# More legal chess moves in a game of chess than there are adams in the known universe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 27, 2005, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-legal-chess-moves-in-a-game-of-chess-than-there-are-adams-in-the-known-universe/323604 "2005-09-27T01:48:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2005, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-legal-chess-moves-in-a-game-of-chess-than-there-are-adams-in-the-known-universe/323604/41 "2005-09-28T14:52:08Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Seems possible, though. That’s why I don’t play chess. I was never good at strategery. Stanley Motss: I bet you’re great at chess. Conrad Brean: I would be if I could remember how all the pieces moved. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-legal-chess-moves-in-a-game-of-chess-than-there-are-adams-in-the-known-universe/323604/42 "2005-10-12T16:42:49Z")
Well, if the article specified Adams “in the known universe,” we only have to survey the parts we know about. Assuming that no one has discovered life on another planet (and is keeping it secret), then, we only need to worry about earth, since any other Adams that exist do so outside of “the known universe.” That’ll save some time. On another note, I knew a kid named Adam in elementary school. Little shite. ---
**Author:** ![GrahamWellington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/54ee81/32.png) [@GrahamWellington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrahamWellington)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-legal-chess-moves-in-a-game-of-chess-than-there-are-adams-in-the-known-universe/323604/43 "2005-10-12T17:06:55Z")
> [@The Weird One](#): > > Well, if the article specified Adams “in the known universe,” we only have to survey the parts we know about. Assuming that no one has discovered life on another planet (and is keeping it secret), then, we only need to worry about earth, since any other Adams that exist do so outside of “the known universe.” That’ll save some time. > > On another note, I knew a kid named Adam in elementary school. Little shite. Ah, we weren’t supposed to bring up this post again. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![CartesianDaemon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9a140/32.png) [@CartesianDaemon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CartesianDaemon)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-legal-chess-moves-in-a-game-of-chess-than-there-are-adams-in-the-known-universe/323604/44 "2005-10-12T18:43:12Z")
\When it gets down to bare king versus bare king, that’s a mandatory draw after 50 moves a side.\ Where is that? The only official rules I’ve seen say that a player may claim a draw, not that he must do so, under those circumstances. (Obviously, you always would, and with a clock you couldn’t go on forever anyway, but that’s not the point, we’re nitpicking here) ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-legal-chess-moves-in-a-game-of-chess-than-there-are-adams-in-the-known-universe/323604/45 "2005-10-13T10:23:15Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > What’s the collective noun for a bunch of Adams anyway? A west of Adams? A cecil of Adams? Enquiring minds want to know. A think they’re called a Patch. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-legal-chess-moves-in-a-game-of-chess-than-there-are-adams-in-the-known-universe/323604/46 "2005-10-13T12:26:25Z")
> [@Hoopy Frood](#): > > A think they’re called a Patch. My hat is off to you, sir. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-legal-chess-moves-in-a-game-of-chess-than-there-are-adams-in-the-known-universe/323604/47 "2005-10-13T14:06:21Z")
> [@CartesianDaemon](#): > > \When it gets down to bare king versus bare king, that’s a mandatory draw after 50 moves a side.\ > > Where is that? The only official rules I’ve seen say that a player may claim a draw, not that he must do so, under those circumstances. (Obviously, you always would, and with a clock you couldn’t go on forever anyway, but that’s not the point, we’re nitpicking here) [Check out law 5.2b](http://www.fide.com/official/handbook.asp?level=EE101), expanded on at 9.6. A bare King cannot be checkmated, even by colluding with the opposition, by: - bare King - King and one minor piece (Bishop or Knight) because, at minimum, a King commands the square it stands on and three others, and can be mated only if all four are covered. The stronger King can command two of the latter, but a Bishop or Knight can command _either_ the remaining square _or_ check the King, not both; so that’s a statutory draw at once. Neither player, fwiw, can then lose on time. ---
**Author:** ![waterdweller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/977dab/32.png) [@waterdweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterdweller)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-legal-chess-moves-in-a-game-of-chess-than-there-are-adams-in-the-known-universe/323604/48 "2005-10-13T15:03:08Z")
I think the book meant hydrogen atoms…here’s a bit taken from some astrophysicist guy from Texas A&M…no idea what his name is… " A typical star weighs about 2x10^33 Grams, which is about 1x10^57 atoms of hydrogen per star… That is a 1 followed by 57 zeros. a typical galaxy has about 400 billion stars so that means each galaxy has 1x10^57 X 400,000,000,000 = 5x10^68 hydrogen atoms in a galaxy There are possibly 80 billion galaxies in the Universe, so that means that there are about: 5x10^68 X 80,000,000,000 = 4x10^79 hydrogen atoms in the Universe. But this is definately a lower limit calculation, and ignores many possible atom sources. That number Bob, is a 4 followed by 79 zeros." W ---
**Author:** ![Vreemdeling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Vreemdeling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vreemdeling)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-legal-chess-moves-in-a-game-of-chess-than-there-are-adams-in-the-known-universe/323604/49 "2005-10-14T01:45:25Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > I don’t care how “mild” it is, you Dutch had damn well better keep your wax and cheese away from my balls. As a nation, we are innovators when it comes to waxing balls. It turns out that the cheese really helps against the burning sensation. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-legal-chess-moves-in-a-game-of-chess-than-there-are-adams-in-the-known-universe/323604/50 "2005-10-14T14:23:27Z")
This reminds me of _Riddley Walker_… The Littl Shyning Man, the Addom. Eusa grabbd him and pulld him a part like a chikkn. He split the Addom. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-legal-chess-moves-in-a-game-of-chess-than-there-are-adams-in-the-known-universe/323604.md?page=2)