The Game That Grew Exponentially

It began with a simple request, a reward for inventing the game of chess.

- HRITHIK KIRAN BAGADE

It began with a simple request, a reward for inventing the game of chess. The king, impressed by the brilliance of the game, asked the creator what he wanted in return. The inventor, with deceptive modesty, requested a single grain of rice on the first square of the chessboard, two on the second, four on the third, and so on—doubling the grains on each subsequent square. The king, amused by such a humble request, agreed immediately. But he had been outwitted, for what seemed like a tiny favor would soon grow into an impossible debt.