Problem : Chess OR Physics ?

Chessboard Series #1

A chessboard is designed is such a way such that the White squares are made of plate having

the surface mass density as σo/2 while Black squares are made of plate having surface density

as σo/4. The side of square shaped chessboard is ‘8L’ (Neglect the wooden sides). The masses

of the chess pieces are given in the tabular form below.

(The notations on the chessboard can be observed from the figure below.)

Answer the question parts accordingly.

Pieces Mass

King Mo/8

Queen Mo/8

Bishop Mo/4

Knight Mo/3

Rook Mo/2

Pawn Mo
Question Parts :

a) Find the centre of mass of the designed chessboard. The board is to be supported with the
help of a knife edge. Also find the reaction force which will be applied between the knife
edge and the chessboard.

b) All the pieces are arranged ‘as usual’ on the board ‘simultaneously black and white pieces
both’. Will it make the chessboard to get disturbed from its equilibrium? If yes then how?
And if not, then why?

c) Having set up everything, playerA (white) & playerB (black) are ready to start the game.
If white makes his first move as 1. e4, then what option(s) does black have for making his
move immediately so that the equilibrium of the chessboard is not disturbed at all ?

Can you name the opening after both the players are finished making their first moves ?
(Completely optional)

- By Saurabh Salvi
Solutions: Chess OR Physics ?
Chessboard Problem #1

The side length of the ‘square’ shaped chessboard is given to be 8L

8L

L L

8L L L
LL

Black Square White Square

For black coloured square :

𝜎𝑜
Surface density for black coloured square plate is ( )
4

Mass of single black coloured square plate (say ‘m’) :

For white coloured square :

𝜎𝑜
Surface density for white coloured square plate is ( )
2

Mass of single white coloured square plate will be ‘2m’ :

𝜎𝑜
where, 2m = ( ) 𝐿2
2
Question Parts :

a) For balancing the chessboard on just a knife edge, the knife edge is needed to kept at
the Centre of Mass of the designed board. So basically we need to find the COM of the
board first.

For locating COM of board, we have 2 methods :

Traditional method By Symmetry

i. Traditional method

Each square plate can be replaced by a point mass having its mass (equivalent to that of
the square plate) placed at its geometrical centre. (‘Beauty of COM’)

Mass = m

Mass = 2m

So actually the whole chessboard can be replaced by such arrangement of point masses
as shown below.
Concept :

For finding the centre of mass of the system consisting of two particles can be given as :

𝑚1 ⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑟1 +𝑚2 ⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑟2
𝑟𝑐𝑚 =
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑚1 +𝑚2

Here, we take origin as the geometrical centre of the chessboard itself, though any point can be
considered as the origin.

This part (a) can be solved by traditional method in the easiest way as follows :

i) Consider the line shown (blue dotted line ) in figure 1. We will be referring to it as
‘Magical line’.

ii) Consider the mini systems (enclosed in rectangles) along the diagonals (b1-a2 , c1-a3,

d1-a4, e1-a5, f1-a6, g1-a7, h1-a8, h2-b8, h3-c8, h4-d8, h5-e8, h6-f8, h7-g8)

For example,

In this diagram,

(1) represents b1-a2 diagonal

(2) represents h2-b8 diagonal

1st system 2nd ‘’ 3rd ‘’ 4th ‘’ ……

Fig. 1 The square plates are replaced by point masses Fig. 2 Representation on board

iii) Refer Fig. 1 :

The beauty of this designed chessboard is that, the COM of all the individual mini systems (enclosed
in rectangle) lies exactly on the blue dotted line considering the point on blue line as origin for that mini
system while calculation. This is due to the symmetry of the board about the blue line which can be
verified by simple geometry.

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For example, we take some cases of 1st system and 2nd system for clarity.

1st system :

‘P’ is considered to be origin (lying on )

And we have 2 point masses each of mass ‘2m’ (white squares) kept at

𝐿 𝐿
( , 0) & (− , 0)
√2 √2

Hence, COM of mini system (1st) lies on the blue line itself.
2nd system :

Q is considered to be origin (again on blue line itself !)

And we have 3 masses each of mass ‘m’ placed at (0,0), (√2, 0), (−√2, 0)

(𝑚)(√2𝐿)+(𝑚)(−√2𝐿)+(𝑚)(0)
𝑥𝑐𝑚 =
𝑚+𝑚+𝑚

𝑥𝑐𝑚 = 0

Hence, we can again say that the COM of this mini system (2nd) also lies on
the blue line itself.

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Similarly, we do it for all the 13 mini systems. And on doing it we finally get something like :
i.e. We replace all of the systems with their respective COM.

96m

COM of the whole system (the

designed chessboard) situated
at the considered origin (the
chessboard’s centre) having its
mass equal to ‘96m’
Final Answer to part (a) :

So finally, the board is made to be balanced on the exact centre with the help of the knife edge.

The reaction force between the knife edge and the board will be equal to 96mg (= 24𝜎𝑜 𝐿2 𝑔)

ii. By symmetry

‘’The COM mass always lies on the line of symmetry if it exists in the body.’’

Line 1

Line 2

Fig. 1 Fig. 2

• In Fig. 1 , symmetry exists about line 1, so centre of mass of the body (chessboard) should lie on
the this line itself.
• But in Fig. 2 also, we can see that symmetry exists about line 2 also, which means that centre of
mass of the body should lie along this line also.

Combining both of the above statements, We can clearly say that the centre of mass of the board lies on
the point of intersection of the two lines (line 1 and line 2) i.e. the geometric centre of the chessboard.
 • Also by the property of COM, we know that the mass of COM can be assumed to be the sum of
the masses of all of the constituent particles present in the system.

Chessboard contains :

▪ 32 black squares each of mass ‘m’

So, total mass due to black squares will be = ‘32m’

▪ 32 white squares each of mass ‘2m’

So, total mass due to white squares will be = 32 x 2m = ‘64m’

So total mass of the constituent particles will be = 32m + 64m = 96m

Final Answer to part (a) :

So finally, the board is made to be balanced on the exact centre with the help of the knife edge.

The reaction force between the knife edge and the board will be equal to 96mg (= 24𝜎𝑜 𝐿2 𝑔)
 b) If all the pieces are arranged to set up the starting position in the game of chess, the board’s
equilibrium will not get disturbed at all since pieces are placed simultaneously (i.e when white’s
pieces are placed, at the same time all the black’s pieces are also placed), so due to which the
torque produced gets balanced from both sides and net torque = 0

!! But this (above statement) can’t be said with surety until the masses of the pieces are given !!

Analysis:
• For e.g. : If just white king is placed (on e1) & black king is placed (on e8), this will not work
since the board will turn off on the right side due to the unbalanced torque due to weights of
both the kings.

Instead when the white’s king is placed, on the other side black’s queen needs to be placed to
balance the torque since both pieces have same masses (so magnitude of force is same) and
sense is balanced because both the pieces lie on opposite side of COM of board. (Fig. 2 and 3)

• Also so basically we can say,

❖ Queens balance kings or vice versa

❖ 2 white bishops are balanced by 2 black bishops or vice versa
❖ 2 white knights are balanced by 2 black knights or vice versa
❖ 2 white rooks are balanced by 2 black rooks or vice versa
❖ All white pawns are balanced by all black pawns or vice versa

All of these results are true just because of their symmetrical placing on the chessboard about COM.
We get, the starting position set on the board.

The figure shows exactly which piece balances which piece on the board so that overall, we get the
board still balanced on the knife edge even after placing all the pieces.
c) Now playerA (white) and playerB (black) are ready to start the game !

White starts off with 1.e4 (King’s Pawn opening) and due to this, the equilibrium of the chess
board is disturbed due to the unbalanced torque applied about COM.

Torque about COM ( τ ) :

𝐿
τ = + 𝑀𝑜 g . (√2) (clockwise → +)

White plays 1.e4 on the board

• Now to balance the board again, black needs to play such a move which balances the existing
torque (i.e. magnitude of force should be exactly same but the sense due to that force must be
opposite.)

Black can play ….1.d5

(Scandinavian defense)
For this, Black has 2 choices to reply

Black can play ….1.Nc6

(Nimzowitsch Defense)

)
1st option : Black plays ….1.d5

τ𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 0

Black reply’s with ….1.d5 on the board

2nd option :

Torque about COM (τ) :

𝐿 𝑀𝑜 3𝐿
τ=⏟
𝑀𝑜 g . ( ) + (−
⏟ g . ( ))
√2 3 √ 2

Due to black’s knight

on c6 square

Black reply’s with ….1.Nc6 on the board

Final Answer to part (c) :

So playerB has 2 options with which he can reply to white’s 1.e4 so that the board still maintain its
equilibrium.

1st option : Scandinavian Defense (….1.d5)

2nd option : Nimzowitsch Defense (….1.Nc6)