List of mathematicians who studied chess

List of mathematicians who studied chess

Chess and mathematics have been pursued intellectually for centuries by many researchers and scientists, especially mathematicians. Naturally, the logic and symmetry in chess appeal to mathematicians. The following mathematicians either played or studied chess in their life:

Euler, Legendre, de Moivre, and Vandermonde studied the knight's tour.
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
8 a8 __ b8 __ c8 __ d8 __ e8 white queen f8 __ g8 __ h8 __ 8
7 a7 __ b7 white queen c7 __ d7 __ e7 __ f7 __ g7 __ h7 __ 7
6 a6 __ b6 __ c6 __ d6 white queen e6 __ f6 __ g6 __ h6 __ 6
5 a5 __ b5 __ c5 __ d5 __ e5 __ f5 __ g5 white queen h5 __ 5
4 a4 __ b4 __ c4 white queen d4 __ e4 __ f4 __ g4 __ h4 __ 4
3 a3 __ b3 __ c3 __ d3 __ e3 __ f3 __ g3 __ h3 white queen 3
2 a2 __ b2 __ c2 __ d2 __ e2 __ f2 white queen g2 __ h2 __ 2
1 a1 white queen b1 __ c1 __ d1 __ e1 __ f1 __ g1 __ h1 __ 1
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
Ball, Gauss, and Glaisher studied the n-queens problem.
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
8 a8 black knight b8 black king c8 black rook d8 black bishop e8 black king f8 black king g8 black king h8 black king 8
7 a7 black king b7 black pawn c7 black king d7 black king e7 black king f7 black pawn g7 black king h7 black pawn 7
6 a6 black king b6 black pawn c6 black king d6 black king e6 black king f6 black king g6 black king h6 black king 6
5 a5 black king b5 white rook c5 black king d5 black king e5 black king f5 black king g5 black king h5 white king 5
4 a4 black king b4 black king c4 black king d4 black king e4 black king f4 black king g4 black king h4 black king 4
3 a3 black pawn b3 black king c3 black king d3 black king e3 black pawn f3 black king g3 white pawn h3 white knight 3
2 a2 black king b2 white pawn c2 white pawn d2 black king e2 white rook f2 black king g2 black king h2 black king 2
1 a1 white knight b1 black king c1 black king d1 black king e1 black king f1 black king g1 black king h1 black king 1
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
Many mathematicians became chess composers. Here's a chess problem called 'Excelsior' by Loyd.
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
8 a8 black king b8 black king c8 black king d8 black king e8 black king f8 black king g8 black king h8 white king 8
7 a7 black king b7 black king c7 black king d7 black king e7 black king f7 black king g7 black king h7 black king 7
6 a6 black king b6 black king c6 white pawn d6 black king e6 black king f6 black king g6 black king h6 black king 6
5 a5 black king b5 black king c5 black king d5 black king e5 black king f5 black king g5 black king h5 black pawn 5
4 a4 black king b4 black king c4 black king d4 black king e4 black king f4 black king g4 black king h4 black king 4
3 a3 black king b3 black king c3 black king d3 black king e3 black king f3 black king g3 black king h3 black king 3
2 a2 black king b2 black king c2 black king d2 black king e2 black king f2 black king g2 black king h2 black king 2
1 a1 black king b1 black king c1 black king d1 black king e1 black king f1 black king g1 black king h1 black king 1
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
Some mathematicians composed endgame studies. One of the most famous studies of all time is by Réti.

Many researchers who had some interest in chess did not have formal training in mathematics. However, they either contributed to mathematics or used mathematics in their profession. They were philosophers, physicists, chemists, engineers, etc. Here is a partial list:

Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
8 a8 black rook b8 black king c8 black bishop d8 black queen e8 black king f8 black bishop g8 black knight h8 black rook 8
7 a7 black king b7 black pawn c7 black pawn d7 black pawn e7 black king f7 black pawn g7 black pawn h7 black pawn 7
6 a6 black pawn b6 black king c6 black knight d6 black king e6 black king f6 black king g6 black king h6 black king 6
5 a5 black king b5 white bishop c5 black king d5 black king e5 black pawn f5 black king g5 black king h5 black king 5
4 a4 black king b4 black king c4 black king d4 black king e4 white pawn f4 black king g4 black king h4 black king 4
3 a3 black king b3 black king c3 black king d3 black king e3 black king f3 white knight g3 black king h3 black king 3
2 a2 white pawn b2 white pawn c2 white pawn d2 white pawn e2 black king f2 white pawn g2 white pawn h2 white pawn 2
1 a1 white rook b1 white knight c1 white bishop d1 white queen e1 white king f1 black king g1 black king h1 white rook 1
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
Einstein and Oppenheimer played the Ruy Lopez, Morphy Defence 3...a6

See also

  • José Capablanca (November 19, 1888 – March 8, 1942) attended engineering school
  • Che Guevara (June 14, 1928 – October 9, 1967) medical doctor
  • Gata Kamsky (born June 2, 1974) attended medical school

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • List of mathematicians — Mathematicians by letter: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Zee also* (by country, etc.) * List of geometers * List of mathematical probabilists * List of physicists * List of statisticians * List of mathematicians who studied… …   Wikipedia

  • Chess — This article is about the Western board game. For other chess games or other uses, see Chess (disambiguation). Chess From left to right: a whit …   Wikipedia

  • List of mathematics articles (L) — NOTOC L L (complexity) L BFGS L² cohomology L function L game L notation L system L theory L Analyse des Infiniment Petits pour l Intelligence des Lignes Courbes L Hôpital s rule L(R) La Géométrie Labeled graph Labelled enumeration theorem Lack… …   Wikipedia

  • Index of chess articles — Contents 1 Books 2 General articles 2.1 0–9 2.2 A …   Wikipedia

  • List of child prodigies — This is a list of people who in childhood (at or before 13) showed exceptional abilities in a specific field comparable to those of a highly skilled adult; hence the term child prodigy. Names added should fit this criterion and be properly… …   Wikipedia

  • List of German Jews — The Jewish presence in Germany is older than Christianity; the first Jewish population came with the Romans to the city Cologne. A Golden Age in the first millennium saw the emergence of the Ashkenazi Jews, while the persecution and expulsion… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Russian people — The Millennium of Russia monument in Veliky Novgorod, featuring the statues and reliefs of the most celebrated people in the first 1000 years of Russian history …   Wikipedia

  • List of University of Michigan alumni — There are more than 425,000 living alumni of the University of Michigan. Famous alumni include the father of the iPod, the founders of Sun Microsystems and Google, the father of information theory, the voice of Darth Vader, the first doctor… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Indian inventions — [ thumb|200px|right|A hand propelled wheel cart, Indus Valley Civilization (3000–1500 BCE). Housed at the National Museum, New Delhi.] [ 200px|thumb|Explanation of the sine rule in Yuktibhasa .] List of Indian inventions details significant… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Hindus — This is an incomplete list, which can or may never satisfy any subjective standard for completeness. Revisions and additions are welcome. A list of prominent and famous people who are Hindus. Religious Figures / Philosophers*Adi Shankara :… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”