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Space Shatranj 6x6x6

I have edited my [2007-06-12] comment here to include a Grande Acedrex 2007 preset, a game with complicated promotion rules. Space Shatranj 6x6x6 is a new chess variant based on the same initial setup - given in my [2007-06-9] comment. After I finalise the rules, I plan to copy this preset and rename it. Checkmate and stalemate both count as a full victory. A Bare King Ending is counted here as a partial victory (0.75 point) and a partial loss (0.25 point), see Rule 5 for more details. The 'Fifty Moves Rule' is extended to 60 moves in this variant, with a very restrictive clause added: after you have been reduced to a bare King, your opponent has at most 60 moves to either checkmate or stalemate you - failure to do so means a partial (0.75/0.25) victory. White Pawns move up one level at a time and promote to Queen, Unicorn, Bishop, Knight or Rook (of the same color) on level 6.

I use the names 'Alicorn' for the original triagonal mover in Raumschach and 'Unicorn' for the (Alicorn + Ferz) compound in this variant. Designing a game with these pawn walls (16 white on level 2 and 16 black on level 5), lead me to a 6x6x6 board: which is large, but perhaps not one of the Very Large CVs. Space Shatranj 6x6x6 can be played with two identical chess sets, provided you turn one King and one Queen on each side into Unicorns - by placing small bags on top of them, or something.

   level 4    -    level 5    -    level 6
 
   *   *   *  |  *   *   * q  |    *   *   *  6
 *   *   *    |    *   *   *  |  *   *   *    5 
   *   *   *  |  *   *   *    |    *   *   *  4
 *   *   *    |    *   *   *  |  *   *   *    3
   P   *   *  |  *   *   *    |    *   *   *  2
 k   *   *    |  t *   *   *  |  K   *   *    1
 
 a b c d e f  -  a b c d e f  -  a b c d e f

NOTE: T=Unicorn, G=Bishop, N=Knight in the preset above.
White has one legal move here: 4b2-5b2, allowing 
the Black Queen to capture the Pawn: 5f6-5b2 stalemate, 
as both Queen and Unicorn control all three escape squares on level 6.


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 [====]     by David Paulowich        [====]