knight-squadrons chess puzzle

Congratulations!

KNIGHT SQUADRONS

by Serhiy Grabarchuk
MVS:  0/12
Goal >

Swap the white and the black figures.

wap the black and white knights in the fewest moves

Goal

Swap the white and the black figures.

Moves:  / 12

Swap the white and the black figures.

Sumbit solution

KNIGHT SQUADRONS

by Serhiy Grabarchuk
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l

You Win!

Squadron - from Italian squadrone, which is augmentative of squadra - “battalion" or… literally "square”. It can be translated as a "body of soldiers drawn up in a square”. No wonder the first 4 letters of the SQUAre. Thus, we are dealing with two chess knights’ formations, hence the name*, each firmly facing another one.

We don’t want them to clash in a fierce battle here. Instead we want them to diverge peacefully on this cross-shaped chess battlefield, continuing they ways further apart.

What would be your approach to this chess puzzle, knowing the board is rather tight for these two squadrons and every move is as previous as tactical. At some pivot turns you would risk making a longer stretch, though in some other critical moments you would prefer not to rush.

Holding your breath, planning your turns and marching bravely towards your goal, could you fit within exactly a dozen of the multi-leap knight moves here?


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*This chess problem first appeared in 'The Big, Big, Big Book of Brainteasers' by the Grabarchuk Family in 2011, published by Puzzle Wright Press, part of Sterling Publishing