Comments by MatsWinther

Non-tedious big-board drop variants.
I have invented 3 big-board drop variants in which tediousness is 
avoided, I think. Pawns and rooks are already positioned, which speeds 
up the dropping process. But a pawn can be *relocated* by dropping a 
piece on it. This means that the pawn chain is not defined at the outset.

Mammoth Chess (8x10):
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/mammothb.htm
Mammoth Chess:
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/mammoth.htm
Scandinavian Chess:
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/scandinavian.htm

Mats

The latest version plays a radically better game. The graphics is improved, too. This dice game works very fine. It's a fast and dramatic game, suitable for gambling. It was invented in medieval India.
/Mats

Fergus, I have an idea. Instead of implementing Circular Chess in a 
hurry, you could make use of my zrf:
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/circularchess.htm
In this varant only, you could make an exception and allow the use 
of an analysis engine. This is how they do it in ICCF, where computer 
analysis is permitted. In email chess the whole PGN protocol is 
typically sent. In this case you could send the move part of the ZSG 
file. Just save to file in every move. Then you will also get correct 
rules checking and no misunderstandings can occur. When a move is 
made, the receiving player can copy and paste the moves into his 
ZSG file. There is a point in allowing an analysis engine sometimes, 
if you really want to test how good a variant is. The ZSG protocol 
looks like this:
1. Pawn-ccw sa2 - ec2 White H M1
1. Pawn-cw nd2 - eb2 Black H M2
2. Knight sc3 - wa2
2. Pawn-ccw na2 - wc2 Black H M3
3. Pawn-cw sd3 - wa3
3. Pawn-ccw na3 - wd3
/Mats

I don't see the point in allowing pass and en-passant. Why dismiss the rules that have been used in the Circular Chess world championship for well over a decade and that seem to work fine? Why change a functional game? 
/Mats

I humbly ask: When will a new version be available, where the move order can be different, e.g. B-W-W-B-W-B-W-B...?
/Mats

My proposal is to enhance orthochess by allowing the players optionally to
relocate the pieces (by swapping the king/queen with another piece in the
initial position), whilst keeping the option to play the standard position.
Castling rules are simple and derive from Chess960. See the following link
to an article with diagrams, and programs that implement these changes:
http://home7.swipnet.se/~w-73784/chess/relocationvariants.htm

For instance, in 'Fischer Placement Chess', 25 modest positions in the
Chess960 array can be manually generated:
http://home7.swipnet.se/~w-73784/chess/fischerplacement.htm
/Mats

I need some help from the staff. I can't access my piece graphics. If I
try to use the graphics for Secutor Chess, and I denotch the 'Exclude pieces not
in setup' and press 'test', then the graphics isn't visible and I get
an error message:
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'sets/.php' for
inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in
/home1/chessvar/public_html/play/pbm/play.php on line 705

Here is Secutor Chess:
/play/pbm/play.php?game%3DSecutor+Chess%26settings%3DSecutor_Chess
I need this graphics for two variants I want to implement. I designed it
particularly for my variants. Can somebody help me with this? The
graphics file seems to be located in the wrong directory.
/Mats

I still don't understand what are the criterions for this evaluation.
Isn't it time to reveal this soon?

One shouldn't judge the game after the playing strength of the Java program. One should evaluate the chess variant. Angel Chess is a clever idea in that attacking play is promoted. The two bishops are placed on the same colour, and white's and black's bishops cannot meet. This means that the diagonals of the opposite colour are very weak, on which attacks can occur. As guarded Angels cannot be exchanged, play cannot easily be simplified. So it is a complicated attacking variant. I have implemented Angel Chess in Zillions:
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/angelchess.htm
/Mats

Somebody in the staff, please wake up! I have now waited two 
weeks to get this fixed. I can't access my piece graphics. If I 
try to use the graphics for Secutor Chess, and I denotch the 
'Exclude pieces not in setup' and press 'test', then the graphics 
isn't visible and I get an error message:
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'sets/.php' for
inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in
/home1/chessvar/public_html/play/pbm/play.php on line 705

Here is Secutor Chess:
/play/pbm/play.php?game%3DSecutor+Chess%26settings%3DSecutor_Chess
I need this graphics for three variants I want to implement. I designed it
particularly for my variants. Can somebody help me with this? The
graphics file seems to be located in the wrong directory.
/Mats

That's interesting! It is close to my suggested relocation variants where
the players still can prepare. Kasparov suggests choosing a subset of
Fischer Random that would include only natural positions. I have tried to
promote a similar idea where, for instance, 25 positions can be chosen from
the Chess960 array, by choice of the players:
http://home7.swipnet.se/~w-73784/chess/fischerplacement.htm

My proposal is to enhance orthochess by a manual relocation procedure,
whilst keeping the option to play the standard position. I have described
different versions of this idea: 
http://home7.swipnet.se/~w-73784/chess/relocationvariants.htm
/Mats

Why is my request being ignored? I want to add my graphics. I have already
programmed three bifurcator presets that I want to add. They will hardly be
played, but I want to add them anyway, while there is so much talk about
bifurcators lately. The graphics is ready, and the list of piece
denotations, also. 
/Mats

Arguably, Kasparov's suggestion has a drawback to it. The positions in Chess960 are all strategically inferior to the standard position. Thus, they are not very interesting to study theoretically, although they are fun to play in randomized games. I contend that it's better to pick non-mirrored positions, e.g. positions from my Multi-chess:
http://home7.swipnet.se/~w-73784/chess/chess57.htm
(the players in turn swap, firstly, the king, secondly, the queen (pieces needn't be mirrored, bishops not on same colours, rooks and knights may not be relocated).
/Mats

In casual games and in rapid chess one normally just continues playing, moving the king out of check. If both players agree, however, they can go back to the earlier position. In tournament games, if only a few moves have been made, one would typically go back to the checked position and continue from there. As moves are recorded it's easier. However, if one player has achieved a winning advantage many moves later, one cannot go back, but must play on.
/Mats

Have you actually tried mine and Kaufmann's Stratego implementation in
Zillions? Great fun!
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/stratagemo.htm
/Mats

These video demonstrations are fantastic tools of learning. I have often watched the ICC opening survey videos. This one is professionally done, but the subject is very ambitious. This site could have good use of a video on Western piece movement and foundational chess principles. I have often noticed that amateurs wanting to learn chess come to this site.
/Mats

The dablo games from Lapland have proven to be quite
interesting. Earlier it was not fully clear how they worked,
but in the new interpretation they become very engaging
indeed. These are checkers variants with absolute pieces,
leaving room for very tactical combinatory play. Thus they 
have an element of chess in them.

Dablot Prejjesne:
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/dablot.htm
Dablo Daares:
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/dablodaares.htm
/Mats

As Variant Chess magazine has argued, Bolyar Chess (Bulgarian Chess) is a scam. All the historical evidence for it is constructed. Moreover, the variant is clearly inferior.
/Mats

MicroSoft Silverlight could be used for creating a chess variant game
browser. In this way chess variant games could be easily presented. Rules
checking won't be necessary. The Week in Chess is using Silverlight to
display this weeks games. 
http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/
/Mats

It is true, the 'bishops' are in fact alfils, namely pieces that jump two steps. So Murray must be wrong. Otherwise the bishops have no chance to be active, other than being exchanged along the diagonal. I have implemented Four Seasons Chess with alfils here:
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/4shatranj.htm
(It now plays a good game).
/Mats

Please link to my article on Hnefatafl (Tablut) instead. 
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/tablut.htm
The Zillions implementation follows the rules researched by the Historical 
Museum, Stockholm.
/Mats

I have implemented Mayer's reconstruction of Gala here:
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/gala.htm
/Mats

You must publish it yourself, using this form:
http://www.chessvariants.org/index/membersubmission.php
/Mats

According to the Classified Encyclopedia of Chess Variants Russian Chess is simply when the queen is replaced with an Amazon. But this is not a very good idea because the Amazons tend to be exchanged too easily, so it should be drawish. Gustav III Chess solves this by introducing two Amazons per side.
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/gustaviii.htm
/Mats

The Elkrider is stronger than the Elk because it can ride continuously like a Nightrider. However, the evaluation is preliminary.
/Mats

No, of course not.
/Mats

What are integer leapers?
/Mats

As you are a registered chessvariants.org user go here http://www.chessvariants.org/Gindex.html and click on 'Post your own game'.
/Mats

(Editors, don't forget this one.)
http://www.chessvariants.org/index/msdisplay.php?itemid=MLfuturechess
This is the future of chess. Future Chess is played on the Gustavian board
with extra empty corner squares. Players are allowed to relocate the pieces
before play begins. This allows an enormous number of new opening and
middle game strategies.
/Mats

Zillions is fairly good. It beats the average chess player. I challenge anyone to try any of my implementations which have been properly programmed to advance pawns in the opening and to castle early. It is a ludicrous claim to say that any chessplayer can easily beat Zillions in any chess variant. Facts are that the amateur player won't even have  a proper understanding of all the strange pieces, while Zillions will handle them with ease. 
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/chessvar.htm (right now the server seems to be down, however)
/Mats

Why are the editors ignoring my Future Chess? It has now missed two
updates.
http://www.chessvariants.org/index/msdisplay.php?itemid=MLfuturechess
/Mats

He must give mate within 50 moves if a pawn hasn't moved.
/Mats

An additional type of bifurcator is actually possible, namely one that
uses 'deflection', similarly to how light (or a comet) bends near a
gravitational object. Similarly, it would bend around pieces that it
passes. First I thought it would be a mirror of 'bouncing', but it
isn't actually. It is obvious that it differs when the first leg is
orthogonal: it bends immediately when the screen is at the side. (Note
that bifurcators can also make use of the margin as screen, when
applicable.) 
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/bifurcation.htm /Mats

I think Xiangqi should be played with traditional Chinese pieces. I bought a wooden set on Ebay. It was very cheap. After a while they are easy to understand because chess thinking is really very abstract. I think one should keep to traditions that are thousands of years old. It adds to the dimension of Chinese chess. However, this set of yours could be used for chess variants.
/Mats

Those Novag Yorter Xiangqi computers are today very difficult to come by.
So I created my own Xiangqi computer: I bought a small magnetic Xiangqi set
on ebay. As Xiangqi computer I use my HP palmtop 1000CX, which is an old
palmtop running DOS. It so happens that there are strong DOS Xiangqi
programs freely downloadable on the net. Those HP palmtops have flash
memory so one can turn them off, and start them later, and the Xiangqi
program immediately continues thinking. So now I have my own dedicated
Xiangqi computer, finally! Certain chess computers were designed like this,
too: a magnetic set plus a handheld computer. It's a good idea. Moreover,
Chinese Chess sets should have the traditional symbols, it is much more
attractive. The Chinese have played with these pieces for a thousand years.
It's cultural history, and the symbols are easy to learn. By the way,
Xiangqi is a very strange chess variant. There is not a scrap of strategy
in this game, only tactics.
/Mats

Also have a look at 'Fischer Placement Chess' :
http://home7.swipnet.se/~w-73784/chess/fischerplacement.htm
/Mats

Can you do the same with your Xiangqi program?
/Mats

In my Hiashatar Zillions program I have implemented both variants: (1) the Bodyguard stymies only enemy pieces. It slides two squares and can capture also on the second square. (2) the Bodyguard stymies also friendly pieces.  It slides two squares, but it *cannot* capture on the second square.

The Bodyguard cannot give mate. The knight can always give mate. There is no castling. The Bodyguards are very effective in protecting the king so castling is unnecessary. (The king cannot be threatened from afar on an open line, if it's positioned beside a Bodyguard.)

The Bodyguard cannot affect a knight because the knight only makes one 'step', namely a jump. The Bodyguard always allows one step, also with sliders. If the knight was to be restricted in its movement, it couldn't move at all, which isn't logical, as the sliders are allowed to move. 

http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/hiashatar.htm
/Mats

Now it plays a very decent game. I'm thinking of publishing my Zillions
Seirawan implementation, too, since this WinBoard implementation exists
anyway. In 2007 I asked Seirawan whether he accepts that I publish this,
but he didn't like it. It turns out that they have always wanted a program
for online play against other people. Zillions can be used for online
play.
/Mats

The paralyzing Gorgona is implemented in Zillions here:
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/gorgonachess.htm
The Gorgona is more powerful as it paralyzes pieces within queen range.
/Mats

Wonderful! Thanx! I think I can attract more chessplayers to the site to test my Relocation variants, when I have implemented them, because this is chess close to Fide chess. What was the latest Anand vs. Carlsen game all about? I say computer preparation far into the middle game. I don't believe in this development.
/Mats

Notice also my variation of the Withdrawer, the Divaricator:
http://www.chessvariants.org/index/msdisplay.php?itemid=MPaccessorychess
It captures by withdrawing but takes the angular pieces. This makes it stronger and it can compete with the western pieces.

When I use extendmove I hoped to be able to make one more move with the same player. This seems to work, however, the board has turned. If white is going to make one more move, he has to do it with his pieces at the top of the board, and this is awkward.
/Mats

Consider playing Xiangqi on http://www.playxiangqi.com/ or http://chesscape.com/ 
It's free. You can also play slow Xiangqi games here:
/play/pbm/presets/chinese_chess.html
/Mats

Good, however I can make do without constants. My Fischer Placement Chess works excellently now, with automatic pawn promotion, castling, et al.
/Mats

But you could always add a restrictive rule, for example that the enemy pawn can stymie the cannon-rook compound so that it can only reach the square immediately behind the enemy pawn. Cannons are sometimes problematic in that they can cause devastation in a Western piece context, but if one introduces restrictive rules they can blend in. I have used exactly the above restrictive rule for my Basilisk cannon:
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/basiliskchess.htm
and my Culverin cannon:
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/culverinchess.htm
/Mats

I have now used the new 'ask' command, and the 'askpromote' command, to automatize Seirawan Chess and the introduction of external pieces. I would appreciate if you did some bug testing.
/Mats

Fergus, what are these commands 'continuemove' and 'redomove' in the Developer's Guide? They don't seem to be implemented yet(?) 
/Mats

This is my wish:
* That the buttons above the board be made smaller on the Game Courier page. On a 15'' screen one must always scroll down, after every move, in order to see the whole board.
/Mats

I think it's appalling. It is incredibly over the top complicated and makes no sense at all. 
/Mats

The red pawn denotes a compelled pass move, the green pawn denotes an optional pass move. Move the pawn to pass move. With your recently added commands I would perhaps be able to solve this in another way, but I have found that this is both clear and functional, so I might keep it. One problem I had is that I cannot begin with a black move because the board doesn't turn. But to begin with moving a red pawn works fine because it signals that the relocation phase starts.
/Mats

(I don't get it. Posting to subject 'Chess Variants
Play-by-mail-system' doesn't show up, so I post it again)

In Game Courier (Chinese Chess) there is a heading 'The move sent by
Red' (or Blue) which is unnecessary. This heading stays even after the
reply move is sent, so it says the wrong thing, which is confusing. I 
suggest that this heading is removed. This would allow more room for the
board so I don't have to scroll that much.
/Mats