Check out Symmetric Chess, our featured variant for March, 2024.


[ Help | Earliest Comments | Latest Comments ]
[ List All Subjects of Discussion | Create New Subject of Discussion ]
[ List Latest Comments Only For Pages | Games | Rated Pages | Rated Games | Subjects of Discussion ]

Comments/Ratings for a Single Item

Later Reverse Order Earlier
TessChess. 4D chess featuring symmetrically-moving pieces. (4x(4x(4x4)), Cells: 256) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Kevin Pacey wrote on Fri, Mar 24, 2017 11:19 PM UTC:

Here's a link Ben gave me in an email a while ago, which includes illustrations of how piece types move. Hope it helps.

wikidot for tesschess


V. Reinhart wrote on Fri, Mar 24, 2017 02:05 AM UTC:
I don't quite understand this (but it looks intriguing). I assume layer A is above layer B, which is above C, which is above D. (correct?)
But what is the relation between the sets of ranks 11-14, 21-24, 31-34, and 41-44?
Can a rook on Ab-11 move to Ab-(any number)? If not, how does a rook on Ab-11 get to Ab-44? (assuming not blocked)?

Kevin Pacey wrote on Thu, Feb 18, 2016 08:20 PM UTC:Good ★★★★

In TessChess it's nice that there are mating positions that exist for just K & 2 non-Q pieces vs. lone K (so far I've spotted them for K & 2Rs vs. K, K & 2Bs vs. K, K & R & B vs. K and K & B & N vs. K, but mate with K & R & N [or K & 2Ns] vs. K seems impossible even with help), though it would seem at first impression that these are not forcible or 'basic' mates. In this way it's similar to the classic Raumschach, which is merely a 3D variant (as opposed to 4D). It's also similar in that K & Q vs. lone K is a 'basic' mate here, which is desirable, if not expected, in a variant meant to be not far from standard chess. As in most, if not all, 3 or 4D variants, it's the case that a king & pawn doesn't win as often vs. lone king as in standard chess.

In spite of the apparent strength of the the B & R in TessChess, compared to their counterparts in standard chess, in the setup position IMHO the 2 Ns remain as 'minor' pieces, which might be later exchanged on relatively even terms in some instances for a low number of pawns, useful both for making the game potentially more interesting, and practically, in that some menacing pawns might be dealt with in a way that may otherwise be almost always far too costly (say in an endgame or middlegame race situation involving connected passed pawns). Speaking of trades, originally I estimated that in TessChess a B+R+P might be worth a Q in some cases, but upon reflection I suppose it would almost always be preferable to have the Q.

I would rank what TessChess is to 4D chess as no worse than what Raumschach is to 3D chess, in terms of overall merit.

[edit: My tentative estimates for the relative piece values in TessChess are: P=1, N=3.4, B=5.6, R=7.4, Q=14 and a K has a fighting value of 10 (noting it can't be traded.]


3 comments displayed

Later Reverse Order Earlier

Permalink to the exact comments currently displayed.