Game Reviews by Derek Nalls

~~Later~~ ⇩Reverse Order⇧ ~~Earlier~~

Chess with Different Armies. Betza's classic variant where white and black play with different sets of pieces. (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

Derek Nalls wrote on Sun, Apr 5, 2015 12:25 AM UTC:BelowAverage ★★

Despite their intractability (in most cases), it is true (as an existential theorem) for all turn-based, two-player chess variants that, with perfect play, a decisive, game-winning advantage exists for either white or black.  Furthermore, this advantage will be amplified where the armies are unequal and/or asymmetrical.  The fact that the problem fails to "bite us" because the quality of play needed to reveal it is out of reach for both human or state-of-the-art AI players does not render it insignificant.  It just has little practical effect.

Falcon Chess 100. Falcon Chess played on an expanded board of a 100 squares with special Pawn rules. (12x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

Derek Nalls wrote on Thu, Jul 26, 2007 04:04 AM UTC:Poor ★

You seem to believe this game is also protected by your US patent for 'Falcon Chess'. [Note the distinction.] The irony is that it is not protected from a bad rating by me for precisely that reason.

Falcon Chess. Game on an 8x10 board with a new piece: The Falcon. (10x8, Cells: 80) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

Derek Nalls wrote on Thu, Jul 26, 2007 03:59 AM UTC:Poor ★

As a US citizen, I find US patents extremely offensive- beyond whatever merits a game may possess in of itself.

Kings. A modest variant with more than one king. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

Derek Nalls wrote on Fri, Jun 15, 2007 02:52 PM UTC:Good ★★★★

experiments in symmetry
Mirror West Chess
8H x 10W
http://www.chessvariants.org/index/listcomments.php?itemid=ExpSym

Just a few months ago, I independently proposed 1 of the 3 'kings' games
Abdul-Rahman Sibahi created.  Note that I did nothing with it.  No ZOG
implementation or Game Courier preset (if possible).  I hope ARS shows
more initiative than I.

'Is not the 10 x 8 version with two kings more symmetrical than
symmetrical variants with just one king?  Because a solo king stands out
as an asymmetry to the rest of the pieces on the board.'

Yes, it is impossible to symmetrically place one king upon an 8H x 10W
board because there is no defined, single center file.  Since there are
two center files, two kings are required.

Stanley Random Chess A game information page

. Missing description[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

Derek Nalls wrote on Tue, Sep 27, 2005 12:46 AM UTC:Poor ★

Pity to the poor soul who actually tries to play this game! Remove it.

Salmon P. Chess. Huge three-dimensional game celebrating 10 years chess variant pages. (10x(), Cells: 7500) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

Derek Nalls wrote on Sat, May 7, 2005 08:28 PM UTC:Poor ★

Beautiful, complex geometries, notwithstanding, it is utterly unplayable even by modern supercomputers. Besides, only people can enjoy playing games.

Experiments in Symmetry. Several experimental games to test whether perfect symmetry makes a game better.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

Derek Nalls wrote on Wed, Feb 16, 2005 02:46 AM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★

My, you are a barn-burner!
[Fast, too.]

You seem to clearly understand what you have undertaken and introduced. 
For the test purpose you have in mind, my preliminary assessment is that
your assortment of games are above average to excellent.

Are you hoping for a collective interest and effort which will get enough
of these games adequately playtested within a reasonable time to prove
and/or disprove one of our competing, mutually-exclusive hypotheses?

Perhaps, it will happen.
I hope so.

Best of luck and my compliments for your remarkable initiative!

By the way, you may have invented a great game today (which you will
someday be remembered for) even if doing so was merely incidental to your
main purpose.

Accounting Chess. Modern Business Chess: win by capturing or indicting the opposing CEO (King), or bilking all of your Stockholders (Pawns). (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]