Sam Loyd

Samuel Loyd (January 30, 1841 – April 10, 1911),[1] born in

Sam Loyd
Philadelphia and raised in New York City, 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 interesting themes. At his peak, Loyd was one of the best chess
players in the US, and was ranked 15th in the world, according to
chessmetrics.com.

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.[3] His son, named after his father,
dropped the "Jr" from his name and started publishing reprints of his
father's puzzles.[4] Loyd (senior) was inducted into the US Chess Hall
of Fame in 1987.[5]
Born Samuel Loyd
January 30, 1841
Philadelphia, United
Contents States

Reputation Died April 11, 1911

(aged 70)
Chess problems
Excelsior problem Known for Chess, puzzles,
Steinitz Gambit problem mathematical games
Charles XII problem
Puzzles
Trick Donkeys problem
Back from the Klondike
Books
References
Further reading
External links

Reputation
Loyd is widely acknowledged as one of America's great puzzle-writers and popularizers, often mentioned as
the greatest. Martin Gardner featured Loyd in his August 1957 Mathematical Games column in Scientific
American and called him "America's greatest puzzler". In 1898 The Strand dubbed him "the prince of
puzzlers". As a chess problemist, his composing style is distinguished by wit and humour.
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 called him "puzzledom's greatest celebrity ... popularizer, genius", but also a
"huckster" and "fast-talking snake oil salesman".[6]

He collaborated with puzzler Henry Dudeney for a while, but Dudeney broke off the correspondence and
accused Loyd of stealing his puzzles and publishing them under his own name. Dudeney despised Loyd so
intensely he equated him with the Devil.[7]

Loyd claimed from 1891 until his death in 1911 that he invented the 15 puzzle, for example writing in the
Cyclopedia of Puzzles (published 1914), p. 235 (http://www.mathpuzzle.com/loyd/cop234-235.jpg): "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 as Loyd had nothing to
do with the invention or popularity of the puzzle, and the craze was in the early 1880s, not the early 1870s.[8]
The craze had ended by July 1880 and Loyd's first article on the subject was not published until 1896.[8] Loyd
first claimed in 1891 that he had invented the puzzle, and continued to do so until his death.[8] The actual
inventor was Noyes Chapman, who applied for a patent in March 1880.[8]

An enthusiast of Tangram puzzles, Loyd popularised them with The Eighth Book Of Tan, a book of seven
hundred unique Tangram designs and a fanciful history of the origin of the Tangram, claiming that the puzzle
was invented 4,000 years ago by a god named Tan. This was presented as true and has been described as
"Sam Loyd's Most Successful Hoax".[9]

Chess problems

Excelsior problem

One of his best known chess problems is the following, called a b c d e f g h

"Excelsior" by Loyd after the poem (https://web.archive.org/web/2 8 8
0080430090202/http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/1325.html) by 7 7
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. White is to move and checkmate
6 6
black in five moves against any defense:
5 5
Loyd bet a friend that he could not pick a piece that didn't give
4 4
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 3 3
pawn". 2 2

1 1
a b c d e f g h
Sam Loyd's "Excelsior". Mate in 5, 2nd
prize, Paris Tourney, 1867. See
"Excelsior" for the solution.

Steinitz Gambit problem

One of the most famous chess problems 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".[10]
 a b c d e f g h

8 8

7 7

6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1 1

a b c d e f g h
Sam Loyd's "Steinitz Gambit". Mate in 3
moves. First Prize, Checkmate Novelty
Tourney, 1903

Charles XII problem

This problem was originally published in 1859. The story involves a b c d e f g h

an incident during the siege of Charles XII of Sweden by the 8 8
Turks at Bender in 1713. "Charles beguiled this period by means 7 7
of drills and chess, and used frequently to play with his minister,
6 6
Christian Albert Grosthusen, some of the contests being mentioned
by Voltaire. One day while so engaged, the game had advanced to 5 5
this stage, and Charles (White) had just announced mate in three." 4 4

1. Rxg3 Bxg3 3 3
2. Nf3 Bxh2
2 2
3. g4#
1 1
a b c d e f g h

"Scarcely had he uttered the words, when a Turkish bullet, shattering the window, dashed the White knight off
of the board in fragments. Grothusen started violently, but Charles, with utmost coolness, begged him to put
back the other knight and work out the mate, observing that it was pretty enough. But another glance at the
board made Charles smile. We do not need the knight. I can give it to you and still mate in four!"

1. hxg3 Be3
2. Rg4 Bg5
3. Rh4+ Bxh4
4. g4#
 a b c d e f g h
8 8

7 7

6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1 1
a b c d e f g h

Who would believe it, he had scarcely spoken when another bullet a b c d e f g h
flew across the room, and the pawn at h2 shared the fate of the 8 8
knight. Grothusen turned pale. "You have our good friends the 7 7
Turks with you," said the king unconcerned, "it can scarcely be
6 6
expected that I should contend against such odds; but let me see if
I can dispense with that unlucky pawn. I have it!" he shouted with 5 5
a tremendous laugh, "I have great pleasure in informing you that 4 4
there is undoubtedly a mate in 5."
3 3
1. Rb7 Be3 2 2
2. Rb1 Bg5
3. Rh1+ Bh4 1 1
4. Rh2 gxh2 a b c d e f g h
5. g4#

In 1900, Friedrich Amelung pointed out that in the original

a b c d e f g h
position, if the first bullet had struck the rook instead of the knight,
Charles would still have a mate in six. 8 8

7 7
1. Nf3 Be1
2. Nxe1 Kh4 6 6
3. h3 Kh5 5 5
4. Nd3 Kh4
4 4
5. Nf4 h5
6. Ng6# 3 3

2 2

1 1
a b c d e f g h

In 2003, ChessBase posted a fifth variation, attributed to Brian Stewart. After the first bullet took out the
knight, if the second had removed the g-pawn rather than the h-pawn, Charles would be able to mate in ten.

1. hxg3 Be1
2. Rg4 Bxg3
3. Rxg3 Kh4
4. Kf4 h5
 5. Rg2 Kh3
6. Kf3 h4 a b c d e f g h
7. Rg4 Kh2 8 8
8. Rxh4+ Kg1
9. Rh3 Kf1
7 7
10. Rh1#
6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1 1

a b c d e f g h

Puzzles

Trick Donkeys problem

One 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.

Sam Loyd's trick

donkeys problem

Back from the Klondike

This is one of Sam Loyd's most famous puzzles, first printed in the New York Journal and Advertiser, April
24, 1898 (as far as available evidence indicates). 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.

A modern rendering of the "Back from the

Books Klondike" puzzle

Sam Loyd's Book of Tangram Puzzles (ISBN 0-

486-22011-7): by Sam Loyd
Mathematical Puzzles of Sam Loyd (ISBN 0-486-20498-7): selected and edited by Martin
Gardner
More Mathematical Puzzles of Sam Loyd (ISBN 0-486-20709-9): selected and edited by Martin
Gardner
The Puzzle King: Sam Loyd's Chess Problems and Selected Mathematical Puzzles (ISBN 1-
886846-05-7): edited by Sid Pickard
The 15 Puzzle (ISBN 1-890980-15-3): by Jerry Slocum and Dic Sonneveld
Sam Loyd's Cyclopedia of 5000 Puzzles, Tricks and Conundrums with Answers ISBN 0-
923891-78-1
Sam Loyd and his Chess Problems by Alain C. White
The 8th Book of Tan by Sam Loyd[11]

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. Loyd, Sam (1914). Cyclopedia of Puzzles (https://archive.org/stream/CyclopediaOfPuzzlesLoy
d/Cyclopedia_of_Puzzles_Loyd#page/n1/mode/2up). New York: Lamb Publishing Company.
Retrieved December 14, 2017 – via Internet Archive.
4. Martin Gardner's Mathematical Puzzles and Diversions Chapter 9 Pg 79
5. "Sam Loyd" (https://web.archive.org/web/20170404002046/http://www.worldchesshof.org/hall-o
f-fame/us-chess/sam-loyd/). World Chess Hall of Fame. Archived from the original (http://www.w
orldchesshof.org/hall-of-fame/us-chess/sam-loyd/) on 2017-04-04.
6. Costello, Matthew J. (1996-09-16), The Greatest Puzzles of All Time, Courier Dover
Publications, p. 45 (https://books.google.com/books?id=ZpUCdrMdKN4C&pg=PA45) (Sam
Loyd and the Vanishing Puzzle), ISBN 978-0-486-29225-0
7. Alex Bellos, Alex's Adventures in Numberland (2010)
8. The 15 Puzzle (ISBN 1-890980-15-3): by Jerry Slocum and Dic Sonneveld
 9. Sam Loydʼs Most Successful Hoax (http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/overview/puzzle_docs/Sam
_Loyd_Successful_Hoax.pdf)
10. Alain C. White, Sam Loyd and his chess problems, 1913, p. 125
11. The 8th Book of Tan (http://www.tangram-channel.com/the-eighth-book-of-tan-by-sam-loyd-pag
e-1/) (1903).

Further reading
Sam Loyd: His Story and Best Problems, by Andrew Soltis, Chess Digest, 1995, ISBN 0-
87568-267-7

External links
Sam Loyd Company Site (http://www.samloyd.com/) – includes biography and his puzzles
Biography (https://web.archive.org/web/20040708081714/http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~hist
ory/Mathematicians/Loyd.html) from the School of Mathematics and Statistics website at the
University of St Andrews

Chess

Sam Loyd (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=31799) player profile and games

at Chessgames.com
Chessmetrics entry for Loyd (http://chessmetrics.com/cm/CM2/PlayerProfile.asp?Params=1995
10SSSSS3S077849186810121000000000018110100)
Loyd problems (https://pdb.dieschwalbe.de/search.jsp?expression=A='Loyd'%20and%20FIRS
TNAME='Samuel') on PDB Server

Interactive puzzle

Farmer and Wife to Catch Rooster and Hen (http://www.cut-the-knot.org/SimpleGames/RFWH.s

html) – interactive Sam Loyd's puzzle
Solve Loyd's 16 squares puzzle interactively (http://www.invatasingur.ro/joculete/sam_lloyd.ph
p)

Books

The Sam Loyd Cyclopedia of Puzzles (https://archive.org/details/CyclopediaOfPuzzlesLoyd) –

The complete 1914 book by Sam Loyd (public domain) scanned
The Eighth Book of Tan (http://www.tangram-channel.com/the-eighth-book-of-tan-by-sam-loyd-p
age-1/) by Sam Loyd, (1903).
Index of Math Puzzles (https://archive.is/20121211110850/http://sunburn.stanford.edu/~knuth/lo
yd-cyc.txt), by Don Knuth

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