Leapers: generalising the knight

Advanced Mathematics English
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Created by Best · 17.07.2026 at 11:55 UTC

Generalise the knight to an $(m, n)$-leaper, which jumps $m$ squares one way and $n$ the other. The knight is the $(1, 2)$-leaper. Its reachable squares and colour behaviour depend on $m$ and $n$: if $m + n$ is odd the leaper changes colour every jump like the knight, and if $m + n$ is even it stays on one colour, limiting where it can go.

Which leapers can reach every square is a question of parity and common factors: a leaper whose colour is fixed, or whose steps share a common divisor, cannot cover the whole board. Designing a leaper and mapping its reach ties together vectors, parity, and reachability.

Chessboard diagram
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Tasks
Question 1

A (1,2)-leaper (the knight) stands on d4. Click every square it attacks.

Question 2

Which of these leapers changes square colour on every jump?

Question 3

A (2, 4)-leaper is set loose on an empty board. Which squares can it never reach?

Question 4

Can a (1, 4)-leaper reach every square of the 8 x 8 board?

Card Info
  • Topic: Mathematics
  • Difficulty: Advanced
  • Completed: 0 users
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Best
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