Miniature

A miniature is a composition with seven units or fewer in its initial diagram. Here unit means any king, queen, rook, bishop, knight, or pawn of either side.

The term concerns material alone. It does not mean a smaller board, a short solution, or an easy problem. A miniature may contain a complex idea because every unit must perform precise functions and may need to serve several purposes.

Material economy does not replace correctness. The composition must still fulfill its task without unintended alternative solutions and must use a legal position when the rules require one. That general quality is covered by soundness. A diagram with eight to twelve units belongs to the Meredith class.