🎉 Up to 70% Off Selected ItemsShop Sale
HomeStore

The Chess Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes

Product image 1

The Chess Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes

Join the master sleuth as he and Dr. Watson examine interrupted chess matches at clubs and country homes, examining the pieces' current positions to identify previous moves. Rather than predicting the outcome of these games, the Baker Street duo focus on past events, using the same variety of logical reasoning that unlocks the secrets to their ever-popular mysteries. Holmes instructs Watson (and us) in the intricacies of retrograde analysis in order to deduce on which square the white queen was captured, whether a pawn has been promoted, and which piece has been replaced by a coin. The mysteries grow increasingly complex, culminating in a double murder perpetrated by the devious Professor Moriarty.
Philosopher and logician Raymond Smullyan brilliantly recaptures the mood of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's tales. Readers need only a knowledge of how the pieces move; the first puzzles explain all of the concepts that arise later on. These witty and challenging problems will captivate chess aficionados, puzzle enthusiasts, Sherlock Holmes fans, and everyone who relishes mysteries, crime stories, and tales of detection.

Reprint of the Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1979 edition.

Bonus Editorial Feature

Raymond Smullyan: The Merry Prankster

Raymond Smullyan (1919–2017), mathematician, logician, magician, creator of extraordinary puzzles, philosopher, pianist, and man of many parts. The first Dover book by Raymond Smullyan was First-Order Logic (1995). Recent years have brought a number of his magical books of logic and math puzzles: The Lady or the Tiger (2009); Satan, Cantor and Infinity (2009); an original, never-before-published collection, King Arthur in Search of His Dog and Other Curious Puzzles (2010); and Set Theory and the Continuum Problem (with Melvin Fitting, also reprinted by Dover in 2010). More will be coming in subsequent years.

In the Author's Own Words:
"Recently, someone asked me if I believed in astrology. He seemed somewhat puzzled when I explained that the reason I don't is that I'm a Gemini."

"Some people are always critical of vague statements. I tend rather to be critical of precise statements: they are the only ones which can correctly be labeled 'wrong.'" — Raymond Smullyan

Critical Acclaim for The Lady or the Tiger:
"Another scintillating collection of brilliant problems and paradoxes by the most entertaining logician and set theorist who ever lived." — Martin Gardner

mystery thriller; mathematics; practical mathematics; recreational mathematics; fun with math; math games; puzzles and games; rational reasoning; intricacies of retrograde analysis; fun stories using math and chess; chess stories; chess mystery; mystery; math and logic; logical math; math applications; logical applications; chess; lively; engaging; fantasy adventure; thriller; logical puzzles;chess puzzles;chess games;brain teaser;incompleteness theorem;chess players;math games;logical chess;chess problems;math olympiad;logic problems;math problems;logical understanding;mathematical statements;arabian knights;godel's incompleteness;formal logic;logic puzzles;chess board;play chess;crossword;holmes-watson;teorema;knaves;logician;arithmetic;algebra;paradoxes;moriarty;deduce;mathematician;riddles;solutions;sherlock holmes;arthur conan doyle;books on arithmetics;books on formal logics;books on chess games;books on math olympiads;books on holmes-watsons;books on mathematicians;books on math problems;books on brain teasers;books on chess problems;books on chess puzzles;books on algebras;books on math games;books on play chesses;books on solutions;books on moriarty;books on knaves;books on logic problems;books on paradoxes;books on riddles;books on logical puzzles;playing chess;books on chess players;books on teorema;books on crosswords;books on logical understandings;books on chess boards;books on logic puzzles;books on arabian knights
$14.95
The Chess Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes—
$14.95

Product Information

Shipping & Returns

Description

Join the master sleuth as he and Dr. Watson examine interrupted chess matches at clubs and country homes, examining the pieces' current positions to identify previous moves. Rather than predicting the outcome of these games, the Baker Street duo focus on past events, using the same variety of logical reasoning that unlocks the secrets to their ever-popular mysteries. Holmes instructs Watson (and us) in the intricacies of retrograde analysis in order to deduce on which square the white queen was captured, whether a pawn has been promoted, and which piece has been replaced by a coin. The mysteries grow increasingly complex, culminating in a double murder perpetrated by the devious Professor Moriarty.
Philosopher and logician Raymond Smullyan brilliantly recaptures the mood of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's tales. Readers need only a knowledge of how the pieces move; the first puzzles explain all of the concepts that arise later on. These witty and challenging problems will captivate chess aficionados, puzzle enthusiasts, Sherlock Holmes fans, and everyone who relishes mysteries, crime stories, and tales of detection.

Reprint of the Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1979 edition.

Bonus Editorial Feature

Raymond Smullyan: The Merry Prankster

Raymond Smullyan (1919–2017), mathematician, logician, magician, creator of extraordinary puzzles, philosopher, pianist, and man of many parts. The first Dover book by Raymond Smullyan was First-Order Logic (1995). Recent years have brought a number of his magical books of logic and math puzzles: The Lady or the Tiger (2009); Satan, Cantor and Infinity (2009); an original, never-before-published collection, King Arthur in Search of His Dog and Other Curious Puzzles (2010); and Set Theory and the Continuum Problem (with Melvin Fitting, also reprinted by Dover in 2010). More will be coming in subsequent years.

In the Author's Own Words:
"Recently, someone asked me if I believed in astrology. He seemed somewhat puzzled when I explained that the reason I don't is that I'm a Gemini."

"Some people are always critical of vague statements. I tend rather to be critical of precise statements: they are the only ones which can correctly be labeled 'wrong.'" — Raymond Smullyan

Critical Acclaim for The Lady or the Tiger:
"Another scintillating collection of brilliant problems and paradoxes by the most entertaining logician and set theorist who ever lived." — Martin Gardner

mystery thriller; mathematics; practical mathematics; recreational mathematics; fun with math; math games; puzzles and games; rational reasoning; intricacies of retrograde analysis; fun stories using math and chess; chess stories; chess mystery; mystery; math and logic; logical math; math applications; logical applications; chess; lively; engaging; fantasy adventure; thriller; logical puzzles;chess puzzles;chess games;brain teaser;incompleteness theorem;chess players;math games;logical chess;chess problems;math olympiad;logic problems;math problems;logical understanding;mathematical statements;arabian knights;godel's incompleteness;formal logic;logic puzzles;chess board;play chess;crossword;holmes-watson;teorema;knaves;logician;arithmetic;algebra;paradoxes;moriarty;deduce;mathematician;riddles;solutions;sherlock holmes;arthur conan doyle;books on arithmetics;books on formal logics;books on chess games;books on math olympiads;books on holmes-watsons;books on mathematicians;books on math problems;books on brain teasers;books on chess problems;books on chess puzzles;books on algebras;books on math games;books on play chesses;books on solutions;books on moriarty;books on knaves;books on logic problems;books on paradoxes;books on riddles;books on logical puzzles;playing chess;books on chess players;books on teorema;books on crosswords;books on logical understandings;books on chess boards;books on logic puzzles;books on arabian knights
The Chess Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes | Dover Publications