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Game Reviews by TonyQuintanilla
Chaturanga 4-84. An Updating of Chaturanga for Four Players with modern pieces and an 84-square board. (10x10, Cells: 84) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating] Full Double Chess. 32 pieces each, including all combinations of the basic Chess pieces, on a 16x8 square board. (16x8, Cells: 128) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Interesting game. The wide board creates both tactical and strategic
situations that are 'regional'. The doubled King adds a certain element
of interest. The strong pieces promote tactics. However, they do not
overwhelm the game because the large board still allows for strategic
maneuvers.
<p>
I'm sure interesting sub-variants could be created with different setups
or different mix of pieces. One possible issue, though, is that the overall
evolution of the game may move more quickly than players are able to
develop their pieces, thus leading to a certain amount of attrition-type
of play, more tactics and less strategy. But I am not sure that this
overwhelms the game. It seems playable.
Regarding some of the debate about faerie pieces versus traditional
pieces, I personally tend to design games with traditional pieces because usually I am more interested in the game system than the pieces themselves.
However, I have played many variants with interesting faerie pieces. The movement of the pieces is an appealing element in itself. In this game they work quite well. And, actually, the mix here is not all that exotic--
as variants go. Check-out Mulligan-Stew Chess
<a href="../42.dir/mulligan-stew.html">Mulligan Stew Chess</a> for an
example of faerie pieces gone a-muck, but in a very playable and
interesting game--with double Kings, by the way!
Anti-King Chess. Each player has both a King and an Anti-King to protect; Anti-Kings are in check when not attacked. (8x8, Cells: 64) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Nice game. Getting accustomed to the Anti-King's role takes a little unlearning. Its much easier to keep thinking about checkmating or protecting the King. Isolating or keeping one's Anti-King under 'attack' takes more thought. At the begining of the game, one can get lulled into complacency. The end game certainly gets interesting as it gets harder to keep one's Anti-King under attack. The very effort to checkmate the opposing King works against one's Anti-King. Which will happen first? In a way, its a race to the finish.
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]Chess with Different Armies is certainly a very enjoyable set of games. I particularly liked playing the Remarkable Rookies, perhaps because of their mutually supportive and jumping capabilities. On the other hand, I had a much more difficult time with the Colorbound Clobberers. Before I knew it, I had trapped myself in an off-balance position. The overall idea of CWDA is very clever. The idea of balanced, yet different, armies should see more use in Chess variants development. But, as remarked by Ralph, this is not so simple and takes quite a bit of work. On the other hand, it has endless possibilities with a simple theme. One thought, would it be possible for players to 'assemble' an army from 'equivalent' sets? Something else, there is a playful character to the armies, which is a nice touch.
Feeble Chess to Weakest Chess. Some Chess variants with weaker pieces. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Very interesting game. I hope to try it out soon. The idea that assuming a capturing posture is in effect part of the movement of a piece is fascinating. A suggestion for a table-set: for a capturing posture, place the piece slightly over the edge of the square towards which it is oriented. For orientation of a piece, locate the piece just within the edge of the square towards which it is oriented. Regarding Ralph's aspirations to create a Chess variant that feels like Go, one that is primarily intuitive, that would be great--although I cannot claim to understand master level Chess thought. Kids play intuitively, until they get 'spoiled' by reading Chess books! Intuitive play is definitely more fun. I read that Capablanca played intuitively (I guess he could get away with it because he was so brilliant), but that was part of his downfall when he encountered players that studied a great deal. In fact, part of the appeal of Chess variants is that they keep us guessing. I have to say, though, that Zillions spoils the fun a little by making it quite easy to study new games.
Separate Realms. Pieces capture like normal FIDE pieces, but have limited moves that only take them to part of the board when not capturing. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Nice game. One minor thought: the King is substantially weakened by the restriction against moving orthogonally without capture--in cases where it is threatened this can be fatal. Note that the capturing moves of all the pieces are standard, so the King is at a net disadvantage relative to FIDE chess.
Legler's Chess. Modest 1926 variant using an Archbishop and a Chancellor. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Zillions file added, thanks to Peter Aronson.
Eurasian Chess. Synthesis of European and Asian forms of Chess. (10x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Fergus, this certainly sounds like an interesting game. I like the fact that many of the Chaturanga pieces are retained. This game has a unique feel to it, both ancient and modern, western and eastern. The piece mix should work well. As usual, the graphics are great. I'm looking forward to trying it. Very nice!
Lilliputian Monochromatic Alice Chess. All pieces are colorbound, and switch boards rather than switching color. (2x(6x7), Cells: 84) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]What makes it unique, the double board, the pieces being color-bound on each board, the board switching, take a little getting used to. However, the rules are very clear and once the logic starts to become more intuitive, the game is very playable. The piece strength compared to the board size appears well suited to the game. Very nice game.
Secret Agent Chess. Each player chooses one opposing minor piece to be a secret agent. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I like the idea of the Secret Agent. I got to thinking that if one wants to play Secret Agent Chess by e-mail a workable means of identifying the Secret Agent if a moderator is not available would be to send a text file with the identity of the Secret Agent along with the first move. The text file is left unopened until the Secret Agent is revealed. If using Zillions to play by e-mail by trading ZSG files, its easy to play Secret Agent Chess. One would just replace the designated piece with a right-click selection in your own color to reveal the Secret Agent.
Pocket Mutation Chess. Take one of your pieces off the board, maybe change it, keep it in reserve, and drop it on the board later. (8x8, Cells: 64) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]This is a great game. I am playing a game with the author. So far, I've only made 'standard' chess moves, waiting for the right time to put a piece in the pocket. Once the board starts to clear up, the gain in position will outweigh the loss in time. There will be a lot of drops in the end game. The simplicity of the idea of the Pocket and the possibilities it provides make for a very nice game. There is a whole new dimention to piece development. Its almost like a 2-turn teleport move. I agree with the author that this 'game system' could be used with other piece arrays. It could even be used in hexagonal Chess--why not? The details of what piece can promote where, to what can be modified as needed for playability.
Parachess. Chess on a rhombus-tiled board. (Cells: 72) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Great use of geometry to create a new and interesting grid, but one that is also visually intuitive and should be quite playable, adding new dimensions for movement.
Motorotor. Variant where two platforms slowly orbit a central board. (11x11, Cells: 43) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I like this game. The rotating platform is certainly innovative and interesting. Some of the pitfalls that are mentioned could be worked out with a little playtesting (outside the contest, to be sure). The game concept, though, is not without merit.
Chestria. Each player has 11 randomly selected pieces in this game of placement and flipping. (3x(5x5), Cells: 43) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Ode to ZOG: Zillions of zee-are-effs and zee-es-gees, how can they be wrong?! The game by any other name would be as zweet!! No -effs or -gees about it!!! Touche' little 'Z' man!!!!
<p>Jared, seriously, this is quite a nice game. </p> <p>I really like the idea of static pieces. Although you did not mention it, obviously this is a kind of Chess-Go blend.</p> <p>Apparently the players' boards are a kind of holding area. Would it be possible to expand the battlefield to 41 squares and just drop the randomly pieces directly on the Battlefield each turn? (Although your method would be much more implementable in ZOG (there's that again!)). You could just keep the one special square for the special replacement move. This would give you more room. You could even add more pieces to the setup</p> <p>The tactics of placement on the battlefield could be very interesting. The idea of flipping the ownership of the captured pieces I really like. That will certainly add another layer of complexity to the game, which is useful when you are playing on a small board. In fact, this creates a kind of movement if not of pieces then of piece-structures.</p> <p>I assume that you have considered that the random setup may/will probably create unequal armies. But, the idea of randomness in Chess is interesting in itself as long as it does not overwhelm the pure-strategy aspect of the game.</p> <p>A question: its not immediately clear to me why a Fodder piece should be obligatory on the first move.</p> <p>Final comment, someone please ZFRolize this game!</p>
Maxima. Maxima is an interesting and exiting variant of Ultima, with new elements that make Maxima more clear and dynamic. (Cells: 76) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]<p>Maxima certainly seems to be a very interesting game. The powers of the pieces, board configuration and winning conditions seem to have been well considered. Particularly the use of Goal Squares in addition to checkmate seems to give the game more fluidity. <p/><p>The Ultima inspired powerful pieces are well balanced and quite interesting. They do not seem to overwhelm the relatively 'small' (actually, larger) board. For those of us brought up on 'orthochess', pieces like the Mage are consoling!<p/>
PromoChess. Everything but the king can power up. Mix of Japanese/Western/fairy pieces. (9x9, Cells: 81) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Glenn, I haven't played it, but PromoChess looks quite interesting. The piece selection is varied and interesting in its own right. I like the idea of promotion of all the pieces, while retaining the King.
Alpha Centauri. A very complex game, somewhat exotic, with some elements from Rococo. (9x9, Cells: 81) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Very interesting game. The movement and capture dynamics are unique. The win condition is goal oriented, also creating a different dynamic. The non-capturable pieces are an interesting element too, somewhat inverting the 'checkmate' rule. The Rotor is neat, juggling pieces instead of capturing them!
Maxima. The Maxima page is now available in Spanish! (Spanish Language)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Excellent addition to the Spanish game pages. New Spanish pages don't appear in the English 'What's New', so check it out if you read Spanish!
Abstract Chess
. Pieces are represented by stacks of different heights.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Great idea. Its simple and elegant, yet add the mutability of pieces that many game designers have sought. The idea of simplifying the rules of Chess is also intriguing. It should be quite playable.
Orwell Chess. Three player variant themed on George Orwell's 1984. (7x12, Cells: 84) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I had the opportunity to play this game with the inventor. I must say that I really enjoyed it. I found that the selection of pieces and their capabilities was quite interesting and suited for the 3-player setting. A fun, interesting, 3-player game is special in-itself. The shifting alliances is a very good way of preventing a strategy of ganging-up. Something that should also be mentioned is the random element. While this is unusual in Chess, it is definitely an interesting, playable, and fun aspect of the game. Overall, this is an excellent game. The judges have to select their picks for finalists. Often specific choices are based on minor or even subjective preferences. The final choices do not reflect negatively on otherwise very good games.
Doublewide Chess. A discussion of the variant where two complete chess sets (including two Kings per side) are set up on a doublewide board. (16x8, Cells: 128) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Excellent idea. The strategic issues regarding where to commit one's pieces will be more significant. Regional battles will be more common. Mobility will be more important. I also like Mike Howe's suggestion about different army powers depending on the board--this harmonizes nicely with the double-board theme. The doublewide idea can be applied to many Chess variants. How about double-wide Rococo, for example! Triple-wide? could be interesting, but the game might devolve into a central battle with reserves on the wings.
TamerSpiel. Modern large chess variant with elements of historic chess variants. (12x8, Cells: 84) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I am on turn 12 of a very nice game by e-mail. I am a fan of ancient games and modern games with an ancient theme or quality. This is one of them. I really like the use of the Vizir and Firzan in such an active way. It adds a certain depth of the function of the Pawns in the opening. The opening has another dimension before the minor pieces get involved and the game goes into the middle game. The wide board also provides more room for deciding where to focus the attack, King-side or Champion-side! The Lion and the Eagle are nice additions too. The certainly fit the theme, but more importantly, they add another level to the opening and early middle game. Instead of the battle being just between Knights and Bishops, a player must decide whether to commit and risk these stronger pieces--similar to committing the Rook in Chess. I am enjoying the game. Very nice game.
Turkish Great Chess II. Gollon's large historical variant. (10x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Besides its historical interest, this is a very interesting variant. The different central Pawns and the central Knights are intriguing. The selective use of the 3rd or forward rank bears consideration in designing other games too.
Glenn's Decimal Chess. A 10x10 blend of FIDE, Shogi, and Xiangqi influences. (10x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]This game certainly looks interesting. The graphics, as always, are very nice. I like the use of the Rhino, a deserving but somewhat neglected piece.
Maxima. Maxima is an interesting and exiting variant of Ultima, with new elements that make Maxima more clear and dynamic. (Cells: 76) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]<p>Maxima is quite interesting and clear. Its subtle, has a lot of variety, and is quite innovative. I particularly like the long move of the Mage and the traditional move of the Guard. </p><p>The Mages' reach makes it a very active piece early in the game. </p><p>Although it has the single step move, the Guard proves to be surprisingly strong and important for attack. Its interesting that among relatively strong pieces, a traditional piece like the Guard should play such an important role. </p><p>The Coordinator comes into play very selectively but can be surprising and cannot be ignored. </p><p>The custodian capture powers of the Pawn make the dynamics of the opening much more positional than in games using FIDE-type Pawns. </p><p>I wonder what the theoretical piece strength density of Maxima is compared to FIDE?</p>
Hopgi. Small-board variant of Chessgi with an L-shaped board, linked pairs of Kings, where all pieces can move like a Mao-hoppers. (7x7, Cells: 43) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]This is certainly an interesting game. The use of the short range pieces makes the best use of the available space. I like the use of the 'split' double royal pieces, split into Ferz and Wazir capabilities. This is in line with the promoted versions, which adds a Ferz or Wazir capability. The game has subtle tactics. The Mao-Hopper capability adds density to the tactical possibilities on a small board. The drops do not overwhelm game play. The board's diagonal divide adds to the thematic flavor of the Berolina Pawns. Nice game.
Wizard's War. Game with piece-creating Wizards and a board divided into arena and enchanted sections. (10x10, Cells: 84) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]<p>Very nice game. The dynamics of the opening, middle game and end game are quite distinct, although very different from FIDE Chess.</p><p>The opening is characterized by piece creation in tandem with piece development.</p><p>During the early middle game, positional play starts to develop, with a balance between attempting to get a material advantage by capture or by piece creation.</p><p>As the middle game proceeds, positional play becomes more important. While piece creation is always an important element it must take a secondary position as positional tactics become more critical.</p><p>In the late middle game, the goal of capturing the 'arena' starts to influence tactics. Capture of semi-royal Wizards also becomes a tactical and strategic issue.</p><p>Overall, a very nice game and very innovative.
Advanced Wizard Chess. Chess variant on 10 by 10 board with fantasy chess pieces. (10x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Very nice game. I am intrigued by the use of the Earth and Sky boards. This has strong thematic sense to it, particularly with the overall context of the game. Other games, such as Alice Chess, use the double boards, also thematically. But Advanced Wizards Chess uses this theme very consistently, and, it appears, in a very playable manner. I particularly like the launching of the Dragon and Pegasus into the sky, the swooping of the Eagle, the flight of the Archer's arrow! The Earth-bound pieces also are thematically appropriate. The Wizard is Earth-bound, like a proper royal, but can teleport once per game. This has allusions to certain ancient variations of Shatranj where the King had a Knight's move. The game is complex in that there is a lot going on, but the rules are clear and intuitive. Nice game!
Pocket Mutation Chess. Take one of your pieces off the board, maybe change it, keep it in reserve, and drop it on the board later. (8x8, Cells: 64) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]The middle game develops very nicely. At first I thought that there would be a lot of drops. It turns out that the tempo lost in putting a piece in the pocket is very important, so this option cannot be wasted. The game develops very closely to FIDE Chess. The mutation aspect of the pocket actually adds more to the dynamics of the game than the drop itself, it seems. Promotions do not seem to be any more prevalent in the middle game than in FIDE.
Deneb. Special pieces and winning conditions. (7x9, Cells: 63) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Very nice game. The piece capabilities are very interesting, powerful, yet seem clear. The game aesthetics are very nice too.
Alice Chess. Classic Variant where pieces switch between two boards whenever they move. (2x(8x8), Cells: 128) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]An interesting aspect of this game is that game goals or strategies differ on each board. The checkmate goal is the same, of course, but each position has its own intermediary objectives. On one board, the objectives may be more like the opening, on the other they may be more middle game objectives. These objectives must remain flexible because the positions appear and dissapear like summer clouds or maybe dreams. What a great game!
Anti-King Chess. Each player has both a King and an Anti-King to protect; Anti-Kings are in check when not attacked. (8x8, Cells: 64) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Andreas, I have posted a PBM preset for Anti-King I and II. See the related links in 'See also'.
<p>Peter, take a look at the Anti-King II setup diagram and description on your page; I think there are errors. Is my interpretation for the preset right?
Xiangqi: Chinese Chess. Links and rules for Chinese Chess (Xiangqi). (9x10, Cells: 90) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Very interesting comments. I have to admit that I have not easily adapted to cannons, but your observations will make me take a fresh look at them. Thanks, Chen.
Kobayashi Maru. A variant set of rules for playing chess using the 3 dimensionsal set featured on the TV series Star Trek. (7x(), Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]The 3-D aspect is a bit mind-bending. Actually, I have found some games that require very complex geometric calculations unappealing because its more calculation than play, leaving little room for intuition. But, I think K-M is well balanced. Yes, there is a complex geometry. But, the board design helps. And once the basics are learned, its not all that un-intuitive.
<p>Also, what counter-balances the complexity is the fact that it is productive by providing new tactical and strategic avenues that are comprehensible. Some games have complex features, but they may be marginal, just something to watch-out for. In others, the odd geometry may be central but so unintuitive that its hard to ever trully envision a strategy, leading to short-range, clumsy tactics due to lack of vision.
<p>Another thing I like is that none of the board space is wasted, particularly since the attack boards are very active.
The simile between the game and Star Trek is good. I like the fact that the playing boards are not connected except through the attack boards. This is like local space being connected only through star fleets capable of moving by warp.
Hole Chess. Variant on a board of 44 squares with two holes that pieces can be dragged into. (7x10, Cells: 44) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]The special capture, drawing a piece into the hole, is very clever and innovative. It should add very interesting tactics to the game. Since this special move can be done in addition to normal captures by replacement it adds more effective power to the board. This is an effective approach to provide more options in a small game.
Chess. The rules of chess. (8x8, Cells: 64) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]The following e-mail was sent to the editors: Your web page is very useful for me! HI!I am from roumania. From Lipova. Chess is my favourite game. Thank You for your instruction from internet web page. This year i will go to a championship,chess championship. Your page is very useful for me Cooooooooooooooooooooooooool! You learn me new chessrules YYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAA!!! Now i have to go. THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gridlock. Large, wargame inspired variant. (10x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Impressive and original. I can't claim to have absorbed all the rules and permutations, but it certainly sounds neat.
Geodesic Chess. Variation of hexagonal chess on a geodesic sphere with a few new pieces added. (Cells: 279) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Jack, have you considered using a Dymaxion projection to project the geodesic sphere to 2D and make a Game Courier implementation possible? The geodesic sphere is a very appealing concept for a board.
Masking Chess. Mask and move pieces so they are invisible to the opponent. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]As far as playing, a quick look at Kriegspiel did not show any innovative ways to avoid the referee. The only other option, I think, would be the 'honor system', whereby players exchanging moves by e-mail would not only exchange visible moves, but also masked moves using three separate text files, one for each board. The masked moves files, though, would be 'off-limits' to the opponent (unless he cheats) until the end of the game. At that time, both players can verify that all the masked moves were executed correctly. The other option would be to record the masked moves without exchanging them, trusting that the players will not alter the files surrepticiously. Of course, if you can't trust your opponent, why play chess, right? That's the beauty of chess! FIDE not withstanding!
Canyon Chess. Small variant with Marshalls and Archbishops and some new rules. (8x8, Cells: 44) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Well, I am going to break the mold here. I don't think its fair to the game to let a 'poor' rating dominate. There is justification for some of the comments, such as a lot of power for a small board; an odd-shaped board; a lot of board edge changes; and the possibility of 'stereotyped' play. However, the game should be played first before relegating it to the 'poor' bin. There are some good points: the use of Knight moves mitigates against the odd-shaped board; the higher power density provide more options on a small, restricted board. In fact, the odd-shaped board provides some of the interest, as the name implies. The game will probably be very tactical and very exchange driven. I think it would be fairly enjoyable. Give it a chance!
Dreierschach . 3-player hexagonal variant. (German Language)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Take a look at this interesting 3-player hexagonal variant on a German web
site. Even if you don't read German, the diagrams should explain the game well.
By the way, you can look at What's New in all languages at this <a href='/index/whatsnewalllang.php'>URL</a>.</p>
Navia Dratp. An upcoming commercial chess variant with collectible, tradable pieces. (7x7, Cells: 49) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I think that what Matt is trying to argue for is: give the game a chance! Will it appeal to everyone, especially chess enthusiasts? No. Do collectible games (of which I too have partaken) have a 'down-side'? Yes. Does ND have some appealing features? Yes. Will it at least expose more people (kids) to chess and chess variants? Yes. So, let it be, and, in some way, support it. This page is a good idea.
Imperial Chess. Large variant with new pieces and victory by capture of royal pieces. (12x12, Cells: 144) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I've just completed a very nice <a href='/play/pbm/play.php?game=Imperial+Chess&log=tony_quintanilla-whittlin-2004-193-062'>game</a> of Imperial Chess with the inventor. Its a very enjoyable game.
<p>I think that there are two distinct aspects to this game. If one chooses, one could play the game the traditional way: one piece moves per turn. The normal way is to use the charge. Now James has also added 'rapid development' as well to speed up the moves prior to the charge. Note that once charges start, they can basically keep going until less than 6 pieces are available to attack in the end game. This makes this game basically a multi-move game, with the limitation that *only* one piece per file can be moved.
<p>This is a very fast-paced way to play, fun, with a lot of surprizes and turns. Obviously, the strict calculation of moves and possibilities is near impossible. The large board and number of pieces makes the multi-move environment appropriate.
<p>The moves of the pieces is very interesting, I find. While superficially they seem redundant, they are not. The key difference is whether orthogonal or diagonal moves are permitted; compare the Crossbowman and the Pikeman, for example. The Bishop and Rook (or Castle) add a Shogi-type feel to the game. The Catapult is an interesting longer distance piece that can come into play in closed positions. The Princess is a *very* interesting piece that does not capture but can promote -- unique, as far as I know. Capturing the entire Imperial family is not an easy task, but the multi-move environment makes this easier.
<p>I should add that if you play the game on Game Courier using James' charming drawn figures and his map-type board (modeled after his hand-cast pieces and board) that this only adds to the fun!
Elephant Hunt. Ituri Forest Pygmi traditional game with chess-like elements. (10x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I would like to share the following correspondance with Freederick. On Sat, 21 Aug 2004 Tony Quintanilla wrote : >... >Very nice! How did you learn about this game? >... Thank you! I learned about Elephant Hunt secondhand from a francophone friend of mine in my college years, who had an interest in anthropology. The notes in Father Morceau's diary made much ado about the game being played on a 10x10 board; he theorized a lot about the Pygmies either borrowing the game from a more advanced culture with a base-ten counting system, or starting with a 5x5 field for the elephant (the Pygmies, it seems, use a base-five system) from which the 10x10 board arose by subdivision. All of this is not germane to the rules of the game, and I don't remember it well anyway. The actual rules were given a skimpy and incomplete treatment in the notes. The author did mention that the Elephant moved on the 5x5 field on which the 10x10 field for the Pygmies was 'overlaid by halving', and that the Pygmies moved 'by hopping about, like our chess-knight' but I personally doubt they actually made a Knight-move, which is sort of abstract. However, other possible alternatives (like D and/or A) seem to me to be out of the question, as the Pygmies cannot possibly win if colorbound. Thus, not having other information, I implemented them with a Knight-move, which makes for an interesting game. The Shaman (witch-doctor, IIRC, was the term employed) was described as making 'double moves'. I implemented this as W2F2; it could just as well be t[NN], or perhaps the move of the Lion in Chu Shogi: t[KK]. These variants also seem interesting and playable. Unfortunately I have lost contact with the friend who provided the information, and I have no idea of other sources. Sincerely yours Freederick
Jumping Chess. Pieces capture by jumping. Board has extra edge squares making it 10x10. (10x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Well, I can't agree with the 'poor' rating. I played a couple of
games of Jumping Chess with Peter. One of these is posted as a Game Courier Log and the other is posted as a Zillions Saved Game (See also). I enjoyed the games. I found that the jumping feature added an entirely new dimension to both capture and checkmate. The restricted outside ranks and files provided both opportunity and danger (which I found out the hard way).
<p>As far as uniqueness, that does not determine whether a game is good or
not. As far as the Knight's character being somehow degraded, I'm not sure
I understand the logic there: all the pieces have different capture
properties. As far as any 'veredict' from the number of Game Courier Logs, that does not say much, except for the most popular games, Shogi and Fisher Random Chess. Jumping Chess is No. 8 in the 2nd Game Courier Tournament Preference Poll -- not too bad; it'll probably enter.
<p>Jumping Chess also inspired me to invent Takeover Chess, which also won a contest. Again, I don't claim any special chess prowess, however, I did enjoy the game very much. Isn't that the point?
Alice Chess. Classic Variant where pieces switch between two boards whenever they move. (2x(8x8), Cells: 128) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]It's true that Alice Chess can be confusing, but the rules are actually very simple. Any move must be legal on both boards and the pieces end their move on the other board. Its a bit of a mind bender, but not more so than 3-D or 3-D positional games, as George points out. This confusion, if you will, is actually thematic with the name. Alice keeps getting turned around. Nothing is what it seems. That's the fun of it. Playable? Yes, but the spirit of fun can't be forgotten. Blunders? Yes, but, hey, the Alice Knight kept falling off his horse, didn't he?
Paloma Chess. Game with Royal Queen, promotable Kings, and an unusual array. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]First, thanks for naming this neat game for my daughter Paloma! She will be thrilled (as soon as she can play!). The feature that the Queen may not enter a square that is attacked and the starting setup should make this game very interesting. I have also posted a Game Courier preset for Paloma Chess.
Falcon Chess. Game on an 8x10 board with a new piece: The Falcon. (10x8, Cells: 80) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I have not yet played Falcon Chess, although I would like to. The idea of the Falcon, by itself, is good. It's a piece with interesting capabilities. The setup seems reasonable and, I am sure, has been well thought through and play tested. I can't agree with the 'poor' ratings, regardless of one's opinion of the pros- or cons- of patenting a chess: that's a different matter altogether, one which, unfortunately, has dominated these comment pages a bit too much -- in my opinion. In any case, its a good game and that is why I offered George the Game Courier preset -- to encourage play of this interesting chess.
Salmon P. Chess. Huge three-dimensional game celebrating 10 years chess variant pages. (10x(), Cells: 7500) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Wow is right. This game puts all other multi-dimentional games to shame! I have to admit I can't even wrap my mind around the rules, much less a game. But, what a game to admire, even if in a distant way. I reminds me of 'Magister Ludi'. What if someone created a musical instrument that played notes according to the moves made. One could then play by musical intuition rather than by brute calculation, which for this game proves completely inadequate -- at least for me.... The game is beautiful too in its sheer complexity, grandeur and geometry. As Greg says, I can't imagine AI that could play the game either, but someone might be able to program an instrument to play it. What a dream. The only reason I don't rate it excellent is because I can't imagine actually playing it, unless a dream came true.
Maka-Dai-Dai Shogi. Historical ultra large Shogi variant.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Jean-Louis, I posted the link. I failed to add my name as the editor. However, you are the author of the original page! And a very good page, at that.
Giveaway Chess. Taking is obligatory; the first player that loses all his pieces wins. (8x8, Cells: 64) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Very nice use of Game Courier sample games!
Storm the Ivory Tower. A Smess adaptation of Chinese Chess. (9x10, Cells: 90) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Very nice graphics, indeed. Perhaps both the Smess and the recolored options could be provided.
Pocket Mutation Chess. Take one of your pieces off the board, maybe change it, keep it in reserve, and drop it on the board later. (8x8, Cells: 64) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Well deserved, Mike. Congratulations!
Swap Chess. A move can consist of a series of pieces swapping places. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Joao, I would be interested in your comments on a question I have had for some time: did you consider the basic one-step swap which I described in Switching Chess? I described Switching Chess before I knew of Swap Chess or Balanced Swap Chess, however, I later found an applet by Ed Friedlander called Swap Chess 1 that is almost identical to Switching Chess and predated it, yet it is not attributed to you. I guess I am not sure about the originality of Switching Chess vis-a-vis Swap Chess.
Pretentious Chess. All Pieces can move as and demote to a Knight. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]A Royal Knight is an interesting idea. The King has remained mostly unchanged because of the difficulty in checkmating a more powerful piece. However, a Royal Knight may be viable. Have you tested this?
Caliph Qi and Tor Qi. Extension of Isis with compound colourbound pieces and overlapping royal-accessible areas. (6x9) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]This sounds like it could be a fun game. It might be nice to try in Zillions or Game Courier.
Royal Amazon Chess. Queens are replaced by Royal Amazons. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]This is a neat game. The idea of a Royal Amazon is intriguing in that it is both powerful and vulnerable. In the sample game I fell into the trap of capturing a seemingly exposed Rook, only to find my Amazon unable to escape without loosing the game. A word to the wise!
CCC - The Clash of Civilizations Chess. Missing description (10x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Interesting setup. It looks like you created a Game Courier preset for the setup diagram. It would be nice if you could add a preset button to your page? To do this, copy the HTML form code for the preset button into your page HTML. You can see to code at the bottom of the 'Editing a Preset' page, in a window just above 'Available Pieces.'
Atlantean Barroom Shatranj. Atlantean Barroom Shatranj Rules. (10x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Sounds like fun (Priestess, swift like a horse, strength of an elephant?). Can a preset button or URL be added?
King's Reincarnation. Captured Kings return to the board, but at a price. 2 versions of play. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Very nice! Sounds like a lot of fun. I like the main variant, since it is more true to the basic idea. Also, a Queen-powered King would be awfully difficult to capture and would lead to draws, unless off-set by something, like an extreme promotion rule like the one in James Spratt's Imperial Chess. This is a kind of royal succession, with battle field promotion!
TriMac HexChess. Hexagonal XiangQi. (Cells: 135) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Looks very interesting. The use of the board is innovative.
Falcon Chess. Game on an 8x10 board with a new piece: The Falcon. (10x8, Cells: 80) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I agree that Falcon Chess is an excellent variant. The move of the Falcon is very interesting and provides for both strategic and tactical ideas. I have been playing a game with George and quite enjoy it (although I have not attended to my game recently!). I just wish that the Falcon piece could be used more frequently by other chess variant inventors (Switching Falcon Chess or Takeover Falcon Chess -- a 'takeover' Falcon, wow! -- anyone?).
Atlantean Coffee House Shatranj. Grand Hexagonal Shatranj - the short-range project goes six-sided. (13x13, Cells: 127) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Sounds like a fun game. It's nice to see a hex game again. The pieces look powerful. Nice game.
Jetan Jeddara. Large Jetan variant, with new pieces. (16x12, Cells: 192) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]This is a great game and a lot of fun. The game is supposed to be played using multi-moves. I tried this with James. The game was very fun. Obviously it was not possible to precisely calculate the moves. Alternatively, one can play using single moves, which takes a long time because of the size of the board and number of pieces. The game has a lot of flavor and really appeals to the Martian theme, particularly using James' Game Courier graphics. This is a game for the adventuresome!
Two Large Shatranj Variants. Missing description (10x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Great idea to explore short range moves, in the spirit of the ancient game!
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