There Are More Possible Chess Games Than Atoms in the Observable Universe

This mind-boggling number is known as the Shannon Number, estimated to be around 10^120. The observable universe, by comparison, contains an estimated 10^80 atoms, highlighting the immense complexity of chess.

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https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-shannon-number-how-many-possible-chess-games/

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Published: March 26, 2026
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Universe Weird Science Mathematics Games Chess Shannon Number Probability Atoms Complexity

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