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ScienceSurprise 5/5Difficulty 5/5Reviewed on September 13, 2026

There are more possible chess games than atoms in the observable universe.

Why it is true

The number of possible chess games, known as the Shannon number, is estimated at 10 to the power of 120. The number of atoms in the observable universe is estimated at 10 to the power of 80. There are therefore far more chess games than atoms.

Source: Mathematical Association

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