Meredith

A Meredith is a composition with eight to twelve units in its initial diagram. Here unit means any king, queen, rook, bishop, knight, or pawn of either color shown on the board.

The term classifies a composition by its amount of material. It does not determine the goal or the theme of the solution. A Meredith may ask for mate, cooperative play, a win, or a draw, and it may have any length allowed by its stipulation, the task printed with the diagram.

Limited material often makes each unit's function easier to see, but it does not guarantee an easy solution. A position with twelve units may still contain deep play. With seven units or fewer, the usual classification is miniature.