Chess is a brilliant game for one powerful reason — there are no outcomes that can be achieved through compromises. Instead, the endgames are overwhelmingly non-negotiable. Pause now for a moment and give the game a thought.
There are 64 squares on a chess board and 32 pieces on it with 16 pieces for each player. There are 400 different positions possible after one moves apiece. This multiplies exponentially to 72,084 positions after two moves. And after four moves, there are more than 288 billion possibilities. Chess theorists have calculated there are more openings, defences and gambits than the number of quarks in the universe. But theoretically, they say, the longest game has to end in 5,949 moves.
(This story appears in the 02 December, 2011 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)
Some absolute gems in this issue of Forbes India - On Sonia Gandhi - an Italian riddle, wrapped in a Indian mystery inside an enigma, on the 'Sherpa from Palo Alto' in Zen Garden, the heroes of 26/11 in 'A Night At The Taj'..... Thank you!
on Nov 27, 2011Dear Charles Assisi, It is nice contemporary article in recent times. Spent a good time while reading this article. Thanks.
on Nov 25, 2011Welcome back, Mr. Assisi! It's great to read your article!
on Nov 20, 2011nice artical
on Nov 18, 2011