fl. c. 800

Arab chess master who wrote the first known work on the game, introducing ideas that would later influence recreational mathematics. Al-Adli's book, which appeared in about 800, is lost to history—as, indeed, is its title. It is known, however, that in it he discussed a number of chess problems called mansubat. Among these was one called "the Dilaram mate," concerning a legendary chess player who gambled his wife on a game of chess. Just when he was about to lose, Dilaram's wife whispered to him that if he sacrificed both of his rooks, he could checkmate his opponent in just a few moves—which he did.