BISHOPS IN CONVOCATION

The greatest number of bishops that can be placed at the same time on the chessboard, without any bishop attacking another, is fourteen. I show, in diagram, the simplest way of doing this. In fact, on a square chequered board of any number of squares the greatest number of bishops that can be placed without attack is always two less than twice the number of squares on the side. It is an interesting puzzle to discover in just how many different ways the fourteen bishops may be so placed without mutual attack. I shall give an exceedingly simple rule for determining the number of ways for a square chequered board of any number of squares.