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World Leader Anagram
Solve this anagram for one of the most famous conquerors in history:
He hangs king.
View full teaser and answerFeathers
I have many feathers to help me fly. I have a body and head, but I'm not alive. It is your strength which determines how far I go. You can hold me in your hand, but I'm never thrown.
What am I?
View full teaser and answerWhite to Play
This is one of the most famous positions in chess. William Steinitz defeated von Bardeleben at Hastings in 1895. His opponent resigned after the fifth move of this attack by just leaving the tournament hall, when Steintiz then showed the next eight moves. As a challenge try and figure it all out as Steinitz did—right to the mate.
View solutionCity Spelling
What is the only city with three dotted letters all in a row?
View full teaser and answerSaippuakivikauppias
Saippuakivikauppias is the Finnish word for a soapstone seller. Aside from being a long tongue twister, what else is special about this word?
View full teaser and answerWhite to Play
I love the third move that forced Black’s resignation.
View solutionLargest Pair
What is the longest pair of English words that are pronounced exactly the same but share no letter in common?
View full teaser and answerIce Boat
On a hot summer day by a lake you are determined to build a boat made of ice, using a refrigeration unit and a large mold in which you can pour water. Nearby you notice an Egyptian mummy resting on a pile of wood pulp. What is the best strategy for building an ice boat that will not melt before you sail it across the lake?
View full teaser and answerWhite to Play
At first glance, White’s position might not seem to promising with a rook and queen under attack, the White king in an odd place and a pawn less to boot. However, that bishop on b3 changes things.
View solutionTricky Tunnel
You are in a tunnel that branches in two directions, like a T. To your left is a door with the enigmatic words: "Wide ill you" and "Wild lie you." On the right are the words "Evil will you" and "Veil will you." Which door do you choose?
View full teaser and answerPersonal Pronouns
"She" is a word that contains two personal pronouns: she and he. What five-letter word beginning with "U" contains four personal pronouns?
View full teaser and answerBlind Monkey Fingers
You are imprisoned within a small jail cell. Your cell mate is a large monkey that is blind in one eye and does not have all its fingers on one hand. Your captors turn to you and say, "Do you feel more sorry because of the monkey's eye or hand? If you answer correctly, we will set you free."
View full teaser and answerWhite to Play
I like to, from time to time, use Fridays as “drop back” days. I take a forced mating position and then go back to earlier in the game to make it a bit more challenging. When you know there’s a forced mate, it’s easier to find, but getting to that position from the earlier position requires more thought. In this position, we have dropped...
View solutionThe Breakfast Challenge
You are enjoying your breakfast after having put some salt on your scrambled eggs when your nerdy brother presents you with an ice cube floating in a glass of water and a short length of string. He challenges you to remove the ice cube from the glass using the string without tying any knots. What strategy do you use to remove the ice cube from the water glass?
View full teaser and answerWhite to Play
Quite often in chess, we talk about “holes” in an opponent’s camp that you can occupy to create an attack. In this position, Black gifted White with two holes on d6 and f6. Of course, mate follows.
View solutionVenus
You awake inside a small transparent capsule sitting on the surface of Venus. From a small speaker you hear a voice that says, "We will leave you here either for a day or a year. If you choose to stay a day, we will give you $1 million. If you choose to stay a year, we will give you $2 million. Either way, you will have sufficient food and water. We will make sure the temperature is a constant 70 degrees Fahrenheit. We will also supply cable TV."
What is your choice? (Don't let money decide your answer).
View full teaser and answerMoney in Water
You drop two coins into a muddy river by mistake. You saw one falling in, a 1 euro coin. You know the other one had to be either a 1 euro coin, or a 2 euro coin.
After searching and pulling out one, and discovering its a 1 euro coin, what is the chance that the other is also a 1 euro coin?
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