1. What is the minimal number of 90-degree turns for a bishop to walk through all the black squares of a standard 8*8 chessboard, starting at h8 and terminating at a1?

2. What if in question 1 the word "black" is erased and the word "bishop" is replaced by "rook"?

(In reply to Rook Case Solution by Brian Smith)

Which one of us is missing something here?

By rephrasing the first question I interpret the second task to be:
"What is the minimal number of 90-degree turns for a rook to walk through all the squares of a standard 8*8 chessboard, starting at h8 and terminating at a1?"

Both of us started at a1.
By the process of moving up and down columns one eventually arrives at g8 where upon making the 13th 90º turn you arrive at h8 but h1-h7 have not been visited.  On the 14th turn you can then visit those squares but you arrive at h1 not h8.

Posted by brianjn on 2011-01-28 22:12:15