Mathematics and Chess

Rating:
Summary: If you have time and love puzzles, this is it.
Review: I read some and solved some problems, it's really enjoyable.
If I have time in the future, I will try to do some programming to solve the problems, although I know they're all solved by others already. It doesn't matter, the important thing is: you'll have fun!

Rating:
Summary: not what I expected
Review: If your work is related to computer science or applied mathematics, and you like problem solving, you will certainly like this book. If you are interested in chess and chess-related problems (orthodox and unorthodox chess problems, retrograde analysis, chess pieces tours, placement of chess pieces etc.) - you will find it here, too.

Being the person who fits both descriptions, I extremely enjoyed solving the problems this book has offered. As far as I know, only a few books combining both mathematics and chess were written in English up to now so that this book is a real attraction and refreshment. Apart from the well known problems (knight's circle, the non-attacking (super)queen problem, Shinkman's zigzag puzzles), a lot of challenging, amusing and delightful puzzles and tasks are included. Problems were chosen very carefully, some of them are easy to solve, others are extremely hard but, fortunately, the author gave the complete solutions for all presented problems. In my opinion, the volume of book of puzzles could be even larger to include another interesting math-chess puzzles, or to present some themes more extensively. Reading this book and solving some of attractive puzzles, I have really enjoyed all the time. In particular, I was impressed by miraculous author's solution of the famous problem about American presidential candidates and the method of planar graphs for solving some switching problems. Added computer programs for solving some problems gives a modern form to the book.

This book offers a too much entertainment for a wide circle of readers who like mathematics and chess.

Rating:
Summary: Excelent book on problem solving related to chess and maths
Review: If your work is related to computer science or applied mathematics, and you like problem solving, you will certainly like this book. If you are interested in chess and chess-related problems (orthodox and unorthodox chess problems, retrograde analysis, chess pieces tours, placement of chess pieces etc.) - you will find it here, too.

Being the person who fits both descriptions, I extremely enjoyed solving the problems this book has offered. As far as I know, only a few books combining both mathematics and chess were written in English up to now so that this book is a real attraction and refreshment. Apart from the well known problems (knight's circle, the non-attacking (super)queen problem, Shinkman's zigzag puzzles), a lot of challenging, amusing and delightful puzzles and tasks are included. Problems were chosen very carefully, some of them are easy to solve, others are extremely hard but, fortunately, the author gave the complete solutions for all presented problems. In my opinion, the volume of book of puzzles could be even larger to include another interesting math-chess puzzles, or to present some themes more extensively. Reading this book and solving some of attractive puzzles, I have really enjoyed all the time. In particular, I was impressed by miraculous author's solution of the famous problem about American presidential candidates and the method of planar graphs for solving some switching problems. Added computer programs for solving some problems gives a modern form to the book.

This book offers a too much entertainment for a wide circle of readers who like mathematics and chess.

Rating:
Summary: Many hours of happy puzzling if you like chess and maths.
Review: This book has six sections, looking at chess and (i) arithmetic and probability (ii)diversions (moving around a board and placement problems (iii) tours (especially knight's) (iv) geometric puzzles (v) amusements and games (vi) miscellaneous. I am enjoying reading this book, because of the number of puzzles, and the variety of puzzles. This book doesn't look at "classical" chess puzzles ("White to move and mate in 2.") Instead, it focusses on more esoteric material. For example, at the moment I am attempting to place 16 pawns on a chessboard so that no three are in a straight line. I can do this easily for rows and columns and the diagonals - but I suspect I also have to eliminate lines formed by two successive knight's jumps. Ouch. Maybe I'll write a small computer program to help me. If you are familiar with the works of Martin Gardner, Sam Lloyd, Henry E Dudney or (the regrograde problems of) Raymod Smullyan, then you will find similar puzzles. But "Mathematics and Chess" provides not two or three puzzles, but 110. Note I said "I am enjoying reading" this book. If I can avoid looking up the answers, I suspect that I will still be reading and puzzling in ten year's time. Not many books can provide that much entertainment. A classical compilation of slightly-different chess problems.

Rating:
Summary: Great Pass Time Book, but a Bit Bugged
Review: This is an excellent book for people interested in solving all sorts of challenging problems. Being a good chess player helps just as much as being good at math, but you will need something more to break the multiple challenges - an inner drive. This book won't help you play chess any better, or be better at math, but it will provide you with an entertaining and brain challenging pass time. Great for sharing some of the learnings with friends, or for setting up parallel contests to see who solves the problems quicker, for individuals or teams.

Unfortunately, the book has bugs here and there. Bugs can be in the solutions, i.e., typos in solutions. Example of this is problem 6.12 with some rook moves mistakenly shown as bishop moves in the solution. Also bugs can be in a poor translation of a word problem into English, to the point where it is totally impossible to understand the intent. Example the fantastic "Where is the King?" problem 4.15, totally spoiled based on the wording of what the king does when he reaches the castle "turns counterclockwise around the castle at the right angle" and bishop (similar wording). Maybe in the native language that wording had an exact meaning, but in English it is totally meaningless. In fact, it is plain wrong, because the intent is for the king to turn 90 degrees to his right, when in fact it seems the turn is 90 degrees to his left. The point is that this is an elegant geometry and math problem that should not be spoiled by inaccurate or misleading wording, i.e., the challenge should not be in guessing at the intent of the wording but at solving the math problem with correct reliable information.

Overall a fantastic book that can provide hours and hours of entertainment, well worth its inexpensive cost!!! However, I challenge the author to clean up the bugs for the next edition. He owes it to the folks that are willing to spend valuable time working the problems!!!

Rating:
Summary: not what I expected
Review: This is an interesting book, with some good problems to solve, but I was expecting a book that would relate math to chess, instead this is a book that uses the chess board and the game of chess to solve mathematical problems, this book does nothing to help with understanding chess or improving your game.