Logic Riddles for Chess Players (9)

The lucky chess engines

Two chess engines are fighting for the title "best lucky chess engine ever". The winner of a ten-game match is considered the luckiest chess engine ever.

Both engines have a 100% belief in their opening choices, no matter the outcome.

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• If White plays 1.e-pawn, and Black answers with 1. .. d-pawn, white will win
• If White plays 1.e-pawn, and Black answers with 1. .. c-pawn, white will lose
• If White plays 1.e-pawn, and Black answers with 1. .. e-pawn, the game ends in a draw

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• If White plays 1.d-pawn, and Black answers with 1. .. d-pawn, the game ends in a draw
• If White plays 1.d-pawn, and Black answers with 1. .. c-pawn, white will win
• If White plays 1.d-pawn, and Black answers with 1. .. e-pawn, white will lose

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• If White plays 1.c-pawn, and Black answers with 1. .. d-pawn, white will lose
• If White plays 1.c-pawn, and Black answers with 1. .. c-pawn, the game ends in a draw
• If White plays 1.c-pawn, and Black answers with 1. .. e-pawn, white will win

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With these guaranteed winning combos in mind, both engine engineers had to grab into a bowl and choose the openings for their engines. the e-,d-, and c- pawns were used for White and Black.

Engine number 1 raffled: six times 1.e-pawn, three times 1.c-pawn, and one time 1.d-pawn

Engine number 2 raffled: four times 1.e-pawn, four times 1.d-pawn and two times 1.c-pawn

The order in which the openings were played, were unknown, and interestingly none of the ten games ended in a draw!

Which engine won the tournament, and what was the final score?

This seems impossible to solve at first, due to the element of randomness, but when checking more closely, the answer is pretty obvious.

Credits go to Hubert Phillips who is claimed to be the original inventor of this puzzle (of course in a very different variation as I have adjusted it), and an avid chess lover, which can be read about in Edward Winters article. It also includes plenty of beautiful "chess" puzzles!

His autobiography, published in 1960, had, moreover, revealed the extent of his love of chess: ‘it’s my favourite game, and always has been’.

Photo: Hubert Phillips
Date circa 1933
Bridge Journal, February 1952
Unknown author

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The unexpected opening paradox

As "dlemper" found out correctly in our comment section, the philosophical riddle was a variation of the "unexpected hanging paradox" puzzle, just a bit less brutal, I might add.

I love paradox themes, and they are very philosophical at times, inviting you to think and talk about. Fritz was not thinking rational at all and got confused with his thoughts. He should have just let it be. But there is still no certain answer to his conclusion.

The overall philosophical thoughts about this riddle are flourishing, if one can assume that Chesster could have lied. In the end, from a none "logical" point of view, who would guarantee that Chesster is surely telling the truth? But once you give a chess genius something paradox to think about, they might get confused.

Those smart minds - they can never stop thinking, am I right?

Links:

• Philosophical Riddles for Chess Players
• Philosophical Riddles for Chess Players
• Logic Riddles for Chess Players (8)
• Logic Riddles for Chess Players (7)
• Logic Riddles for Chess Players (6)
• Logic Riddles for Chess Players (5)
• Logic Riddles for Chess Players (4)
• Logic Riddles for Chess Players (3)
• Logic Riddles for Chess Players (2)
• Logic Riddles for Chess Players (1)
• ChessBase tactics puzzles