by scribe | Jan 13, 2016 | current news, off-topic, people, tournaments
It’s been a while since my last tournament, as some of you may have noticed. Let’s put it this way: When I played my last tournament, the baseball season was still going, IM Emory Tate was still alive, and there had been only one Republican presidential...
by scribe | Jan 13, 2014 | current news, literature, off-topic
Today the New York Times Numberplay blog features a card game that I co-invented, along with a mathematical problem: What is the best strategy? Here are the rules for “Stern-Mackenzie One-Round War.” The game requires three people, one of whom serves only...
by scribe | Dec 6, 2013 | literature, off-topic, ruminations, tournaments
A few of you might remember a post I wrote last year about a really cool math problem that a friend sent to me. For those who don’t remember, here it is again: Two chess teams are going to play a chess match. The best players on each team are supposed to play on...
by scribe | Oct 6, 2012 | current news, literature, off-topic, ruminations
Announcement! On Monday, October 8, the Numberplay blog in the New York Times will feature a problem based on my book, The Universe in Zero Words, and it will also have excerpts from my book. (In fact, it may have a whole chapter; I’m not really sure.)...