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Comments by GeorgeDuke
Pick the Piece Big Chess. In this customizable game, players decide on the pieces to fill two empty slots and those to be dropped during play. (10x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]In another game Charles Daniel notes the identity of ''Conjurer'' and Omega Chess Wizard, respecting the commercial game. USP5690334 in next to last paragraph covers Falcon (8x10, 9x10, 10x10 and larger) moving to (2,4) + (3,4) in its mode ''jumping or leaping over an intervening piece as the Knight can'' as lesser alternative. Normally, Falcon is multi-path slider unlike here. Patented Falcon is first use of mover to those squares in any game, although the compound was named as ''Bison,'' exclusively a leaper, in a 1970's problem, not a CV. Where both sides use Bison, one of hundreds of choices within PTPBC, USP5690334 applies, there being the same orthodox piece mix, generally speaking, with Falcon-Bison. Put simply, any superset such as the Daniel version additionally dropping pieces is included. This comment sufficently notes the welcome experimental noncommercial use of Falcon-Bison on 10x10 with orthodox piece mix (hypothetically if it were ever actually played), in order to protect the proprietorship. The particular embodiment where both sides use Bison here, one of hundreds, is therefore under coverage of USP5690334. As before stated and acted on, anyone can use Falcon on 8x8, as one of Joyce's presets, Forriere's Bifocal, and Aronson's smaller Horus. Other Falcon-Bison uses are Herd (8x8) and Gilman's Great Herd. Thanks all for the sometimes attention to detail.
The classic case of replacement pieces, allowing for players to mix arrays, even differently after Betza's CDA, is Michael Howe's Novo Chess. I believe he had some falling out with CVPage and his material is not appearing now, like Fergus Duniho's. With about 10,000 available pieces around, PtPBC and others preceding it [to be mentioned in follow-up] are extensively expandable and, having been done several times outside Game Courier, unoriginal any more. Facility at making new Chesses -- and new Presets presto chango -- like the ones related to this article, does not mean they should be done, and everyone knows they serve mostly for personal ego-boosting. Michael Howe used to talk about so many millions of arrays being available confusedly: in MH's case he seemed unsure when he was serious or not about Novo. Unfortunately today they are all to be taken seriously, even when completely borrowed and unresearched. PtPBC has little merit in itself as a whole, but does within novel pieces of Daniel's own creation for later. A nearby thread discusses etiquette prompted by completely different exchange. (Mixing threads to go easy on any reader) Actually, what Joyce brings up, addressing contributors impolitely is only one form of discourtesy. It is as rude to discuss one's own CVs all but exclusively and at length, either ignorant or ignoring 15 years of CVPage and also CVs over decades before CVPage existed, not only Pritchard's 'ECV' ones. Another example of intolerance is in assumption that all Chess variate enjoyers have, or must have, the same philosophy of what has been called ''prolicifism.'' This Comment does not yet face favorably interesting Ninja Pawn itself, when it might optimize, and some other novel pieces worth attention, in order to place them somewhat with antecedents (not identities in all cases). Finding the precedents is not so much done lately, not only among Charles Daniel's, but also Joe Joyce's and Gary Gifford's. Courtesy to historic originators before us going back at least to Pietro Carrera in 17th Century starts with acknowledging their existence.
I have not read recent exchanges in some threads that prompt this new topic, but noticed a few words. However, generally, what Joyce raises here, inconvenient ad hominem poor choice of words, in the nature of attack, is not nearly so offensive as the following. (1) Rudeness involving preoccupation with one's own portfolio to the near-exclusion of the other 3000 CVs on this page, and 2000 CVs in Pritchard 'ECV', and other sources (2) Refusal to refrain from publishing, article or Rules-set or Preset, when it is found there is considerable similarity to pre-existing work (3) Assumption that we all adhere to ''prolificism,'' to tolerate that failure just to acknowledge prior art someone's own closely duplicates, even when it is clearly called to attention. So, discourtesy comes in many forms, and greater indiscretions are substantive.
List of fairy pieces. A long list of fairy piece name and sources.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]For anyone wanting to design a new CV, here is a good list of pieces for selection from Pritchard's 'ECV' (1994) and Dickens' 'A Guide to Fairy Chess'(1969). Notice for example ''Elephant'' has been used in Baroda Chess, Burmese, Cambodian, Chaturaji, Chaturanga, Ciccolini's Game, Congo, Decimal Oriental, Great Chess, Korean Chess, Persian Chess III, Shataranja, Xiangqi. The name ''Elephant'' that is.
How to make a CV is an art for everyone. Brodsky says, ''When it comes to poetry, every bourgeois is a Plato.'' Here is the recently-advocated HORSE method: H: Hunter So much for the piece selection. O: Octopus, Orix, Overtaker Thanks to Frank Truelove for R: Rettah the list. S: Switcher Allons-nous to our own thread E: Equerry for assembling next?
''To you insane world/ But one reply -- I refuse.''
--Marina Tsvetaeva
We have Hunter Overtaker Rettah Switcher Equerry.
The array on 8x8 is to the right. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Hunter(H) goes forward Rook-like O___O___O___O___O___O___O___O
backward Bishop-like. S___H___E___R___R___E___H___S
Among 'O's we choose Overtaker(O).
Eight Pawns are Lavieri's Overtaker from Altair (2003).
Rettah Chess (1952) is V.R. Parton's first variant before Alice Chess
(1953). Rettah King(R) moves as all other pieces combined.
Switcher(S) is Bishop moving as B or King, or changes places with an enemy Switcher. (Ron Kensek's Chaos Chess from around 1980).
H. E. Bird's (1874) Equerry(E) is Carrera's (1617) Centaur, Bishop +
Knight.
Rules: If Rettah is checked, the checker must be captured immediately
(after Rettah Chess). Alternate win by capture of both Rettahs.
[ Who knows where the lines came from: HORSE SHORE HOSER HEROS SHOER ? ]
Rorschach Test
Every word a game. Anyone making a CV can use the HORSE method. Go to Frank Truelove's piece list, for non-readers of books 'ECV' and 'Guide to Fairy Chess'. Look up piece-names starting with these letters. Five piece-types: Hunter, Overtaker, Rettah, Switcher, Equerry: HORSE. On 8x8 SHERREHS, second row OOOOOOOO. HORSE, SHORE SHOER, HOSER, HEROS are of course considered one and the same, differing only in being FischerRandomChess-like randomizations. Invoking suitable Rules: If Rettah is checked, the checker must be captured immediately. /// End of argument. /// Three little pigs: houses of straw or of stone. Will a putative CV, seeing the light of day, weather winds of fortune or test of time? /// HORSE method morphs. HORUS would be different. We need a 'U-'. Unicorn (Bishop + NN: 'NN' is neat shorthand of Nightrider: 'Nightrider' is mis-spelling of 'Knightrider': hey, naming alone is form of creativity: 'Nightrider' then as Knight that can continue.) Hence Hunter, Overtaker, Rettah, Unicorn, Switcher. /// How about ''RORSCHACH''? That would be 9 piece-types. 12x8 96 squares can optimize that many. Reducer(r) Overtaker(O) Rettah(R) Switcher(S) Champion(C) Hunter(H) Alfil(A) Centaur(c) Hero(h). RORSCHACH.
Rorschach as a CV has nine(9) piece-types, and the initial array becomes: Row 2 OOOOOOOOOOOO and Row 1 rSHCARRAchSr, for which see the previous Comment. For convenience, apply the same Rule(s) -- just the one logical Rule allows full extrapolation -- that keys off V. R. Parton's Rettah. In the first examples, simply learn the new-piece methods of movement in order to play. The CVs so far all fall in the ''Rettah family,'' meaning any checker of Rettah must be taken. Rettah Chess itself is Parton's first game (1952) before Alice Chess (1953). Parton cleverly names, because ''Rettah'' is ''Hatter'' backwards, Lewis Carroll has some chess problems, and Mad Hatter appears in his fiction. Thus and so, the HORSE method generalizes, endlessly. 'Thus/and/so' would also be a variant. Templar/Hunter/Unicorn, Switcher/Alfil/Nightrider/Dabbabah/Spy/Overtaker, nicely fitting also on 12x8 with 9 piece-types. [Ones not in Truelove's reference list are either in CVPage alphabetically or else under Altair.]
Another impact on values is the piece mix. Where there are many Pawns and short-range pieces, Carrera's Centaur and Champion have more value. Where those unoriginal BN and RN exist with Unicorn (B+NN) or Rococo Queen-distance pieces, like Immobilizer, Advancer, Long Leaper, even Swapper, BN and RN then have inherently less value. Put an Amazon (Q+N) in there, with at least some Pawns for experimental similarity, and BN and RN fall in value. Then too, change the Pawn-type and change the values. Put stronger Rococo Cannon Pawns in any CV previously having regular F.I.D.E. or Berolina Pawns, and any piece value of 5.0 or more, relative to Pawns normalized to near 1.0, decreases -- on most board sizes. I wonder why Ralph Betza made only one Comment in this 6-year-old thread. Maybe he figured, why help out Computers too much? They had already ruined 500-year-old Mad Queen 64.
Omega Chess (Maura). Players have many pieces that can only move in the direction they point at. (9x9, Cells: 81) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Carlos Cetina informs through Jose Carrillo of Puerto Rico that, in fact, Gabriel Maura died in 1983 or 1984. CVists recall David Pritchard's death notice December 2005 and that of games' guru Gary Gygax this year 2008. Comments lately about Alice Chess (1953) and Rettah (1952) remind that their inventor V.R. Parton lived from 1897 to 1974. Parton really started variants up again after World War II, with responsibility not seen, or even understood anymore; but the real heyday and renaissance of original Chesses and Problem Themes still has to be the unequaled Sam Loyd - T. R. Dawson era before that. Loyd lived until 1911 and Dawson 1951.
By the HORSE method, CV enthusiasts can just think of a name and then design the CV. This naming-first has been done with, we suspect, such as Alice Chess, Dragonchess, Nemeroth, Altair, Tetrahedral, both Omega Chesses, to mention a few. It is not so uncommon. In those cases, at least probably, the name was percolating -- or so logical as to be compelling -- and the exact Rules came later. As usual, Falcon Chess is intermediate case. In January 1988, over 20 years ago, I had the (1930's) Novo Chess two path (2,4)(3,4) squares in mind on 8x10, and 10x10. In other words, straight-diagonal-diagonal, s-s-d, d-s-s, and diagonal-diagonal-straight, as we called them then, in plain words. Then around 1990 came the name Falcon out of the blue. Then in December 1992, talking with veterinarian friend Vera Cole, it occurred to me that straight-diagonal-straight and diagonal-straight-diagonal are equally valid: three-path multi-path. Actually far better, requisite taken as a whole and mathematically speaking. Thus the B-N-R complement, the only one such, discovered late 1992, was already named. So good naming can come any time in the process. The name can be afterthought, even painful for some, or can catalyze the game-Rules themselves -- what we are exploring here in the follow-up.
Let's try one. CVs are ''a dime a dozen.'' That would be size 10x12. Whenever seeing a word or phrase, anywhere any time, think Variant. Think Rules. Think how to play it, like a songwriter. Now 'A/DIME/A/DOZEN' has eleven piece-types. Alfil(a)/ Dabbabah(d)/ Immobilizer(I)/ Mage(M)/ Equerry(E)/ Archbishop(A)/ Dragon(D)/ Overtaker(O)/ Zebra(Z)/ Elbow Bishop(e)/ Nightrider(N). That gives plausibly on 10x12: Row 2, OOOOOOOOOOOO; Row 1, ENadDeIMZaNA. No matter that within the same game here we have Carrera's Centaur (BN) called both Equerry from 1870's Bird's and Archbishop from 1920's Capablanca. It is convenient, and there are still more names today for that same piece. Interesting Rules: Pawns may initially step up to triply. Immobilizer is the royal piece and so must be checked, or taken, from afar. Sources: Truelove's list, CVPage Alphabetical, Rococo, Altair, Bird's, Falcon articles for multi-path Dragon.
Joe Joyce and J.J. are referring to Minister ( Knight + Dabbabah + Wazir ) and Priestess ( Knight + Alfil + Ferz ). Ralph Betza's Chess Different Armies has FAD ( Ferz + Alfil + Dabbabah ). That took a minute to recall and find. I am quite sure (N+D+W) and (N+A+F) are not new and appear under different name(s) some time ago, and it would be less misleading to use earlier names. They did not originate with uncreative A.B.Shatranj or such other recently. When previous use(s) found, I will post them, as we have done with some other ''re-inventions.'' These pieces are unappealing, all three, because they have unnatural foreshortened Rook or Bishop dimension in their triple-compounding. There is no compelling logic. They are pulled out of a hat from hundreds possibilities. Why not use pieces going one-, two-, and three- either Rook- or Bishop-wise? No reason. No improvement of any CV set-up by limiting to up-to-two or -three radially. That is why Bishop and Rook themselves will always stand as perfection. Piece Values inherently, however, are interesting intellectual activity and topic. However, in perspective, not because of the utility of these particular mediocre choices, ''Minister,'' ''Priestess,'' FAD. (Another Comment may take up Amazon and the others as to their deficiencies.) Instead, because facility at computing values can then attempt to apply to better piece-movement concepts, such as Rococo units, these are worthwhile enough threads on Piece Values.
Ideal Values and Practical Values (part 2). More on the value of Chess pieces.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Betza's first sentence notes around 1996, although the CVPage article says 2001, that Alfil, Ferz, Wazir, Dabbabah, Knight are Betza's five units for compounding. Somewhere he lists all the combinations: AF, AW, AD, AN, FW, FD, FN, WD, WN, DN, AFW, AFD, AFN, FWD, FWN, WDN. Jeremy Good also made a list of compounds. A Chess-Different-Armies copycat, other than Betza's, uses some of these. We shall find them, to see especially which have been combined with Knight in triple-compound embodied in actual CV. Then we know their actual original names.
Augmented Knights. Knights receive different additional movement possibilities. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Betza points out his first series of articles on ''Chess Different Armies'' was published 1979, thirty years ago. Almost 15 years ago in year 1994, as Ralph Betza's own page before CVPage existed, Augmented Different Knights suggests Knight enhancements. All of the compounds actually are already used scattered throughout CVs recorded the same year 1994 within Pritchard's 'Encyclopedia Chess Variants'. ''Augmented D.K.'' here by its 15th line of text establishes N+D, N+F, N+W, and N+A. We are starting to search for triple compounds of them to include Knight. Comparison is intended with recent (N+A+F) and (N+D+W) being studied concurrently in Piece Values conversations and also as to naming.
The Seeping Switchers. An army for Chess with Different Armies based on pieces that change color when they move.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]In 2002 Knappen calls NW ''Marquis,'' but in reality NW has earlier names.
The Pizza Kings. An experimental army for Chess with Different Armies, with lots of calories.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]John Lawson in 2001 fashioned a Betza Chess-Different-Armies team with ''Meatball,'' made of all the Betza atoms. N+D+W+A+F. That would be quintuple compound, too many for our humble search of mere triplets. In practice, Lawson says weakening this too-powerful piece was necessary. Hence Narrow Knight move only came about, but full WDFA, or as Jeremy Good points out ''Jumping General/Mastodon + Forward Knight.''(sic, it should be Narrow)
Mastodon Chess. Standard pieces plus two Mastodons per side. A strategical big-board variant.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Michael Howe recently Commented singling out one CV for attention, Mastodon Chess. The opinion should be respected because M.Howe has indicated serious involvement with CVs for over 20 years, well before Internet sites like CVPage. So what is Mastodon? An old piece, at least 100 years, except for the new name. Nothing but a ''reduced Queen.'' That is the term I use in my Falcon Chess article copyright 1997 and published here 2000. The class ''Reduced Queen'' may be one- and two-stepping or one-, two- and three-stepping ordinarily. Mastodon Chess is not Winther's best CV, and in fact outstanding bifurcation-piece line-ups are one and all -- all 3 or 4 dozen of them -- better than Mastodon with its tired concept. The pundits and experts should try a piece-value calculation on bifurcation Venator, Gladiatrix, DoubleCannon, or CrossRook for a challenge and to break the mold.
Vyrémorn Chess. Large variant on two overlapping square boards. (Cells: 132) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Naming is not standardized, and if there were to be solution, it would have to be by priority. For example, RN and BN should ideally be called Champion and Centaur, because P. Carrera made them around year 1617. Here in 20-year-old Vyremorn, ''Elephant'' is the name of (Dabbabah + Ferz). We still want to find some pre-existing triple compounds of Betza atoms.
Al-Ces. Variant on 10 by 10 board with 30 pieces per player. (10x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Here is an interesting one. Lion of Karakus is very clearly quadruple-atomic (Dabbabah + Alfil + Ferz + Wazir). Karakus also created Perfect Chess, an attempt like Betza's Tutti-Frutti to crowd the Carrera compounds RN and BN onto 8x8.
Gigachess. On 14 by 14 board with 20 different pieces. (14x14, Cells: 196) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Here in fact (N+D+A+W+F) is called Lion, as H.G. Muller expects, using all the Betza compounds in one piece around year 2001. Pritchard 'ECV' has earlier examples of the quintuple Betza-atomic compound. When Joe Joyce uses Elephant in the late 'aughts'(i.e. now) within Great Shatranj et al., going as (F+A), one precedent is with ''Elephant'' of Cazaux in Gigachess. Cazaux also used it in Shako 1997; and 1930's Novo Chess has it in a piece. Winther is right of course that the Alfil or both A. and Dabbabah mode in respectively Elephant and Mastodon make entirely different piece. Whether plugging either into 8x8 or 8x10 improves or not is problematic, because of the duplication in direction of movement of B-R-Q.
Outback Chess. New pieces on plus-shaped board. (10x10, Cells: 84) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]The topic is pieces using the Betza atoms compounded. Of course King anywhere is usually Ferz + Wazir. Outback has Kangaroo as Knight + Alfil.
Squirrel. Jumps two orthogonally, two diagonally, or like a knight.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating](Knight + Dabbabah + Alfil) goes back to 1683 under many names. For example, Quintessential's Centurion.
Insect Chess. On a 12x12 board. All pieces are insect and arachnid representations, with some unique pieces. (12x12, Cells: 144) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Okay. Praying Mantis is another (D + A + F + W), like very recent Mastodon. In Cockroach, at last precisely a new Betza triplet. Squirrel (N, D, A) we just looked at elsewhere is the best known one, almost overused, a Betza triple compound. But here this Cockroach, being (Knight + Wazir + Ferz), is a Betza tri-compound for sure. There are only six(6) possibilites and we have now located two of them back in history -- without going to 'ECV' as yet.
Omega Chess. Commercial chess variant on board with 104 squares.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Champion (D + W + A) is third of the six possible Betza triples.
[My error. There are 10 triples in question, but 6 having Knight. Found so far used are only two NDA and WFN.]
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