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Introducing the Warlock piece, which can transform between Korean Cannon and Rook (zrf available).[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

💡📝M Winther wrote on Wed, Dec 5, 2007 03:39 PM UTC:

This idea implies that a piece can transmute to become another piece by using up a move on the position where it sits. In this case one turns the rook upside down, and then it functions like a Korean Cannon. This idea, I believe, could be used in many combinations. In this case it works very well, I've tried it out in my Zillions program. I don't know what to call this group of pieces (transmutation pieces?). Are there any other examples?
/Mats

George Duke wrote on Wed, Dec 5, 2007 09:23 PM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★

After a fashion differently, there are CVs having pieces converting without Pawn promotion. In Luotuoqi (2002) Dualist Monk, Entrant 12 not adopted for the Bishop, ''can expending one move separate into one Ferz and one Wazir.'' In my '91.5 Trillion...' Comment for 'RN202m' Passed Pawns, one's opponent may re-designate a piece promoted early to different piece. Other piece-power mechanisms related to Winther's 'Rook-to-Cannon-and-back', not involving any promotion of Pawn, include: Duniho's Fusion (1999) et al., Fourriere's Pocket Polypiece (2003), Gridlock's Converter (2004), Pocket Mutation (2003), Aronson's Illusionary (2003), Battle Chieftain (2002) designating new King when King is checkmated, Novo Chess (1937) Airplane leaving the Ship by square, Big Outer (1999) pieces that similarly change type by position of squares they are on, Delegating (2002) given powers by same-side coverage, the latter really copying Betza's Chess with Inverse Capture (1997) and several other 'Betzas' [Turning, Polypiece]. Thus varying degrees of similitude. Of course, Nomic Chess (2000 here, actually 1982 such as in Doug Hofstadter 'Mathemagical Themas' 1985) interprets, adapts most any Mutator, CV.

H. G. Muller wrote on Thu, Apr 10 03:23 PM UTC:

I made some more enhancements to the Interactive Diagram (betzaNew.js only, refresh browser cache!):

It is now possible to suffix a range to the Universal leaper (U) atom. This limits the distance (measured in King steps) the move can leap. So U1 would be synonymous for K, U2 for KNAD.
Nice thing is that you can also do U0, which limits the destination to the 1x1 area (i.e. square) where the piece stands. But: this only works when you prefix with a d modifier for friendly capture, as the piece itself will still be in the destination at the moment the pseudo-legality of the move is tested. With dU selecting the piece will also highlight itself as a possible destination, and clicking it again will execute the move (rather than deselect it, as would happen otherwise).
This is not really needed for turn passing (for which you could already use the 'Move' button in the AI panel). But the move is subject to the morph or captureMatrix specification for the piece that has it. This means that you can define a promotion for it (for captureMatrix in the location for the friendly capture of its own type). Or an explosion.

I used this in the Diagram for this variant, by defining 4 versions of the Warlock. Two moving as Rooks, two moving as Cannons, and of each pair one that has a dU0 move that will promote it (through the captureMatrix) to the member of the other pair that doesn't have it. This to enforce the rule that you can promote back only after having moved; the types without dU0 move will promote to the other member of the pair that does have it, on any move they do. Thus regenerating the ability to flip type..