Sam Loyd

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For people with a similar name, see Sam Lloyd.
Sam Loyd

Samuel Loyd (January 30, 1841–April 10, 1911),[1] born in Philadelphia and raised in New York, was an American chess player, chess composer, puzzle author, and recreational mathematician.

As a chess composer, he authored a number of chess problems, often with witty themes. At his peak, Loyd was one of the best chess players in the U.S., and was ranked 15th in the world, according to chessmetrics.com. His playing style was flawed, as he tried to create fantastic combinations over the board, rather than simplifying and going for the win.

He played in the strong Paris 1867 chess tournament (won by Ignatz von Kolisch) with little success, placing near the bottom of the field.

Following his death, his book Cyclopedia of 5000 Puzzles[2] was published (1914) by his son. His son, named after his father dropped the 'Jr' from his name and started publishing reprints of his father's puzzles.[3] Loyd was inducted into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame.

Contents

Reception

Loyd is widely acknowledged as one of America's great puzzle-writers and popularizers, often mentioned as the greatest – Martin Gardner calls him "America's greatest puzzler", and The Strand in 1898 dubbed him "the prince of puzzlers".

However, he is also known for lies and self-promotion, and criticized on these grounds – Martin Gardner's assessment continues "but also obviously a hustler", Canadian puzzler Mel Stover called Loyd "an old reprobate", and Matthew Costello calls him both "puzzledom's greatest celebrity...popularizer, genius," but also "huckster...and fast-talking snake oil salesman."[4]

Loyd claimed from 1891 until his death in 1911 that he invented the fifteen puzzle, for example writing in the Cyclopedia of Puzzles (published 1914), p. 235:

The older inhabitants of Puzzleland will remember how in the early seventies I drove the entire world crazy over a little box of movable pieces which became known as the "14-15 Puzzle".

This is false – Loyd had nothing to do with the invention or popularity of the puzzle, and in any case the craze was in 1880, not the early 1870s:[5]

Sam Loyd did not invent the 15 puzzle and had nothing to do with promoting or popularizing it. The puzzle craze that was created by the 15 Puzzle began in January 1880 in the US and in April in Europe. The craze ended by July 1880 and Sam Loyd’s first article about the puzzle was not published until sixteen years later, January 1896. Loyd first claimed in 1891 that he invented the puzzle, and he continued until his death a 20 year campaign to falsely take credit for the puzzle. The actual inventor was Noyes Chapman, the Postmaster of Canastota, New York, and he applied for a patent in March 1880.

An enthusiast of Tangram puzzles, Loyd published a book of seven hundred unique Tangram designs and a fanciful history of the origin of the Tangram, which was, however, presented as true, and has been described as "Sam Loyd's Most Successful Hoax".[6]

Chess problems

Excelsior problem

Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
8 {{{square}}} black knight {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black rook {{{square}}} black bishop {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 8
7 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn 7
6 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 6
5 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white rook {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white king 5
4 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 4
3 {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} white knight 3
2 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white rook {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 2
1 {{{square}}} white knight {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 1
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
Sam Loyd's "Excelsior". Mate in 5, 2nd prize, Paris Tourney, 1867. See "Excelsior" for the solution.
Main article: Excelsior (chess problem)

One of his best known chess problems is the following, called "Excelsior" by Loyd after the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. White is to move and checkmate black in five moves against any defense:

Loyd bet a friend that he could not pick a piece that didn't give mate in the main line, and when it was published in 1861 it was with the stipulation that white mates with "the least likely piece or pawn".

Steinitz Gambit problem

Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
8 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black rook {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black bishop {{{square}}} black king 8
7 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white bishop {{{square}}} black king 7
6 {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} white knight {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} white rook {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 6
5 {{{square}}} white rook {{{square}}} white bishop {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 5
4 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white knight {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn 4
3 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black bishop {{{square}}} black king 3
2 {{{square}}} black knight {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black rook 2
1 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black knight 1
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
Sam Loyd's "Steinitz Gambit". Mate in 3 moves. First Prize, Checkmate Novelty Tourney, 1903

One of the most famous chess problem by Loyd. He wrote on this problem: "The originality of the problem is due to the White King being placed in absolute safety, and yet coming out on a reckless career, with no immediate threat and in the face of innumerable checks"[7].

Puzzles

Trick Donkeys problem

Sam Loyd's trick donkeys problem.

Another of Loyd's notable puzzles was the "Trick Donkeys". It was based on a similar puzzle involving dogs published in 1857. In the problem, the solver must cut the drawing along the dotted lines and rearrange the three pieces so that the riders appear to be riding the donkeys.

Back from the Klondike

Puzzle

This is one of Sam Loyd's most famous puzzles. Loyd's original instructions were to:

Start from that heart in the center and go three steps in a straight line in any one of the eight directions, north, south, east or west, or on the bias, as the ladies say, northeast, northwest, southeast or southwest. When you have gone three steps in a straight line, you will reach a square with a number on it, which indicates the second day's journey, as many steps as it tells, in a straight line in any of the eight directions. From this new point when reached, march on again according to the number indicated, and continue on, following the requirements of the numbers reached, until you come upon a square with a number which will carry you just one step beyond the border, when you are supposed to be out of the woods and can holler all you want, as you will have solved the puzzle.

First printed in the New York Journal and Advertiser, April 24, 1898 (as far as available evidence indicates).

The solution exists and can be found at details of Back from the Klondike puzzle.

Books

See also

Further reading

References

  1. ^ Harry Golombek, Golombek's Encyclopedia of Chess, 1977, ISBN 0-517-53146-1
  2. ^ Sam Loyd's Cyclopedia of 5000 Puzzles, Tricks and Conundrums with Answers ISBN 0-923891-78-1
  3. ^ Martin Gardner's Mathematical Puzzles and Diversions Chapter 9 Pg 79
  4. ^ Costello, Matthew J. (1996-09-16), The Greatest Puzzles of All Time, Courier Dover Publications, p. 45 (Sam Loyd and the Vanishing Puzzle), ISBN 9780486292250 
  5. ^ The 15 Puzzle (ISBN 1-890980-15-3): by Jerry Slocum and Dic Sonneveld
  6. ^ Sam Loydʼs Most Successful Hoax
  7. ^ Alain C. White, Sam Loyd and his chess problems, 1913, p. 125

External links

Chess

Interactive puzzle

Books

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