A Puzzle With Pawns

Unreviewed import — a classic from the public domain; its solution has not been machine-checked yet.

math

Place two pawns in the middle of the chessboard, one at Q 4 and the other at K 5. Now, place the remaining fourteen pawns (sixteen in all) so that no three shall be in a straight line in any possible direction. Note that I purposely do not say queens, because by the words "any possible direction" I go beyond attacks on diagonals. The pawns must be regarded as mere points in space--at the centres of the squares. See dotted lines in the case of No. 300, "The Eight Queens."

Solution

Commit an attempt to unseal the proof. Write your answer — right or wrong, thinking it through is the point.

Solution

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