I have three chess puzzles for you this week, but you dont need to know the rules of chess for two of them. These two are variants of the famous eight queens puzzle, which asks solvers to position eight queens on an eight-by-eight board such that no two queens attack each other. The eight queens puzzle requires a little too much trial and error for my taste, which perhaps is why the problem more often shows up in computer science courses as an exercise in writing programs that search through cases for you.

The world of chess puzzles is full of beautiful and often humorous constructions, but sometimes one needs extensive experience to solve or even appreciate them. The most common type of chess puzzle depicts a position and challenges solvers to force a checkmate in a given number of moves. This weeks third puzzle throws a delightful twist into this standard genre, instead asking you to find a move that does NOT instantly checkmate. Youll need to know the rules of chess for this one. As chess puzzles go, its not exceedingly difficult, but hopefully gives a flavor for how amusing these compositions can get.

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Knights attack every square that can be reached in an L shape as follows: two squares horizontally (left or right) and one square vertically (up or down) or two squares vertically and one square horizontally. What is the largest number of knights that you can fit on a standard eight-by-eight chess board, such that no two knights attack each other?

In the position below, find a move for white that does NOT cause an instant checkmate. Karl Fabel, an ingenious and prolific chess composer, published this in 1952.

Composed by Karl Fabel

Composed by Karl Fabel

Ill be back next Monday with the answers and a new puzzle. Do you know a cool puzzle that you think should be featured here? Message me on Twitter @JackPMurtagh or email me at gizmodopuzzle@gmail.com

Did you solve last weeks puzzle in time?

You sell calendars without years written on them. If somebody wants a 2024 calendar, you give them one whose days of the week match up correctly with 2024 (January 1st is a Monday, January 2nd is a Tuesday, etc.)

Find the answers below. Shout-out to PeterE for sniping all of them and for calling the Gregorian calendar Greggys system.

1. There are 14 different calendars. Years can begin with any of the seven days of the week, and years either have 365 days or 366 days (leap years). This results in 14 total possibilities.

2. 2034 is the next time the 2023 calendar will be used again. Every non-leap year that passes, the days shift forward by one. Think of it this way: 2023 began with a Sunday, and every seven days after that, the week resets to Sunday (Jan 8th, Jan 15th, etc.). So starting with the 1st and adding any number thats divisible by seven (7, 14, 21, 28,...) gets you back to Sunday. 364 is divisible by seven (7 x 52 = 364), so adding that to 1 yields 365, the last day of the year. This means December 31st was also a Sunday, leading to 2024 beginning with a Monday. All non-leap years work like this. After a leap year, the days shift forward by two because of the extra day.

With this in hand, we can calculate when the 2023 calendar (non-leap year beginning with Sunday) will recur. Days shift forward by 1 each year, except after a leap year, when they shift forward by 2:

Graphic: Jack Murtagh

Since 2034 is not a leap year and begins with a Sunday, it uses an identical calendar to 2023.

3. The largest possible gap between uses of the same calendar is 40 years. You wouldnt be alone if you came up with 28. Ill explain why 28 is a natural guess and then how the gap can actually be as large as 40.

Leap years are rarer than non-leap years, so it stands to reason that gaps will be larger between leap years. After a leap year, the subsequent years shift days according to the pattern: 2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, and so on (you can see this in the table above starting at 2025). So every leap year (every four years) is five days shifted forward (2+1+1+1) from the previous leap year (e.g. 2028 is the leap year after 2024 and it begins with a Saturday, five days after 2024s Monday). Starting at a leap year, every four years, the days shift forward by five and you need to do this seven times before cycling back to the same starting day. It takes 28 years to pass through seven leap years (indeed, 2052 is 28 years after 2024 and the first leap year after it to begin with a Monday).

One huge exception can extend or shrink this number. Years divisible by 100 skip a leap year (unless theyre divisible by 400). 2100, 2200, etc. will not be leap years. Consider the 2072 calendar: a leap year which begins on a Friday. 28 years later will be 2100 and will also begin on a Friday, but its not a leap year! Wed have to continue 12 more years before repeating the 2072 calendar in 2112.

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Gizmodo Monday Puzzle: You Don't Have to Play Chess to Be the Queen - Yahoo News

15 January 2024 -UK surveillance specialist Chess Dynamics vehicle surveillance system, Hawkeye MMP, has demonstrated a world-leading electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) performance as part of the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agencys (NDMA) Observation Targeting and Surveillance Systems (OTAS) project.

In meeting stringent requirements set by the NDMA, Hawkeye MMP has demonstrated its ability to meet the needs of the modern battlefield and survive, communicate and operate in the toughest electromagnetic conditions.

The unique requirements set out by the NDMA included standard EMC tests such as MIL-STD461 and specifically the precise Nuclear Electro Magnetic Pulse (NEMP). This was alongside more bespoke requirements to ensure compatibility with the vehicles existing high frequency, very high frequency and ultra-high frequency radio systems without any internal frequency interference.

Chess developed a multi-staged approach which included board-level testing, meeting UK-based EMC qualifications and complete vehicle system tests, as well as designing novel modular solutions to pass the NEMP testing at the first attempt. Steps were taken alongside the NDMA so that requirements were met while ensuring environmental and usability needs were not impacted.

Chris Henderson, Electronics Group Leader at Chess Dynamics said, The demands of the battlefield today are increasingly complex and require adaptable, high-performance solutions. The NDMA required a technology of this kind that also met its own strict EMC requirements, and we are thrilled to have succeeded in this. This is a major achievement for Chess, and we believe this technology will be vital as resilience becomes increasingly important to surveillance capability.

The customer said, Chess Dynamics was able to provide a solution that passed the EMC tests, proving Hawkeye MMPs ability to perform while remaining resilient on the battlefield. We look forward to our continued work with Chess as we look to continuously improve our surveillance capabilities.

Photo courtesy Chess Dynamics

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Chess Dynamics Hawkeye MMP delivers world-leading electromagnetic compatibility performance - EDR Magazine

Chess legend and political activist Garry Kasparov, who was the youngest-ever undisputed world champion at the age of 22 and was ranked the number one player in the world for an astonishing 21 consecutive years, mocked CNN for calling the huge terror tunnel built by Hamas an alleged Hamas tunnel.

CNN titled an article about the enormous 2.5-mile tunnel, which is big enough to drive a large vehicle through, discovered by the IDF, What to know about the alleged Hamas tunnel Israel claims to have found.

Alleged Hamas tunnel Israel claims to have found? Really, @CNN? Is it possible its not really a tunnel? That is was built by aliens? That Israel didnt find it? Kasparov tweeted.

There has to be a balance where the news media can cite a source without independent confirmation but while also recognizing obvious facts instead of casting doubt, he continued. I think its an overreaction to falling for the Hamas hospital hoax, although most still cite Hamas propaganda. But alleged Hamas tunnel is absurd. But Id be interested in estimates of how much it cost, where the materials came from, how much $ from the UN & EU.

Kasparov, a staunch opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, reacted to the October 7 massacre of 1,200 Israelis by writing in The Wall Street Journal six days later, Hamass terrorist war against Israel demands more than condemnation, thoughts and prayers. It demands action. The free world must stand with Israel and confront rather than negotiate with evil.

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Later that month he stated, Its a war of freedom and democracy against tyranny and dictatorships, and Israel has been fighting this war for a long time. Our enemies have not lost hopes to eradicate Jewishness from history. Today, the Nazis of modern times, they want to have their final, final solution. This is not an ordinary challenge. This is not an ordinary war. They believe that its a time to have the decisive blow to Jewry around the world and heart of Jewishness, the state of Israel. Unfortunately, can I say, the free world now is watching it, not indifferently as in the 1930s, but applauding. Theres so much work to be done.

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'Built By Aliens': Chess Legend Kasparov Blasts CNN For Referring To 'Alleged Hamas Tunnel' - The Daily Wire

FIDE could be on the verge of scrapping its presidential term limit and allowing Russian incumbent Arkady Dvorkovich to run for four more years in office.

The world chess federation's current rulesbrought in as an election promise by Dvorkovichare contained in the FIDE Charter and state the president has to step down after two four-year terms in power.

But a controversial amendment, to be discussed when FIDE meets for its annual general assembly on Sunday, seeks to remove that clause. The motion was tabled by the federations representing 21 mostly small chess nations and has been listed on the agenda under "administrative matters."

Sunday's proposal, first uncovered by the site Chess-News, was highlighted by FIDE watchers on X, the platform formally known as Twitter. It drew immediate criticism.

GM Peter Heine Nielsen, a frequent commentator on FIDE matters, said:

Replies on his feed were quick to draw comparisons with Russian president Vladimir Putin, who circumvented constitutional term limits. Putin has held continuous positions as president or prime minister since 1999 and, due to an amendment to the constitution in 2020, is now exempt from presidential term limits until 2036.

Dvorkovich served as deputy prime minister under Putin from 2012 to 2018, and it has been suggested he is adopting the same methods:

GM Jacob Aagaard also noted that Dvorkovich went back on his key election promise to stop terms of office like the 23-year reign of his predecessor Kirsan Ilyumzhinov from happening again. Aagaard said:

Before he was elected in 2018, Dvorkovich told the media: "The FIDE President must serve the chess community, and regardless of the results of his work, a maximum of two presidential terms must be established."

During that election campaign, Dvorkovich received support from, among others, the influential Association of Chess Professionals.

In a pre-election endorsement posted on its website, the ACP stated: "ACP strongly supports the view that no President should be serving for more than two consecutive terms. This is vital to democracy in every major organization and FIDE is no exception."

The reaction in Russia to Dvorkovich winning was positive with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling the RIA news agency: "The election of the head of FIDE is very important, it's a global event, and, of course, we were rooting for Dvorkovich, a Russian citizen."

Announcing Dvorkovich's re-election in 2022 at the general assembly in Chennai, India, FIDE's own website stated:"Dvorkovich's second term will also be the last, as one of the first tasks that he undertook shortly after being elected in 2018 was to renew the FIDE Charter, introduce term limits, and other democratic reforms."

If approved, the change would allow the 51-year-old to extend his term as one of the few Russians still in charge of international sporting organizations since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The other main outlier is the International Judo Federation (IJF), under the leadership of its President Marius Vizer, reportedly a long-time close friend of Putin.

Since his election in a bruising contest back in 2018, Dvorkovich has faced constant criticism for his links to the Russian governmentparticularly since Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine.

On becoming FIDE president, Dvorkovich moved swiftly to deliver on his election promise and introduced Article 18.12 of the FIDE Charter which states: "A person cannot serve as FIDE President for more than two terms of four years. Terms may be consecutive or non-consecutive."

In his letter to FIDE, the president of the Andorra Chess Federation, Francesc Rechi Prez, argues the time is right for the change.

He said: "The 2023 GA is an appropriate moment to reverse/make the respective amendments to the Charter while this is the least politicized period in between elections, and there are no direct beneficiaries from adoption of the change in regulations."

Prior to the meeting, FIDE's Constitutional Commission confirmed the South African Chess Federation and the Bulgarian Chess Federation have no right to vote in the 2023 meeting.

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Could FIDE's Russian President Get A Third Term In Office? - Chess.com

India's first grandmaster and International Chess Federation (FIDE) vice president Viswanathan Anand expressed his views on recent cheating allegations by top players. The five-time world champion thinks that claims and counter-claims of this type will continue to flow.

In September 2022, former world champion Magnus Carlsen pulled out of the $50,000 Sinquefield Cup after a defeat against America's Hans Niemann. Accusations of cheating followed up soon.

The FIDE recently found that Niemann was innocent against the accusations and the world sporting body asked the Norwegian to pay a fine of 10,000 for skipping the tournament. He was, though, cleared from other charges.

Speaking on the measures that can help FIDE tackle the cheating allegations, Viswanathan Anand said that it won't be eradicated. He was quoted by The Indian Express as saying:

Anand added:

The recent Vladimir Kramnik vs Hikaru Nakamura controversy led to a reaction from Indian grandmaster Srinath Narayanan also. He revealed to The Indian Express that the American used to make constant allegations against Arjun Erigiasi.

Hikaru would write to Arjun in a direct message on an online chess portal but only stopped when the Indian lodged an official complaint with the respective portal. Arjun was cleared of any kind of misconduct.

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"It's a problem we will continue to deal with" - Viswanathan Anand on cheating claims in Chess - Sportskeeda