Introduction

In this blog post, we will explore how to solve the LeetCode problem "1812" using AI. LeetCode is a popular platform for preparing for coding interviews, and with the help of AI tools like Chatmagic, we can generate solutions quickly and efficiently - helping you pass the interviews and get the job offer without having to study for months.

Problem Statement

You are given coordinates, a string that represents the coordinates of a square of the chessboard. Below is a chessboard for your reference. Return true if the square is white, and false if the square is black. The coordinate will always represent a valid chessboard square. The coordinate will always have the letter first, and the number second. Example 1: Input: coordinates = "a1" Output: false Explanation: From the chessboard above, the square with coordinates "a1" is black, so return false. Example 2: Input: coordinates = "h3" Output: true Explanation: From the chessboard above, the square with coordinates "h3" is white, so return true. Example 3: Input: coordinates = "c7" Output: false Constraints: coordinates.length == 2 'a' <= coordinates[0] <= 'h' '1' <= coordinates[1] <= '8'

Explanation

Here's the breakdown of the solution:

• Determine parity: Observe that the color of a square alternates based on the sum of its row and column indices. Even sums correspond to one color, and odd sums to the other.
• Calculate indices: Convert the coordinate letter to a column index (a=1, b=2, ..., h=8) and use the coordinate number as the row index.

• Check sum parity: Determine if the sum of the row and column indices is even or odd to determine the square's color.

• Runtime Complexity: O(1), Storage Complexity: O(1)

Code

    def squareIsWhite(coordinates: str) -> bool:
    """
    Given coordinates, a string that represents the coordinates of a square of the chessboard.
    Return true if the square is white, and false if the square is black.

    Example 1:
    Input: coordinates = "a1"
    Output: false
    Explanation: From the chessboard above, the square with coordinates "a1" is black, so return false.

    Example 2:
    Input: coordinates = "h3"
    Output: true
    Explanation: From the chessboard above, the square with coordinates "h3" is white, so return true.

    Example 3:
    Input: coordinates = "c7"
    Output: false

    Constraints:
    coordinates.length == 2
    'a' <= coordinates[0] <= 'h'
    '1' <= coordinates[1] <= '8'
    """

    column = ord(coordinates[0]) - ord('a') + 1
    row = int(coordinates[1])

    return (column + row) % 2 != 0