Check out Symmetric Chess, our featured variant for March, 2024.

This page is written by the game's inventor, Charles Gilman.

Wey

Here is another in the series of spinoffs from Anglis Qi of which Isis and Cam were the first. It is a different-moving-usual-equipment variant, even inheriting the FIDE need to improvise promotion. Three types of FIDE piece are unchanged and the rest replaced by other pieces in equal numbers. They are arranged to reflect the manner in which the Wey, and the railway running parallel to it, divide Guildford into two lobes, with the commercial centre to the east and the university and cathedral - both modern as reflected in the lack of a King - to the west.

Setup

Pieces

The PAWN moves one step toward the River, diagonally if capturing otherwise orthogonally.
The WAZIR moves one step in any orthogonal direction. It is not an array piece, but results from Pawn promotion.
The BISHOP moves any distance through empty intermediate cells in any of the 4 diagonal directions, and the QUEEN likewise in all 8 radial directions.
The PRINCE moves exactly like the FIDE King but can be captured.
The MARSHAL or CHANCELLOR, the compound of Rook and Knight, moves any distance through empty intermediate cells in any of the 4 orthogonal directions or makes any 2:1 leap. The 2:1 leaps cannot be blocked.
The ROSE makes up to 6 successive Knight leaps between empty intermediate landing squares in one move, differing from the Nightrider by making a turn between each leap, either always left or always right within a move, and alternating between 37° and 53°. Apart from King and Queen it is the only Piececlopedia entry whose name appears in both the Alice books by Lewis Carroll, who died in Guildford. Be careful how you use the Rose as most of the squares accessible to one player's Roses are accessible to both.

Rules

The two players alternate, starting with White.

There is no initial double-step move, En Passant, or Castling. An unpromoted Pawn cannot capture another unpromoted Pawn going in the same direction.

Pawns crossing the River are promoted to Wazirs. Wazirs can retreat without being demoted.

The Queen and Prince can cross the River both ways but only along long diagonals (through d4/e5 or e4/d5). This reflects the way in which the camps are split. Note that there is no restriction on them moving between files d and e.

Victory is by capturing the Queen and Prince, a Marshal, a Bishop, and a Rose.


This 'user submitted' page is a collaboration between the posting user and the Chess Variant Pages. Registered contributors to the Chess Variant Pages have the ability to post their own works, subject to review and editing by the Chess Variant Pages Editorial Staff.


By Charles Gilman.
Web page created: 2006-06-10. Web page last updated: 2016-03-07

Categories and Details

Tags


Credits

By Charles Gilman.

Comments

Wey. Another variant in the same family as Avon, Cam, Isis, and Kennet. (8x8, Cells: 64)
Charles Gilman wrote on Tue, Jun 13, 2006 02:15 AM EDT:
Thanks for that. It is now corrected.

Doug Chatham wrote on Mon, Jun 12, 2006 11:52 AM EDT:
In the last sentence, should 'vihop' be 'Bishop'?

List all comments and ratings for this item.

Add a comment or rating for this item.

The Chess Variant Pages is an amateur, hobbyist website that has been run by volunteers since it was founded in 1995. It focuses on documenting games based on, related to, or similar enough to Chess and on letting you play many of them.

Who What When Where Why Which How

Operating expenses are covered through advertising and donations. Help out by making a PayPal donation or by shopping with these affiliate links:

https://www.chessvariants.org/rules/wey
First Created: Saturday, June 10th, 2006
Last Modified: Monday, March 7th, 2016
[info] [links] [edit]