More
about me
I am an avid chess player and began playing when I was 10. After dedicating more time to the game and competing regularly in tournaments, I was presented with an opportunity to play at national level.
I have represented England in tournaments across Europe as a member of England's Junior Squad.
During an internship at the Mission Control Centre of the European Space Agency, I was fortunate to work in Flight Dynamics, where I focused on orbital mechanics and related fields.
CHESS PUZZLE
FOR A MATHEMATICIAN
Here is a great puzzle about a chess board and 31 dominoes: An 8x8 chess board has had 2 of its corners removed (below). Your task is to determine whether the 31 dominoes can be arranged in such a way that all 62 squares of the board are covered.
(Hover over the board for the solution)
Solution
It's impossible! Here's why:
A domino occupies 2 adjacent squares. Since adjacent squares on a chess board alternate between dark and light, that means a domino will always cover one dark square and one light square. Since the corner squares that have been removed are both light, that leaves 32 dark squares and 30 light squares. Therefore, there is no arrangement of the 31 dominoes such that all squares are covered.