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Modern Courier Chess A game information page
. An attempt to reform the courier game by emulating the development of modern chess.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Jean-Louis Cazaux wrote on Thu, Mar 9, 2023 07:57 PM UTC in reply to David Paulowich from Wed Mar 8 03:01 PM:

1972 in the Reformed Courier-Spiel page was a error. 1971 was meant and I have corrected it.

The date of invention of this game is confusing. Pritchard, who seemed in relationship with Byway, had probably the correct date with 1971.

The date of 1992 mentioned by Begnis in his page, and also in my own French book "L'Odyssée des jeux d'échecs" taken as reference by Begnis, is the date at which Modern Courier Chess seems to appear in Variant Chess magazine.

In http://www.mayhematics.com/v/vol5/vc37.pdf, Byway says "Some two decades passed before extended experiments at Powdermill chess club resulted in the present rules". The 1971's moves were different from the one, definitive, of 1992.


David Paulowich wrote on Wed, Mar 8, 2023 03:01 PM UTC:Good ★★★★

Have we missed the fiftieth anniverary of Modern Courier Chess? The rules page for Reformed Courier-Spiel (2011) contains the sentence: "With this design, Begnis also intended to improve Modern Courier Chess invented by FIDE Master Paul V. Byway in 1972."

On his own website, Clément Begnis writes: "In this respect, I need to mention here that at first (in the 1970's), Byway had made an attempt to modernize the Courier game with more powerful extra pieces."

On his own website, John Savard writes: "Attempts have been made to modernize the game, one in 1824 and one in 1971. The one in 1971, Modern Courier Chess, changed the moves of several of the pieces. Even that of 1824 by Albers made a number of changes, although it was less radical."

The current address is: Modern Courier Chess. Meanwhile, the year when Byway finished creating his game remains a mystery. VARIANT CHESS No. 8 does contain the following game from the previous year - with the letters "F" and "C" standing for Ferz and Courier (Alibaba).

[Game 4]  R. Talbot - P. V. Byway, 10 xii 1991 
1.f4 f5 2.a4 c5 3.Ra3 Cc6 4.g4 fxg4 5.Rg3 h5 6.i4 
Ch6 7.e3 g5 8.ixh5 gxf4 9.Rxg4+ Fg7 10.Qj5+ i6 
11.hxi6 Ni7 12.Qi5 Ng6 13.Qxk7 Rj8 
[Diagram uses elephants for couriers] 
rn1bfqk1br2pp1pp1f2pQp2e3neP5p9P4pR9P8PPP3P1PPP1NEBF1KFBENR 
14.Rxg6 Bxg6 15.i7 Ri8 16.Qxj7 Fe6 (courier leap) 17 .Ch3 
Ke8 (two-move privilege) 18.Nj3 16 19.Ni5 Bxk2 
(suicidal) 20.Rk1 Bi4 21.Rk8 Resigns. (1-0).

diagram


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