The chessboard that supposedly bankrupted a king

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A classic tale of a clever nerd absolutely fleecing a monarch.

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The chessboard that supposedly bankrupted a king — STACKY / Games

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A classic tale of a clever nerd absolutely fleecing a monarch. According to legend, when the inventor of chess presented the game to an ancient king, he was offered any reward. The inventor modestly asked for one grain of wheat on the first square of the board, two on the second, four on the third, doubling until the 64th square. The king laughed at the cheap price, only to discover later that 2 to the 64th power equals more wheat than existed on the entire planet. The king supposedly had him executed for being a smartass.

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The chessboard that supposedly bankrupted a king

A closer look

A bigger world.One discoveryat a time.

Keep exploring

Chess pieces weren't standardized for centuries

Why opening theory won’t save you from a blunder

Chess theoretically allows for a game to last exactly five thousand nine hundred and forty-nine moves before being completely exhausted, making it the longest possible match under current standard tournament rules.

The chess variant designed to prevent endless draws

Pushing intricately carved wooden figures across a checkered board of pure strategy

Chess was completely revolutionized in the 15th century when a new rule granted the Queen the ability to move any number of squares in any direction, transforming her into the most powerful piece.

A bigger world.
One discovery
at a time.