is pretty: 3. Bxf7!! now if Ke7 or Kf8, 4. axb4 wins the Q or B next move, if Kxf7, 4. Qf3 Bf5 5. axb4 wins in the same fashion a move later, and if 3..Bxf7 we get the same theme with 4. Qf3 Of course 4..Nd7 allows the R to take N and 4..Ng8 or Nh7 allow the win with 5. axb4 where white wins Q or B next move.

1. 132
2. 40
3. 1.e5 Ng8 2.b4 Qb6 3.Be3 Bc5 4.Bxc5 Qc6 5.Bb5 and 6.Qxb5 or Bxc6 or Bxe8 or Rxd7

Q1) 4

Walter Montego: well he definately knows about Gothic Chess wouldnt you say...and I know nothing of it but was interested to see if i could answer number 2. he probably was as well.

Up till now i havent seen anyone give answers to anything except number 2...Mr Trice is the only one :) except Bry and i feel he wasnt being serious LOLOL

Q3) 1.e5 Ng8 2.b4 Qb6 3.Be3 Bc5 4.Bxc5 Qc6 5.Bb5 and 6.Qxb5 or Bxc6 or Bxe8 or Rxd7

BerniceC: He might've posted 40 for answer 2 first, but he didn't solve the problem. I wonder why he even wasted his time if he's not goiing to try the Extinction Chess problem. You don't have to know how to play the game to work on the problem. But you would have to learn how it is played to solve it.

well if 40 is correct MrTrice got it first :)

ughaibu: Hmm, yep. My 32 ain't right. ;-)

ArtfulDodger: I'm not sure what you mean by unban someone from a fellowship. You mean unban someone from a fellowship board. - You can hide/ban unhide/unban on a fellowship board without effecting the persons membership in the actual fellowship.

... if I understand your question correctly

im confused now....sorry...I will stay out of it lOLOL

BerniceC: I did it as ughaibu did it. That's half the board of 80 squares. Thad says 32, but 40 greater than 32. I doubt if you can get more than 40 putting them in columns, or 32 for that matter. Putting them in islands might be worth trying, but I think just covering all the squares of one color is going to be tops, though I don't have a proof of it.

It's 40, put all your knights on white (or black) squares.

Walter Montego: sorry Walter....i have confused things...had my board 8 across and 10 down...but works either way I think LOL
now ive confused myself hehehe...sorry

32, they go on every space in columns A, D, G, & J.

I can't think of a way to get more than that. And I don't have the Knights in any columns either. Am I missing something?
http://www.angelfire.com/ultra/georgecm9000/ba.html
Just thought I'd bring the link up a bit. It's getting kind of far down the page.

well i havent played chess for yonks and i say Number 2 is 40 with knights in columns 3&4 and 7&8

I'm mistaken, nevermind.

#2 is 48, not 32. You can put two rows of knights right next to each other.

ScarletRose: that doesn't help my question. grrrr

Chessmaster1000: 2. 32

Still thinking on #1 & #3...

ArtfulDodger: Why unban them and not reinvite them??

is there some way to unban someone from a fellowship without inviting them??

1. 132
2. 40
3. I don't play extinction chess so I have no clue.

good point.

dont be clever...

Andersp

Okay for now.

Its a little bit off topic, but its a good contest! As long as it doesn't grow into a big discussion about the possible answers...
It may have been better held at a chess discussion board, but it will reach more people here.
I'll check with Fencer, but its ok for now.

good point - but any prospective pawns...? new users?

Is this an appropriate use of this discussion board though?