ICA Meet our Members: Marshall Flynn-Mitchell

New Double Knight’s Tour!

Chevaliers de garde! Without computer or algorithm, chess newcomer, Marshall-Flynn Mitchell has created an open Double Knights’ Tour variant thus adding his name to a very distinguished list that includes mathematicians Leonhard Euler, and H.C. Von Warnsdorf, and literary theorist, Rudrata. Not too shabby for this inventive, 8-year-old, ICA member from Champaign, IL. “It was interesting and fun,” claims Marshall, “the last 16 squares were the hardest to configure.”

How Does it Work?

Two knights move alternately landing just once on each square. Including their starting position coordinates, each knight can score a perfect 32 for a combined total of 64. Using 2 knights, board, notation pad, ruler, and 64 pennies, Marshall worked with his coach for two months on this project. Want to joust?

1. Place a penny on every square.
2. Place 1 black knight and 1 white knight on squares of your choosing. (Score: 2)
3. White moves first.
4. The knights take turns, moving alternately around the board
5. They can land only once on a square; and, cannot land on each other’s squares. Try to clear the board of all pennies. 64 is a perfect score.

Make cents? Makes more than sense, according to Flynn-Mitchell, who says this exercise has increased his knights’ agility during gameplay and his understanding of the 2 Knights Defense.

Why Chess?

“You can break through language barriers with chess”, says Marshall, who has traveled to Spain, Belize, Canada and NYC. “Plus, it’s challenging and helps you think strategically.” Born in Illinois, Marshall is a gifted student at Kenwood Elementary in Champaign, with a provisional rating of 381. His parents, Will and Karen, fully support his chess studies, as they do his piano, swimming, basketball and soccer.

Marshall likes solving chess puzzles, watching ChessKid videos and “beating the bots”. His favorite chess player is Bobby Fischer and his favorite piece, the pawn. Why? “Because it can promote,” says Flynn-Mitchell, who, if he could change one aspect of the game would allow the pawn to promote to a king. Why? “If one king is checkmated, you still keep playing… Promotional Kings? Is this another variant on Marshall Flynn-Mitchell’s horizon? Just keep playing chevalier Marshall, just keep playing….

Please contact us if you’d like a copy of MFMs Double Knight’s Tour notation.

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