1999/05/31 by Noam D. Elkies
Mathematics · #math.CO #msc:90D46 #msc:90D80
published as Pages 135-150 of "Games of No Choice" (Proceedings of 7/94 MSRI conference on combinatorial games), MSRI Publ. #29 (1996) via Cambridge U. Press · 18 pages, including many chess diagrams printed with the Tutelaers fonts (differs only in trivial stylistic details from the version published in "Games of No Chance")
arxiv created 1999/05/31 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30
In an investigation of the applications of Combinatorial Game Theory to chess, we construct novel mutual Zugzwang positions, explain an otherwise mysterious pawn endgame from "A Guide to Chess Endings" (Euwe and Hooper), show positions containing non-integer values (fractions, switches, tinies, and loopy games), and pose open problems concerning the values that may be realized by positions on either standard or nonstandard chessboards.