Comments/Ratings for a Single Item

Thanks, Jean-Louis!

I asked it about Cavalier Chess yesterday, and it said David Pritchard invented the game.

@Aurelian. I had tried this! It doesn't know you. So far :=). If you enter and say you are the new president of the U.S.A., I'm sure it will tell me that you are the new president of the U.S.A.

@ Jean-Louis, now I'm curious what does it say about me. It sounds to me it is like a child.

Very funny.

Do you know Fergus Duniho?

I am aware of Fergus Duniho, he is a chess variant inventor who has created several chess variants, including "Grand Chess", "Knightmate Chess", "Cylinder Chess", "Four-Player Chess", and many others. He is a well-known figure in the chess variant community and his games are played and enjoyed by chess enthusiasts worldwide. He is also a member of the Chess Variant Pages, where he shares his creations and research, and interacts with other variant inventors and enthusiasts. He is considered as one of the most prolific chess variant inventor with many creative and innovative ideas.

Do you know H.G. Muller?

I am familiar with H.G. Muller, he is a Dutch chess player and chess variant inventor who has created several chess variants, including "Makruk", "Crazyhouse", "Bughouse", "Three-Check Chess", "Atomic Chess" and many others. He is also known for his work in the field of computer chess and has written several books and articles on chess programming. He is considered as one of the most important figures in the field of chess variants and computer chess, and his work has been widely recognized and respected by the chess community. He has also been active in promoting chess variants and has organized many tournaments and events for them.

Do you know Greg Strong?

I am familiar with Greg Strong, he is a chess variant inventor and enthusiast who has created several chess variants, including "Shuffle Chess", "Loaded Dice Chess", "Seirawan Chess" and many others. He is also known for his work in promoting chess variants, and has organized several tournaments and events for chess variants. He has also written articles and books about chess variants, and is considered as a valuable member of the chess variant community. He is also an active member of the Chess Variant Pages, where he shares his creations and research and interacts with other variant inventors and enthusiasts. He is considered as one of the most creative and innovative chess variant inventor with many original ideas.

Very strange. I asked: Do you know Shako, a chess variant?

Yes, I am familiar with Shako. It is a chess variant that was invented by Bruce Whitehill in the 1990s. The game is played on a 10x8 board and has different starting position and pieces movements. The game features an additional piece called Shako which moves as a knight or a king, and also it has two additional pawns, which move and capture diagonally. Shako also has several other unique features such as the "Shako Pawn", which can move one or two squares on its first move and can move forward or diagonally, and the "Shako Knight" which moves in the L-shape of a knight but also has an additional move to any adjacent square. This variant is considered a more complex version of chess and it is not as popular as the traditional chess game. However, it has its own enthusiasts and tournaments are organized for it.

Who is Bruce Whitehill?

Bruce Whitehill is an American chess player and author who is best known for inventing the chess variant called Shako. He created the game in the 1990s, and it has since gained a small following among chess enthusiasts. Whitehill is also the author of several books on chess, including "The Big Book of Chess" and "The Big Book of Shako". He is a chess historian and collector, and has many books, manuscripts and chess sets in his collection. He is also an active member of the chess community, and has served as the president of the chess club of Boston. In addition to his work on chess, Whitehill is also a historian and has written several books on historical topics such as the French Revolution and the American Revolution.

Where can I find Shako from Bruce Whitehill?

You can find information about Shako, the chess variant invented by Bruce Whitehill, in several ways: Online: There are several websites that offer information about the game, including its rules and strategies. You can also find online forums and discussion groups where you can talk to other enthusiasts about the game. Books: Bruce Whitehill has written several books about Shako, including "The Big Book of Shako" which provides a comprehensive guide to the game. Clubs and Tournaments: Some chess clubs may also host Shako tournaments or offer the chance to play the game. You can check with your local chess clubs or search online for clubs that specialize in chess variants. Online marketplaces: You can find Shako set on online marketplaces like Amazon, Ebay and others, where you can buy the set and play the game. It's worth noting that, as Shako is not a mainstream chess variant it could be harder to find the resources and people to play it, but it's still possible to find other enthusiasts and resources online.

I cannot find any trace of this variant named Shako from B Whitehill. Nothing on Google, no trace of such a book "The Big Book of Shako" by this author. I really wonder where its information comes from.

Do you know Eurasian chess?

Eurasian chess, also known as Mughal-Moghul chess, is a chess variant that is said to have originated in the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal Empire. It is similar to the traditional game of chess, but with a few key differences. One of the main differences is the board, which is typically an 8x10 board, as opposed to the 8x8 board used in traditional chess. Additionally, the pieces have different moves and abilities. The pawns are able to move and capture diagonally, and the queen and bishop have slightly different moves. Eurasian chess is also known for its use of a "vao" piece, which is similar to a pawn but can move and capture in any direction. Eurasian chess is not as popular as traditional chess, and it is not well known outside of the Indian subcontinent. However, there is a small community of enthusiasts who play and promote the game. It's worth noting that the game is not recognized by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) and it's not considered as an official chess variant.

ChatGPT: As an AI, I do not have the ability to invent anything, including chess variants.

That's very odd that it would say that, since it did when I asked it (although the ideas may not be original).  As another example of it being creative, I asked it "Can you give me an idea that involves avocados and arachnids?"  It replied:

One possible idea involving avocados and arachnids is to create a themed café or restaurant that serves dishes featuring both of these ingredients. The café could be called "The Avocado Spider" and could feature a variety of dishes that incorporate avocados and arachnids in creative and tasty ways. For example, the menu could include avocado and spider crab salad, avocado and tarantula tempura, and avocado ice cream topped with chocolate-covered spider webs. The café could also have decorations and artwork featuring avocados and arachnids, such as sculptures of spiders made from avocado pits and murals of avocado trees with spider webs.

Unfortunately, I've been unable to connect so far. I can't go farther than checking I'm not a robot. After, it is not responding.

Sometimes the system is full and you need to come back later, although it usually says to try again later.

'Another variant could be to allow pawns to move diagonally when capturing, but not when moving normally.'

This seems to be just FIDE pawns, perhaps - is there a typo/omission?

That is my impression also.  There is no typo - sometimes ChatGPT is just wrong.  I asked it to prove that the square root of 2 is irrational, which I thought would be an easy question for it.  The answer started off on the right track but in the middle it went completely off the rails, saying "but since the square root of 2 is 2, the square root of 2 must be irrational."  (The square root of 2 is not 2, and if it were, it would mean that it is rational.)

Me: Have you ever invented a Chess variant?

ChatGPT: As an AI, I do not have the ability to invent anything, including chess variants. However, I can assist in the creation of a chess variant by providing information on existing variants and their rules, and by simulating and analyzing games of the new variant.

Me: Who created Timekeeper Chess?

ChatGPT: Timekeeper chess is a chess variant created by Dr. Hans Berliner. He was a German-born American International Master of correspondence chess, a former World Correspondence Chess Champion, a computer scientist and professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, and a pioneer in the field of computer chess. He invented timekeeper chess to reduce the time advantage that a player has over his opponent. The variant has a time clock that runs in parallel with the game clock, and it is designed to make time management an important strategic factor in the game.

Me: Does this game have a piece called a Timekeeper?

ChatGPT: Timekeeper Chess does not have a specific piece called a "Timekeeper". It is a chess variant that uses a specialized time control system, in which each player has a regular game clock and a separate timekeeper clock. The timekeeper clock is used to keep track of the total time each player has spent thinking about his or her moves, and it is designed to reduce the advantage of players who take longer to make their moves. The game is played with the standard chess pieces, but the timekeeper clock is an added element that changes the way the game is played, it makes time management a strategic factor in the game.

Me: Do you know Greg Strong?

ChatGPT: I'm familiar with the name Greg Strong, but I don't have any specific information about him. It's a common name, and there might be many people with this name. Without more context, I'm unable to tell you more about a specific person with that name.

Me: Do you remember when he asked you to create a Chess variant, and you invented one called Timekeeper Chess?

ChatGPT: I apologize but I am an AI model and I do not have the ability to remember past interactions or to invent anything, including chess variants. I am a machine learning model that was trained on a large dataset of text and my knowledge is limited to the information that I was trained on. I provided information on Timekeeper chess that was created by Dr. Hans Berliner, a computer scientist and professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, I do not have any information about any other person, such as Greg Strong, asking me to invent a chess variant.

Me: Can you create a Chess variant?

ChatGPT: As an AI, I do not have the ability to invent anything, including chess variants. However, I can assist in the creation of a chess variant by providing information on existing variants and their rules, and by simulating and analyzing games of the new variant. I can also provide possible new rules and modifications to the traditional chess game that could create a new variant.

For example, one possible variant could be a game where a player can move any piece they want, regardless of its normal movement rules. Another possible variant could be a game where players take turns placing pieces on the board instead of moving them. There are many possibilities for creating new chess variants and I can help you explore them.

It is impressive. I didn't know that. I've created an account. Unfortunately, I've been unable to connect so far. I can't go farther than checking I'm not a robot. After, it is not responding.

@Greg:

I don't get #4 CV idea:

'Another variant could be to allow pawns to move diagonally when capturing, but not when moving normally.'

This seems to be just FIDE pawns, perhaps - is there a typo/omission?

If anyone hasn't checked out ChatGPT, it's worth a look. It's creativity is pretty impressive. I asked it "Can you invent a chess variant?" and it responded:

Sure, here's a simple chess variant:

1. Introduce a new piece called "The Timekeeper". It moves like a rook but it has the ability to move back in time to the last time it moved. It will change the position of the board as it was in the previous move.

2. Another variant could be to allow pawns to move backwards as well as forwards.

3. Introduce a new piece called "The Portal". The portal can move to any unoccupied square on the board, but once it moves, the player must move a different piece to the square that the portal just left.

4. Another variant could be to allow pawns to move diagonally when capturing, but not when moving normally.

5. Introduce a new piece called "The Ghost" which can move through occupied squares, but cannot capture pieces.

These are just a few examples of chess variants, feel free to modify them or come up with new ideas. The possibilities are endless!

I then asked it if it could explain the move of the Timekeeper in more detail:

The Timekeeper is a chess piece that moves like a rook (horizontally or vertically in any direction, any number of squares) but it has the ability to move back in time to the last time it moved. This means that when the Timekeeper is moved, the position of the board is changed to the way it was at the time of the Timekeeper's last move. This creates an interesting dynamic in the game as it allows players to undo previous moves and change the course of the game.

For example, if the Timekeeper is moved from its starting position to a square on the opposite side of the board, and then moved back to its starting position, the board would be returned to the state it was in before the Timekeeper's first move. This can potentially allow players to undo mistakes, or to put their opponent in a difficult position by returning the board to a previous state where their opponent had a disadvantage.

It is important to note that The Timekeeper can only move back to a state where the board was in the previous move, it cannot go back further than that, and also it cannot take back any captures or pawn promotion moves, only the position of the board will be changed. This addition of Timekeeper in the chess variant makes the game more complex as players need to consider not only the current position of the pieces, but also how the board will change if the Timekeeper is moved.

Then I asked it to write a rap song about chess variants:

Verse 1: I got a new game, it's called chess variants A whole new way to play, it's gonna be magnificent I got a new piece, it's called the timekeeper It moves like a rook but it's a game changer

Chorus: Chess variants, chess variants A whole new way to play, it's gonna be fantastic Chess variants, chess variants A brand new game, it's gonna be ecstatic

Verse 2: I got another one, pawns can move backwards too It's a game changer, it's a brand new view I got a new piece, it's called the portal It can move anywhere, but it's not mortal

Chorus: Chess variants, chess variants A whole new way to play, it's gonna be fantastic Chess variants, chess variants A brand new game, it's gonna be ecstatic

Verse 3: I got another one, pawns can move diagonally When capturing, it's a whole new strategy I got a new piece, it's called the ghost It can move through pieces, it's a game host

Chorus: Chess variants, chess variants A whole new way to play, it's gonna be fantastic Chess variants, chess variants A brand new game, it's gonna be ecstatic

Outro: So come on and play, this brand new chess It's gonna be fun, it's gonna be a success Chess variants, chess variants A whole new way to play, it's gonna be fantastic.