Issue 26 - May 09
Chris Wasshuber
Downloadable manuscript available from www.lybrary.com
Price: $25 (approx. £18)
The Knight’s Tour is an ancient puzzle that goes back
centuries. The idea is to be able to move the Knight Chess piece around the 64
square chess board and by making legal Knight moves, land on every one of the
squares once only. To look really cool you should be able to let someone else
choose which square you start on. If
you know the game of chess you will know that the Knight has a strange way of
making its move e.g. two squares in any straight direction followed by one
square to the left or right. It’s an odd move compared to the Bishop (diagonal
movement) and the Rook (straight square movement) but what else was left!
Magicians have taken up this problem and made it into a
demonstration of some sort of mathematical come memory type skill. I’ve never
seen it done but I put it alongside mathematical demonstrations such as the
Magic Square, for example. You can try the puzzle yourself by drawing an 8 x 8
square chess board and start moving an imaginary Knight around the board marking
each square so you know where you have been. You can’t return to previously
visited squares. You will probably make 30 or 40 moves before you start to
realise you cannot get on to the unvisited squares that you have left scattered
across the board and eventually you will find yourself surrounded by used
squares unable to get on to a new one! Once you have made a few attempts it
becomes quite a challenge and you can get hooked!
There have been many solutions over the years but the
additional benefit of Chris Wasshuber’s method is that not only can a
spectator choose which square you start on but also which square you should
finish on! Now that’s clever! The 17 page manuscript isn’t easy to
understand and will take memory work as well as some dedication to learn the
process and system involved. A mathematical and analytically inclined mind will
probably help. You don’t
necessarily need to know much about Chess but it will help. Other Chess players
will make an interested audience that’s for sure.
If you learn this you will have something unique that very
few others will ever perform. How you start to make this into some form of
entertaining performance I’m not sure and neither is the author. That’s
presumably why no presentational tips are given. That will be down to your own
personality more than the nature of the feat. Those who have seen John Archer
perform the Magic Square will know how much he makes of a mathematical
demonstration so with the right personality it can be done. PP
What’s Hot:
Learn this and you will have something unique that nobody else can
do.
What’s Not: A
pricey download that will take dedication to learn and memorise. No presentational tips given.
Star rating: **
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