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Comments by GeorgeDuke
Partnership Mitregi. Unthemed 4-player variant with most pieces always moving toward or across the River. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating] Irwell. Gain an advantage by crowning your enemy. (8x10, Cells: 80) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Rating: 8 out of possible 10. Background for 4-player Partnership Mitregi. Having at hand pages 1 & 2 through 'Pieces' only, no Rules page 3, we interpolate as needed. Rules being theme-driven, we make surmises about the missing material. It will be like those chess problems by Sam Loyd and T.R. Dawson that take back-figuring how a given position can have come about. Sure enough, like cities (Intro paragraph 2), 'claustrophobic' we can relate to, the starting array intermixes both teams, the very key element, themed, and a good one for their wavering urbanized millions. Universal applicability: not just for 'the four South Pennine metropolitan areas.' 10x8 the extras being ranks. The proverbial River. 4 Marshalls per side are a bit of a stranglehold. Steward is Centennial quadra-Pawn. NO KING(?!). Anyway, why cannot an anti-monarchist with extensive nomenclature just re-name 'King' and 'Queen'? How about 'Nick' and 'Neek', 'King' and 'Queen' backwards. [After all, Gilman says 'Prince' here is 'without the u*NIQ*ueness' and *NIQ* is Queen backwards] Princess would be agent provocateur, changing teams each time stepping across River: is it worth a capture to transform the piece from our White to Black? As a guess (remember no RULES section available), keeping any royal one, Q, Prince(2), Princess prevents checkmate. Later, here's soft copy of Rules. Pawn promotes at River to Steward. Okay, there's some jimmying, but we were close, not delving now into whether or when 'Coronation' (Prince changing to standard King) is advantageous. In a recent CV precis, we ignored NOTES. Here we ignore NOTES and RULES, not having them, yet their sweep and essence are indeed prefigured under 'Introduction' and 'Pieces' alone. Thus showing that a strong theme dictates its own rules as it were ontogeny recapitulating phylogeny. 'Essence' reminds that Quintessence(Knappen) may be better than overused Rose. Another connection to think about: how this Princess has rough similarity to Lavieri's Promoter. Also, team four-player works the same as two-player really when no incomplete information like Bridge. It may as well be two-, three-, six- or eight-player conceptually, the extras being functional kibitzers.
Siam Chess Game. How Many "Mets" Will Finish Off The Naked King Of Siam?[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating][To the extent Chess is a 'mathematic':] Oswald Spengler writes in 'The Decline of the West'(transl. German)at 'Meaning of Numbers': There is not, and cannot be, number as such. There are several number-worlds as there are several Cultures. We find an Indian, an Arabian, a Classical, a Western type of mathematical thought and, corresponding with each, a type of number--each type fundamentally peculiar and unique, an expression of a specific world-feeling, a symbol having a specific validity which is even capable of scientific definition, a principle of ordering which reflects the central essence of that particular Culture. Consequently, there are more mathematics than just one. The style of any mathematic which comes into being, then, depends wholly on the Culture in which it is rooted.
Apropos Siam Chess, Gralla is saying that irrespective question of any flaw, it has cultural roots. Mathematician and writer Spengler was contemporary of mathematician and World Chess Champion Lasker. Lasker has essay 'Reform in Chess', what we now call CVs, pre-FIDE almost 100 yrs. ago. Lasker's idea was not so drastic as Capablanca's few years later. Spengler says, 'If mathematics were a mere science like astronomy or mineralogy, it would be possible to define their object.' --provocative could still be Platonist, or Pythagorean, in Classical cycle ending circa year 250, when it shifts to Arabia.
Henri Poincare, Emanuel Lasker(chess), and Oswald Spengler were all early 20th-century mathematicians. Poincare said(tr.Fr.), 'In fact, what is mathematical creation? It does not consist in making new combinations with mathematical entities already known. Anyone could do that, but the combinations so made would be infinite in number and most of them absolutely without interest. To create consists precisely in not making useless combinations and in making those which are useful and which are only a small minority. Invention is discernment, choice.' [Math and Chess starts in topic of Siam, or Thai, Chess.] The original starting-array symmetry question of this thread is only one variable to be dealt with mathematically in CV design.
Makruk match. Moves of Thai Chess game Gralla - Mendel.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]This is another interesting match to read, uncommented so far, of historically very important regional game. Great annotations! Absolutely right that every serious developer should annotate! With full respect for historicity, Makruk is yet [slightly] Below Average game to play by Chess Variant Page standards. Not likely to see Siam, or Thai, Chess voted hereabouts into tournament to play. Gralla in Comment to companion article 'Thai Chess Game,' recently re-posted, refers to 'all the other variants of Chess that are discussed at www.chessbase.com.' Looking at Chessbase weekly for years, one finds referenced, let's see, Fischer Random Chess, this Makruk, FIDE Blindfold Chess... Was Losing Chess referred to once? Have there been other CVs at chessbase? Even Capablanca Chess is taboo there. Did we miss some ChessBase article discussing a slew of alternative Chesses? Or discussion area? There is certainly no prominence for other than beaten-to-death FIDE form, its time controls, or tinkering with how to reduce early agreed-on Draws, to the extent that is a variation. Blindfold Chess is ballyhooed every winter as some exotic departure in Monaco tournament, blindfoldly playing the same stock moves not impossible to memorize. Second Commenter Ludwig's enthusiasm for Thai Chess can be upended by the first strong computer program, a separate topic as to why to study or improve at these unchanged ancient forms of Chess when Computer knocks your socks off--and world champions'!
Flaw in the debate is that it is not important that symmetry of whatever kind, or first move, or move-turn sequence, create unrealistically extremely close to 50-50 opportunity. Most sports have home-field advantage, that may be 51 or even 60%; or a rested team with fewer recent matches played; or the opposite stale from inactivity. Time of day, misinterpretation of time controls, judges, language English or multiple, last-minute computer aids. In Chess, one time player is White pieces, another game Black, so in twelve games played over a match, can you win with Black against slight odds(of statistical 100s played) somewhat better than expectation, other things being equal, with a particular starting set-up? White-Black-White is as aesthetically right as it is traditional, whereas White-B-B-White is as nonsensical as it is [impossible to refute]. It takes some common sense.
Dave's Silly Example Game. This is Dave Howe's example of a user-posted game. (2x2, Cells: 4) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]A Chess Puzzle: to devise a game on 8x8 with no legal moves for White. All 8 Pawns(any kind) and 8 pieces(any mix of types)must start in own half of board, King only required to be within back-rank. Use already-invented pieces and Rules. Describe an initial set-up. Follow-up Puzzle Two is to contrive a starting array (also with full complement of 16 each side, 32 pieces and Pawns altogether), so that neither Black nor White can move, no legal first move at all either team, whoever goes first.Puzzle One Solution:
8 P____K____N____ ____ ____B____ ____P White small letters
7 P____ ____ ____ ____ ____C____ ____P Conventional Pawns
6 P____D____E____ ____ ____R____ ____P D = Dragon 5-square,5+way
5 P____I____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____P C = Crooked Bishop
4 p____i____ ____w____w____ ____ ____p B = Ibis leaper
3 p____ ____ ____w____ ____ ____ ____p E = Elbow Chess Rook
2 p____ ____ ____ ____ ____f____w____p w = Wazir (1,2)
1 p____ ____ ____ ____f____k____ ____p f = Ferz (2,2)
I,i = Immobilizer
a b c d e f g h
There would be thousands of hard-to-find solutions CVPage-indexed pieces. One explanation: put all 16 standard Pawns in a-file and h-file. How about Immobilizers (Ultima) at b4 White and b5 Black. Black Dragon at b6 is after 'Falcons, Scorpions and Dragon.' E is Elbow Chess Rook in 'Multipath Chess Pieces,' after Pritchard ECV, having to make one 90-degree change of direction each move. Black Crooked Bishop at f7 is Betza's. Black Ibis(or Namel: 2,8) at f8 is Gilman concoction (hey let's find the things some use).
Justification: If Wazir at either d4 or d3 moves, Dragon-b6 has a pathway.
If Wazir-e4 moves or Wazir-g2 moves, Crooked Bishop at f7 has pathway.
If Ferz-f2 moves, Rook checks making it illegal.
If Ferz-e1 moves, Elbow-Rook-c6 has its pathway.
King cannot move because of Ibis-f8 and the Elbow Chess one again.
So, no White piece can move: beyond 'zugzwang,' half-the-board immobilization by all pre-existent pieces. QED. (More elegant may be upgrading one+ W/F to at least N because of relative strengths or some one-piece-type principle of economy. Puzzle Two remains more difficult)
When Carrera's was invented, Shakespeare was still writing plays and Newton was not yet born(1642). M. Winther writes, 'It is advantageous to the opponent should White threaten mate in the opening,' in Teutonic Chess, a new array of Carrera's Chess. There's hardly a large Chess without conceivable Fool's Mate in three, call it a threat or not. For example, Falcon Chess 8x10. There, if White moves Ni1-h3, then -i5, it threatens checkmate on the third move with the third move of that self-same Knight. However, Black's simple reply Ni8-j6 stops the attack and faces White with fork-mate threat in reverse, worsened by the i1-Knight's not being in place any more to thwart. So, exactly the same words of Winther apply, 'It is advantageous to the opponent...'
In Falcon Chess we call '1 Ni1-h3; 2 -i5; 3 -h7' Fool's Mate because Queen or Bishop cannot checkmate in three like that with full help of Black. 'Helpmates' are Chess problems, started it says in 1854 by Max Lange in Deutscheschachzeitung, and of course perfected by Sam Loyd 1860 on. Both sides cooperate to checkmate Black. That's what a trivial Foolsmate entails from the opening, called a Helpmate if pieces already developed, but any win in fewer than 6 moves is surely a blunder. CVariantists are already admonished to avoid channeling openings to just few lines, on account of there being no net disadvantage to making mating threat from Move 1, by one (or maybe two)specific moves, in some of the ridiculous or overused initial set-ups and piece mixes ever under consideration.
Brainking keeps its stats on games played there over years, (below somewhat inconsistent as to including a stray 0.1 or not) currently: Shogi Black 3320, 48.6% White 3446, 50.4% Draw 67, 1%. FIDE, W 47.5%, B 48.3%, Sample > 100,000. Chinese, Red 49.5, Black 47.6, Sample > 5000. Maharajah, W 32%, B 60%, Sample > 3000. Janus, W 50.4%, B 47.4%, Sample > 4000. Cylinder, W 48.6, B 47.1, > 3000. Amazon, W 50.4, B 43.9, > 2500. Fischer Random Chess, W 48.7%, B 46.4%, > 3000. Knight Relay, W 50.0, B 48.5%, > 1500. Grand, W 50.3%, B 47.0%, approx. = 2000. Capablanca, W 50.8, B 46.0%, approx. = 2000. Los Alamos, W 49.0, B 45.0, approx. 5000. That's about half their Chess games. Maharajah needs 10x10 to win, so fares badly at Brainking. FIDE Black > White also stands out. [Never heard of Chieftain, not in the alphabet, but imagine it will be found, since we like to tear them apart]
Dave's Silly Example Game. This is Dave Howe's example of a user-posted game. (2x2, Cells: 4) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Puzzle One Solution:
8 P____K____N____ ____ ____B____ ____P White small letters
7 P____ ____ ____ ____ ____C____ ____P Conventional Pawns
6 P____D____E____ ____ ____R____ ____P D = Dragon 5-square,5+way
5 P____I____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____P C = Crooked Bishop
4 p____i____ ____w____w____ ____ ____p B = Ibis leaper
3 p____ ____ ____w____ ____ ____ ____p E = Elbow Chess Rook
2 p____ ____ ____ ____ ____f____w____p w = Wazir (1,2)
1 p____ ____ ____ ____f____k____ ____p f = Ferz (2,2)
I,i = Immobilizer
a b c d e f g h
There would be thousands of hard-to-find solutions CVPage-indexed pieces. One explanation: put all 16 standard Pawns in a-file and h-file. How about Immobilizers (Ultima) at b4 White and b5 Black. Black Dragon at b6 is after 'Falcons, Scorpions and Dragon.' E is Elbow Chess Rook in 'Multipath Chess Pieces,' after Pritchard ECV, having to make one 90-degree change of direction each move. Black Crooked Bishop at f7 is Betza's. Black Ibis(or Namel: 2,8) at f8 is Gilman concoction (hey let's find the things some use).
Justification: If Wazir at either d4 or d3 moves, Dragon-b6 has a pathway.
If Wazir-e4 moves or Wazir-g2 moves, Crooked Bishop at f7 has pathway.
If Ferz-f2 moves, Rook checks making it illegal.
If Ferz-e1 moves, Elbow-Rook-c6 has its pathway.
King cannot move because of Ibis-f8 and the Elbow Chess one again.
So, no White piece can move: beyond 'zugzwang,' half-the-board immobilization by all pre-existent pieces. QED. (More elegant may be upgrading one+ W/F to at least N because of relative strengths or some one-piece-type principle of economy. Puzzle Two remains more difficult)
Encyclopedia of Chess Variants. Book that documents a wide variety of chess variants.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Rating 7 out of 10 for Berkeleian Chess(1984): 'When a piece is unobserved it disappears from the board. An observed piece is one that is defended or notionally defended (in the case of a pinned piece) by another man.' --full write-up in 1994 Pritcard's ECV. Notes: 1) Nice idea 'Berkeleian' could apply widely, including to any of the 3000 CVPage games in general. 2) Presumptively classifiable here as 'modest cv', Berkeley theme is actually genuine mutator, unlike way-overworked sterile mixing-around or randomizing back rank of pre-existing games. (A fortiori, slight majority of CVPage games are propietarily at best half-creative new combinations of known elements, but the 100-member Carrera-Capablanca family fails even rising to that) 3) Tactically in real play, Berkeleian forces, whatever particular embodiment thereof, tend to group effectively together, like present games being played of Elephant Chess in CVPage Game Courier. 4) If we missed someone's using partly the Berkeley theme already, Berkeleian was not cited, or we would have noticed, so anyway this points to origination.
Dave's Silly Chess Game suggests a new group of chess problem themes,
namely, initial positions' fulfilling certain conditions. Puzzle One at
DSCG Comment shows one array where White cannot move on 8x8, Kings being
in back rank and 'full complement' meaning 50 percent piece density
altogether with half of them Pawns. The greater the board size, the more
solutions, so 8x8 has thousands using CVPage-indexed pieces. Here is
second, albeit similar solution:
8 P____ ____ ____K____N____ ____ ____P Black capital letters
7 P____ ____ ____ ____C____Z____ ____P C Crooked B; N Namel(2.8);
6 P____E____D____ ____R____ ____ ____P Z Zemel(2,6)leaper
5 P____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____I____P E Elbow-Chess Rook that must
4 p____ ____ ____w____n____ ____i____p turn once only 90 degrees
3 p____ ____ ____w____ ____ ____ ____p Immobilizers(Rococo)
2 p____ ____ ____w____ ____n____ ____p Dragon 5-sq. 5+way multi-path
1 p____n____ ____ ____k____ ____ ____p w wazir
a b c d e f g h
White cannot move because:
If Knight-b1 moves, Elbow-Chess Rook has pathway.
If w-d2, w-d3 or w-d4 moves, Dragon-c6 has a pathway(each one different).
If n-e4 moves, Rook has its pathway.
If n-f2 moves, Crooked Bishop has pathway.
King cannot move because of leapers Namel(2,8) and Zemel(2,6). See 'Passed Pawns, Scorpions and Dragon', Betza's 'Crooked Bishop', and Gilman's 'From Ungulates Outward'.Locked. White has no legal move, in Problem Theme based on full-complement
initial positions, Kings back-ranked. As each of certain elementary
particles has anti-particle, so every game its anti-game.
8 ____ ____ ____M____K____ ____ ____ w, wazir
7 P____P____P____P____P____P____P____P G, TR Dawson's Grasshopper:
6 ____ ____ ____ ____ ____E____D____ follows queen-lines
5 S____S____ ____ ____B____ ____ ____G over to next square
4 p____n____n____ ____ ____ ____n____p S, Scorpion 4-square 4+way
3 p____ ____ ____n____n____ ____ ____p D, Dragon 5-square 5+way
2 p____ ____ ____ ____w____ ____ ____p M, Flamingo (2,7) leaper
1 p____ ____ ____k____ ____n____ ____p E, Elbow R; B, Elbow Bishop
a b c d e f g h
If p-a4 captures, Scorpion a-5 scores(illegally).
If Knight-b4 or Knight-c4 moves, Scorpion-b5 has pathway.
If Wazir-e2 moves or Knight-e3 moves or Knight-d3 moves,
Dragon-g6 has (one)pathway.
If Knight-g4 moves, Grasshopper-h5 can take King, illegal.
If Knight-f1 moves, Elbow Rook has pathway.
King cannot move because of Elbow Bishop and Flamingo.
Gridlocked. Berolina-Pawn array in which there are no opening moves for
White, literally. (Problem Theme requiring 50% piece density and forces
initial-positioned own board-half, Kings back-ranked) (4)
8 ____P____ ____P____ ____K____ ____ M = Flamingo(2,7)leaper
7 P____M____P____O____T____P____P____P T = Dabbabah-Rider
6 ____D____B____ ____P____ ____E____ D = Dragon 5-sq. multipath
5 ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____R B = Elbow Bishop; E =ElbRook
4 n____p____ ____p____n____p____ ____c O = Cannon
3 p____ ____n____p____ ____ ____ ____ R = Crooked Rook (Betza)
2 w____p____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____a a = Alfil(3,3)leaper
1 p____a____ ____k____ ____ ____p____ P,p = Berolina Pawn
a b c d e f g h
If either Camel-h4 or Pawn-f4 moves, Crooked Rook has a path.
If Berolina Pawn g1 moves, Elbow Rook has path.
If N-e4 or N-a4 moves, Elbow Bishop has pathway(different ones).
If Pawn-b4 or Knight-c3 moves, Dragon has pathway,(1+(2or4)) in this case).
If Pawn d3 or d4 moves, Cannon would check, illegal.
King cannot move because of Flamingo, Dabbabah-Rider and Elbow Rook.
[Next up 10x10]
No legal moves whatsoever 8x10 initial position. White cannot move 10 Pawns, 2 Queens, 2 Archbishops(a), Dabbabah(h), 2 Knights, B, R or King.(5)
8 P___ ___P___ ___K___ ___ ___P___ ___ q = Queen; standard Pawns
7 ___P___U___P___P___P___P___S___P___P F = Fox, doubly bent rider
6 D___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___W___ ___B___ W = Wolf, doubly bent rider
5 F___ ___ ___ ___C___ ___E___ ___ ___I U = Quintessence (Knappen)
4 n___ ___ ___q___a___b___ ___n___p___q D = Dragon, 5-square multipath
3 p___ ___p___r___a___ ___ ___p___p___p E = Elbow Rook; C = Cannon
2 p___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___p___ ___p I = Immobilizer
1 p___ ___ ___ ___k___h___ ___ ___ ___ S = Sissa: sequenced so many
as B, as many as R; or v.v.
a b c d e f g h i j
If Knight-a4 moves, Fox has a path o-d-d-d-o. [o = orthogonal]
If Pawn-c3 or Rook-d3 moves, Dragon has pathway(s), one or two.
If Queen-d4 moves, Quintessence, special Nightrider, has path to King.
If either Cardinal-e3 or -e4 moves, Cannon attacks King, illegal.
If Bishop f4 moves, Wolf has path d-o-o-o-d.
If Knight-h4 moves, Sissa has path to King.
If Dabbabah-f1 moves, Elbow Rook has pathway.
King cannot move because of Bishop and same Elbow Rook.
Starting set-up with White's 3 Queens, 2 Marshalls(RN), 2 Cardinals(BN),
and 2 Alibabas' all having no legal move:
8 R___P___P___ ___M___K___P___P___ ___ M = Flamingo(2,7)leaper
7 P___S___W___P___P___P___L___N___P___P S = Sissa, so many B as many R,
6 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ or vice versa
5 C___U___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___G W = Wolf, doubly bent rider
4 ___m___ ___ ___ ___p___ ___q___ ___p L = Camelrider; b = Alibaba
3 ___p___m___a___ ___q___ ___p___ ___p N = Nightrider
2 ___p___q___ ___a___ ___ ___p___ ___p C = Canon
1 ___p___ ___b___k___b___ ___p___ ___ U = Quintessence(Knappen)
G = Diagonal Narrow Crooked
a b c d e f g h i j Nightrider(Knappen)
If either Marshall-b4 or -c3 moves, Canon threatens King, illegal.
If Queen-c2 moves, Quintessence has path(specialized Nightrider).
If Cardinal-d3 moves, Wolf has path.
If Cardinal-e2 moves, Sissa has pathway.
If Queen-f3 moves, Nightrider at h7 has path.
If Queen-h4 moves, Diagonal Narrow Crooked Nightrider at j5 has pathway.
If Pawn-f4 moves, Camelrider has path.
King cannot move because of Flamingo. (6)
Armies of Faith 1: The Dawn of Civilisation. The first in of a series of 3d variants themed on various religions of history. (3x(9x9), Cells: 243) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Commenters Strong, Joyce, Winther, Trenholme etc., look what Charles Gilman has been up to. Totally revising Armies of Faith in situ to different game, thereby invalidating our Comments as if so much scrap paper. No T-shaped board anymore, no Crocodile, no 11-dimension...(Right now above it says '11x10x3', but just wait a while) And date of invention 5.June.2007 is falsely unchanged. The pieces are now put in place and a skim-read shows comprehensibility that was not there before, but cannot the man see the presumption or offense as to which variate is it?
This time Ranks 4 and 5 have only one Pawn each. Yet White's every move is
frozen illegal-- notwithstanding 3 Queens, 2 Archbishops(BN) and Marshall.(7)
8 ___ ___P___K___P___P___P___O___P___ W = Wolf, doubly bent rider
7 P___P___S___P___R___E___ ___P___D___D S = Sissa: so many as Bishop,
6 W___ ___C___ ___ ___ ___ ___O___ ___ as many as Rook; and v.v.
5 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___P R = Reflecting Bishop
4 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___p E = Elbow Rook
3 p___a___a___q___p___b___m___ ___ ___p O - Canon; C = Cannon
2 p___ ___p___q___q___ ___p___ ___i___p D = Diagonal Narrow Crooked
1 p___n___k___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___p Nightrider(Knappen)
i = Ibis(2,9)leaper
a b c d e f g h i j
If Pawn at a3 moves, Reflecting Bishop has path.
If Archbishop at b3 moves, Wolf has path.
If Archbishop-c3 moves, Cannon threatens King, illegal.
If either Queen-d3 or -e2 moves, D.N.C. Nightrider at i7 has pathway.
If either Queen-d2 or Pawn-e3 moves, Canon-h6 has path to King.
If Bishop at f3 moves, Elbow Rook has path.
If Marshall-g3 moves, Sissa-c2 has path.
King cannot move because of Canon-h8 and D.N.C. Nightrider at j7. Blunderbuss Chess. Pieces are poorer shots than in Rifle Chess. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Dice determining directionality derives from my Dice-Mate Chess. Were you familiar with that one, Charles? Directions 45, 90, 135, 180, 225, 270, 315, and 360 are determined by dice, the idea originating there we believe.
Armies of Faith 1: The Dawn of Civilisation. The first in of a series of 3d variants themed on various religions of history. (3x(9x9), Cells: 243) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Changing the board to a superset of '10x10 board' (into 3d)we think now violates USPatent5690334(and other foreign) by legal doctrine of equivalents. I previously requested Gilman email me to tailor series appropriately. The solution is to remove Falcon from Armies of Faith or brief e-mail discussion. I assume removal should be no problem because in original text of AOF, a paragraph now deleted Gilman asks for approval, or without it he said he would simply use Falcon-Hunter, or something else. Who can remember when AOF text undergoes continual revision.
ProblemThemeTwo here is reserved for the more extreme subset where neither White nor Black can move. In Dave's Silly Chess Game(2x2) we pose difficult Puzzle Two whether an initial position exists where there is no legal move for either side on 8x8(or 8x10 okay). Required are 50% piece density all on own board-half, half being Pawns, Kings positioned in back-rank, and use of CVPage-indexed pieces. Of course it must be 'legal' position where Kings are not initially checked(unlike David Howe's spoof). One solution 8x10 will be posted later today.
Armies of Faith 1: The Dawn of Civilisation. The first in of a series of 3d variants themed on various religions of history. (3x(9x9), Cells: 243) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]The weird T-shaped board did not infringe USP5690334. 8x10 and larger infringes if having all, or almost all, the piece-types. If wanting to use Falcon, Joe, use Antoine's Fourriere's Bifocal Chess as model acceptable mostly because only 8x8. USP5690334 extends rights to what Peter Aronson(but not lawyers, hey I am mathematician too and no lawyer) calls 'supersets' and also to other 'equivalent' coverage. Abdul-Rahman Sibahi has approval for any number of FC Presets from his Comment recently at Falcon Chess. Exception to 8x8 is his Energizer F-Chess, yet okay for Preset, because of having every piece of 8x10 being covered by patent(doctrine of equivalents). Aronson still has approval for Complete Permutation Chess, viewable outside CVPage only. Intricate subject appropriate for Falcon Chess, not this offensive, design-on-the-fly AOF chameleonic pseudo-experiment. I do not really consider AOF an 'invention', but instead Gilman technique to take hand in other good work by whatever he feels like cooking up from day to day. We have used the noun a 'Gilman', meaning an obscurity, and everyone understands. Now arises the verb 'to Gilman', namely, to try expropriating with mis-attribution or without recognition of anyone else's proprietary right or merit. (The 'inventive step', why I for my part rated it 'Below Average' once, in original AOF was precisely the T-shaped board and the Crocodile both now oddly disappeared.)
New pieces in the argument are Rose(Betza), Ship(BachDangChess) and
Priest(Fantasy Grand Chess). No White piece or pawn can move; try it.
8 ___ ___P___K___N ___ ___S___ ___ ___
7 ___P___W___P___C___ ___P___P___P___O Ship = 5 diagonal,then 3-o,
6 P___ ___R___ ___ ___ ___R___T___E___ then 2-o; o=orthogonal
5 P___ ___ ___ ___P___ ___ ___ ___ ___P W = Wolf, doubly bent rider
4 p___m___ ___ ___a___ ___ ___ ___ ___p C = Cannon; O = Canon
3 w___n___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___p R = Rose, Betza-type nightrider
2 p___p___ ___a___ ___m___q___ ___ ___p T = Priest, any continual 90-
1 p___p___f___p___k___a___ ___ ___ ___p degree diagonal one-step path
m = Marshall; a = Cardinal
a b c d e f g h i j w = wazir; f = ferz
If Knight at b3 moves, Ship has path.
If Marshall at b4 moves,Rose-c6 has path.
If Cardinal-d2 moves, Wolf has path.
If Cardinal-e4 moves, Cannon reaches King.
If Cardinal-f1 moves, Elbow Rook has path.
If Marshall-f2 moves, Priest moves h6-g5-h4-g3-f4-e3-f2-e1.
If Queen moves, Rose-g6 has path.
King cannot move because of canon-j7. (8)25 comments displayed
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