README

The N-Pieces Chess Challenge

This repo contains the source code for the N-Pieces Chess Challenge problem. The challenge is to put N pieces on an MxN chessboard so no piece is attacked by any other. All possible combinations must be obtained.

• Version 1.0
• Language: Python 3.x

Installation and Usage

Other than a python 3.x interpreter, nothing extra is required in your system. To run it just type:

#!bash

python main.py 

Then you can type a sentence to specify the configuration to solve, like: 3x3 Board containing 2 Kings and 1 Rook.

The program does a (very) naive parsing to understand the board size and pieces in plain English. You can also read from standard input.

Code

Design

• The folder testing/ contains the TDD cases. Read below.
• The folder piece/ is a python package containing the piece class hierarchy.

Classes

• The Piece class is the an Abstract Base Class (ABC) from which all other classes derive.
• DiagonalMixIn implements the diagonal movement (Queen, Bishop). This movement can be limited to 1 step (for the King).
• HoriVertMixIn implements the horizontal movement (Queen, Rook). This movement can be limited to 1 step (for the King).
• KnightMixIn implements the knight movement (Knight and a fictional piece, Amazon, not used here).

Algorithm

The algorithm does a recursive deep-first iteration, and it's encapsulated within an iterable class for better legibility.

Code Testing

Test suite used is nose compatible. All test are located within the tests/ folder. Every class has its own tests to ensure minimal functionality. A coverage report is also included in the folder /tests/coverage (open index.html with a web browser). Coverage is nearly 100% (classes in main.py not included).

Who do I talk to?

Jose Rodriguez (@boriel)