Billiards Progressive Chess

Billiards Progressive chess is a form of Progressive Chess, with the difference that the game is played on a `billiard chessboard'. On such a chessboard, when a bishop or a queen reaches the edge, it can continue moving by bouncing with a symmetrical angle against the board edge, forming a ninety degree angle with the `direction of impact'. See for the precise movement below.

Billiards chess has been invented by M. Jacques Berthoumeau in the 1950's and has been altered and simplified from Joseph Boyer in 1957. Billiards progressive chess is played in email tournaments, organized by AISE.

Rules

All the rules of Italian progressive chess apply, but queens and bishops have additional movement possibilities: Queens and Bishops can bounce against the border in their movement. For example, on an empty chessboard, a queen or bishop can move from d1 via h5 via d8 via a4 back to d1 in one move. This movement may become more clear by looking at the sample games below.

Sample games

Sala-Salvadori (GP90) 1-0

[Note by A. Castelli; translated Fabio Forzoni/Hans Bodlaender]
1.d4
2.g6 B:c1
3.Q:c1 Nh3 Nc3
4.?? Nc6 N:d4 Nb3 N:c1
5.f4 Ng5 Ne6 Nb5 Nd6 mate

A characteristic Billiards mate. Black can not capture on d6 because then its queen would give check by bouncing. (Note by HB: in Italian progressive chess, a move that gives check on a move that is not last in a series is illegal.)

Galimberti-Kustrin (2ºComb.) 1-0

[Note by A. Castelli]
1.d4
2.f6 b5 ??
3.B:g7 Bh6 e4#

A mate decidedly distinctive!

Sala-Fabbri (GP90) 1-0

[Note by A. Castelli]
1.d4
2.e5 Nc6 ??
3.e4 Bc4 Q:f7#

Other mates that exploit the weakness of the Pf7 by the bounce of Queen in h5 can be seen in the following games:
1.d4 2.e5 Nf6 3.e4 Bc4 Q:f7# Sala-Fontana (GP90) 1-0
1.e4 2.d6 Be6 3.Bc4 B:e6 B:f7# Fontana-Kustrin (GP90) 1-0
1.e4 2.e6 Be7 3.Nf3 Ne5 Q:f7# Scovero-Arnò C. (2ºComb.) 1-0
1.e4 2.d6 B:g2 3.Nf3 Ne5 Q:f7# Andreotti-Pugnali (GP90) 1-0
1.e4 2.e5 Nc6 3.Bc4 ... Q:f7# Salvadori-Fabbri e Kustrin-Fabbri (GP90) 1-0
1.e4 2.d5 Nf6 3.e5 e6 Q:f7# Arnò C.-Pugnali (2ºComb.) 1-0 or 3.Nf3 Ne5 Q:f7# Minasso-Sciam (2ºComb.) 1-0

An other exemplary mate could is the following: 1.e4 2.e6 h5 ?? 3.Q:h5 Be2 Q:f7# or 1.e4 2.d5 h5 ?? 3.Q:h5 Be2 Q:f7# And the King can not run away to d7 because it would be still in check by the Queen.

Written by Fabio Forzoni; edited by Hans Bodlaender, with comments of Alessandro Castelli.

WWW page created: February 23, 1998.

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Created on: February 23, 1998. Last modified on: January 04, 2001.