An evil Emperor was bored one day so he decided to play chess… human chess that is!
So he went to the dungeon and found 16 tough prisoners and 16 prison guards and told them the following:
“Tomorrow morning you prisoners will choose from a set of chess piece costumes and weapons (either the white or the black) so that you are the same color. The guards will get the other color. The prisoners will then choose any squares they desire on the large chess board in my courtyard, and then the guards will choose.”
“The rules will be like a normal chess game except the starting configuration is chosen by the players. I will play the guards and the prisoners king piece will play for them. The team that moves a piece resulting in checkmate wins and the other side is executed. The team that moves a piece resulting in stalemate is executed. “
“And because I am so gracious, any prisoners that are not dead at the end of the game will be set free. See you tomorrow… HEHE HOHO COUGH COUGH”
You and your fellow prisoners have the night to sweat out a plan. They decide you look like a nerd so they elect you to play the king in tomorrow’s game. One of the prisoners who has been there a while says he has seen the guards play many times before, and that if they are not blocked, they always arrange themselves in the same way. He sketches in the dirt the familiar starting arrangement of chess pieces with rook in the corner then knight, bishop, K, Q, etc. and a row of pawns across.
The other prisoners are looking at you doubtfully and suddenly you wish you had been more of a chess nerd!!
1.) How will you position your pieces for maximum survival?
2.) Is there a way to guarantee the survival of some prisoners? How many?
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An evil Emperor was bored one day so he decided to play chess… human chess that is!
So he went to the dungeon and found 16 tough prisoners and 16 prison guards and told them the following:
“Tomorrow morning you prisoners will choose from a set of chess piece costumes and weapons (either the white or the black) so that you are the same color. The guards will get the other color. The prisoners will then choose any squares they desire on the large chess board in my courtyard, and then the guards will choose.”
“The rules will be like a normal chess game except the starting configuration is chosen by the players. I will play the guards and the prisoners king piece will play for them. The team that moves a piece resulting in checkmate wins and the other side is executed. The team that moves a piece resulting in stalemate is executed. “
“And because I am so gracious, any prisoners that are not dead at the end of the game will be set free. See you tomorrow… HEHE HOHO COUGH COUGH”
You and your fellow prisoners have the night to sweat out a plan. They decide you look like a nerd so they elect you to play the king in tomorrow’s game. One of the prisoners who has been there a while says he has seen the guards play many times before, and that if they are not blocked, they always arrange themselves in the same way. He sketches in the dirt the familiar starting arrangement of chess pieces with rook in the corner then knight, bishop, K, Q, etc. and a row of pawns across.
The other prisoners are looking at you doubtfully and suddenly you wish you had been more of a chess nerd!!
1.) How will you position your pieces for maximum survival?
2.) Is there a way to guarantee the survival of some prisoners? How many?
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