==> geometry/coloring/triominoes.s <== |||||||| |||||||| |||||||| ---***+* ---...+* ---*+O+* ---*+... ---*+*** There is only one way to remove a square, aside from rotations and reflections. To see that there is at most one way, do this: Label all the squares of the chessboard with A, B or C in sequence by rows starting from the top: ABCABCAB CABCABCA BCABCABC ABCABCAB CABCABCA BCABCABC ABCABCAB CABCABCA Every triomino must cover one A, one B and one C. There is one extra A square, so an A must be removed. Now label the board again by rows starting from the bottom: CABCABCA ABCABCAB BCABCABC CABCABCA ABCABCAB BCABCABC CABCABCA ABCABCAB The square removed must still be an A. The only squares that got marked with A both times are these: ........ ........ ..A..A.. ........ ........ ..A..A.. ........ ........