Thursday 26 November 2015

A Metasquare Figured Tour

T. R. Dawson composed a figured tour with what he called the 'double triangle numbers' of the form n.(n+1) namely 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, 42, 56 in a figure of eight formation that was published in the London Evening Standard in 1932 (B17 in my Figured Tours booklet). I like to call these numbers 'metasquares'.

Waiting for a council inspector to call yesterday I though to while away the time by composing a figured tour and recalled the above task. There are too many or too few metasquares to arrange in a metasquare. It occurred to me to include the number 0 = 0.1 in place of 64 which would give a set of eight metasquares, all even numbers that might be arranged on a diagonal.


This is the result, composed 25 November 2015. The numbers are in cyclic order.

Tuesday 3 November 2015

Chess in Dorset

I had an enjoyable weekend at the Bournemouth Chess Congress. Scored 3 wins and 2 losses.
Should have been 4 wins but I slipped up at the end of the third game out of sheer tiredness.
Probably went for too long a walk to Shelley Park and back through Boscombe Chine. Also took a walk round the pier there, where they have a number of musical instruments of xylophone type on display for people to play. This may be an idea Hastings Pier could take up.


I also slipped up at the end of the fourth game but it was already lost, being several pawns down.
Took another long walk on the Sunday, taking in some plaice and chips at Harry Ramsden's near Bournemouth Pier. Got back just in time for the fifth game, but slipped up immediately at the start by giving away a knight, yet still somehow won.

The hotel I stayed in wasn't as quiet as usual due to a Halloween night party going on till late.