# 53 bicycles: A lateral thinking puzzle **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [July 9, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868 "2017-07-09T19:51:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 51
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1001 "2017-08-17T14:46:58Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > To be honest, I’m having a hard time seeing what’s left to be unraveled. He played, then someone close to him died, and it affected him emotionally enough that he stopped playing. This is not a full enough explanation. There is more to it than this. He had a very specific, and I think interesting, situation around his blind chess “big show” playing. By big show, I mean the 1 vs 45 style play, which is really amazing. Perhaps I should have asked “ **why did he put on performances like that and what made him stop so suddenly and permanently**?” Note: this is a true story(don’t google it!) and I also am not the author of the puzzle. I typed it out word for word, but I do see value in making the question clearer. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1002 "2017-08-17T14:58:21Z")
Sorry for being off-topic, but I’m having trouble grokking how that’s even possible, outside of maybe a handful of genius savants. Are the strategies different? Are they recognizable chess games that would seem normal played the regular way? ---
**Author:** ![RadioWave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RadioWave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadioWave)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1003 "2017-08-17T15:50:59Z")
1. Was the performance part of a scam or con? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1004 "2017-08-17T16:20:25Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Sorry for being off-topic, but I’m having trouble grokking how that’s even possible, outside of maybe a handful of genius savants. Are the strategies different? Are they recognizable chess games that would seem normal played the regular way? Michael was a genius savant, probably. It’s as incredible as you think. > [@RadioWave](#): > > 1. Was the performance part of a scam or con? No. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1005 "2017-08-17T17:00:26Z")
Was the death a suicide? Was the death a murder? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1006 "2017-08-17T17:04:24Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Was the death a suicide? > > Was the death a murder? 1. No. 2. Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1007 "2017-08-17T21:27:47Z")
OK, _now_ the plot begins to thicken. 1: Is the identity of the murderer relevant? 2: Is the murderer known to Michael? 3: Is Michael himself the murderer? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1008 "2017-08-17T22:00:51Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > 1: Is the identity of the murderer relevant? > 2: Is the murderer known to Michael? > 3: Is Michael himself the murderer? 1. Not to getting the solution, no. It mattered to Michael, though. 2. Does he know the murderer(s) personally? No. Does he personally know who the murderer(s) is/are? Yes. 3. No. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1009 "2017-08-18T02:30:37Z")
Was there more than one murderer? Did this have to do with a war? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1010 "2017-08-18T02:39:42Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Was there more than one murderer? > Did this have to do with a war? 1. Yes. 2. Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1011 "2017-08-18T12:10:23Z")
Did Michael enlist or get called into service? Did the war prevent Michael from participating in blind chess? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1012 "2017-08-18T12:52:11Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Did Michael enlist or get called into service? > Did the war prevent Michael from participating in blind chess? No to both. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1013 "2017-08-18T14:35:29Z")
1: Was the war in question World War II? 2: Was anyone relevant Jewish? 3: Was Michael Jewish? 4: Was the person who died Jewish? (and just in case) 5: Was the war WWI? 6: Was the war the Korean War? 7: Was the war the Vietnam War? 8: Was the war the First Iraq War? 9: Was the war one the US was not involved in? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1014 "2017-08-18T14:39:04Z")
One more, on a hunch: 10: Was Michael famous for something other than chess? ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1015 "2017-08-18T15:29:52Z")
Did Michael stop playing to protest the war? Were his opponents technically his enemies? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1016 "2017-08-18T16:22:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > 1: Was the war in question World War II? > 2: Was anyone relevant Jewish? > 3: Was Michael Jewish? > 4: Was the person who died Jewish? > > (and just in case) > 5: Was the war WWI? > 6: Was the war the Korean War? > 7: Was the war the Vietnam War? > 8: Was the war the First Iraq War? > 9: Was the war one the US was not involved in? 1. Yes. 2. Yes. 3. Yes. 4. Yes. 5-9. No. > [@Chronos](#): > > One more, on a hunch: > 10: Was Michael famous for something other than chess? No. > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Did Michael stop playing to protest the war? > Were his opponents technically his enemies? 1. No. 2. No. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1017 "2017-08-18T17:06:53Z")
Was the person who died a casualty of war? Was the person imprisoned? If so, was it a concentration camp? Was Michael related to or married to that person? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1018 "2017-08-18T17:43:26Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Was the person who died a casualty of war? > Was the person imprisoned? > If so, was it a concentration camp? > Was Michael related to or married to that person? It’s more than one person, folks. I can’t find a subtle way to correct this. I will answer the above questions about “people”. 1. Yes, they were. 2. Yes they were. 3. Yes they were. 4. Yes, he was. To have this solved, I need you all to determine: - why he stopped playing - how all that related to the deaths and the situation around their deaths ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1019 "2017-08-18T18:06:52Z")
I have heard\* that the Nazis declared chess to be exclusively for Aryans, and banned Jews from playing. Was this the reason? Was it connected to the reason? - On the TV show _Foyles War_. This is fiction, and thus not a reliable cite, but it has the reputation of being well researched and historically accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1020 "2017-08-18T19:36:06Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I have heard\* that the Nazis declared chess to be exclusively for Aryans, and banned Jews from playing. Was this the reason? Was it connected to the reason? No, not the reason. No, not connected at all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=50) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=52)