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This page is written by the game's inventor, Gary Gifford.

King's Reincarnation

King's Reincarnation is a simple chess variant in which Checks and Checkmates are irrelevant.  Kings are captured.  But they return to the game because they are quickly reincarnated.

Setup

As in Fide chess.

Pieces

As in Fide Chess.

Rules

Rules are presented for the main game and for its own variant.

K I N G 'S   R E I N C A R N A T I O N   Main Game (Original Version).
Play is as in Fide Chess with exception that you can castle through check, move into check, and stay in check.  This is because Kings must be captured and because they are reincarnated.

When a King is captured, the player who lost his King must, on his very next move replace one of his own pieces with the King. 

**** IMPORTANT: THE REINCARNATED KING IS PLACED ON THE SAME SQUARE AS THE PIECE IT IS REPLACING; AND THAT PIECE IS REMOVED.  This action counts as the move.*****

Pawns cannot be replaced by a King.  The replaced piece is out of the game.  And the King moves just as he did before (as a King).

The next time the King is captured, he again reincarnates.  Again, replacing a R,N,B, or Q.

When the King reincarnates for the last possible time, if he is again captured the game ends [he can nolonger return].


K I N G 'S   R E I N C A R N A T I O N  II -  Altered State Variant.
Play is as in the original King's Reincarnation except when a King is captured and replaces a Q, R, N, or B it must then move as that piece.  Thus, If White capures Black's King and the Black King reincarnates by replacing a Bishop, then that Black King must move as a Bishop (no King move option).  When captured again, the King will move only as its new reincarated form.

Notes

These variations of chess diminish the art of sacrifice.  In standard Fide chess material sacrifice can lead to brilliant checkmates.  But in these games the Kings will simply reincarnate, making the loss of sacrificed material a sorry sight. 

The default pre-set for King's Reincarnation II uses pieces from Pillars of Medusa.  The Morph-symbol pieces are used to Keep track of the reincarnated Kings and their new movements.  Thus, for example, a Rook with "morph-markings" would be a reincarnated King (which would move like a Rook).

Link to Preset for King's Reincarnation:

/play/pbm/play.php?game%3DKing%27s+Reincarnation%26settings%3DJPG-GMS

Link to Preset for King's Reincarnation II - Altered States Variant:

/play/pbm/play.php?game%3DKing%27s+Reincarnation+II+-+Altered+States%26settings%3DJPG-GPOM


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By Gary K. Gifford.
Web page created: 2006-09-23. Web page last updated: 2006-09-23