A chess tournament is taking place on knock-out terms (the one who loses the match is out of the game).
(a) If 10 matches are played in total, how many players participated?
(b) If 20 players took part in the tournament, how many matches were played?

Two guards were on duty outside a barracks. One faced up the road to watch for anyone approaching from the North. The other looked down the road to see if anyone approached from the South. Suddenly one of them said to the other, "Why are you smiling?"

How did he know his companion was smiling?

You are playing a game with your friend Jack. There are digits from 1 to 9. You both will take turn erasing one digit and adding it to your score. The first one to score 15 points will win the game.

Would you want to play first or second?

PS: The sum should be exactly 15.

At my favorite fruit stand,
an orange costs 18,
a pineapple costs 27,
and a grape costs 15.
Using the same logic, can you tell how much a mango costs?

Find the missing number in the sequence below:

Two in a corner, one in a room, zero in a house, but one in a shelter. What is it?

I am a prime number.
The double of myself is equal to the square of me.

which number am I?

Chef Andrea has to light the kitchen stoves to open her restaurant for the day. There are three stoves in the kitchen: A glass stove, a brick stove, and a wood stove. She only has one match. Which does she light up first?

I am the beginning of the end, and the end of time and space. I am essential to creation, and I surround every place. What am I?

Using mathematical symbols like +, -, and x in order to make the equations correct. Replace # with the above-given symbols.

9 # 8 # 7 # 6 # 5 # 4 = 91