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Burmese Traditional Chess. An article that discusses chess as it was played in Burma. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

Jianying Ji wrote on Mon, Jul 29, 2002 04:33 PM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★

this is absolutely amazing. a very clear exposition and easy to follow.

The thing that intrigues me the most is a move leading to stalemate is
not allowed. which get's away from the fuddily rules in FIDE and other
variants dealing with stalemates. I think this is a worthwhile rule to 
adopt in other variants.

Simon Spalding wrote on Wed, May 14, 2003 07:45 PM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★

A really superb article on one of the most intriguing 'traditional/international' Chess variants, one (like Korean Chess)on which available information is limited outside the country/culture of origin. Bravo!

Zay Yar Win Htut wrote on Sat, Dec 27, 2003 06:59 AM UTC:Good ★★★★

This is the rare record for the bumese chess.
Even some burmese do not know anything about their traditional chess.

Rick Knowlton wrote on Sat, Mar 6, 2004 03:49 AM UTC:

I've been looking around for a traditional Burmese chess set, and haven't found anything yet. Anyone have an idea of where I might find such a thing? Much thanks...

Jianying Ji wrote on Sun, Mar 13, 2005 05:19 AM UTC:

Myin is about 3 pawns and the ideal value of sin is 1.5+1 pawns, so about 2.5, It is also being stated elsewhere that a non-royal king piece is about a knight so sin's disadvantage against myin is just noticable, at about 1/2 pawn. I think that is why burmese players are reluctant to exchange a myin against a sin.

Zaw wrote on Fri, Jun 3, 2005 02:18 AM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★

I saw people play Burmese Chess, I was interested but could not find one set so I never learned how to play. According to my friends, you can find at shops in Burmese pagoda, such as Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon(Yangon). So if you want a set you have to go to Burma.

Jean-Louis Cazaux wrote on Tue, May 2, 2006 11:07 AM UTC:Good ★★★★

May we have more precise information about History:
1) 'Chess arrived in Burma in the 8th century via the kingdoms of Arakan
and Mon which had the closest links with the motherland of chess,
India.'
Is there any elements, sources, to prove that fact ?
2) 'In the 9th century specific rules - different from Chaturanga[1]-
were established and, as Pali texts confirm, Burmese chess became quite
fashionable as a court game during the Pagan period (1044-1287)'
What are those texts ? Any title, name of author, estimated writing date
?
3) 'In the 17th century, a Dutch traveler reported about a unique variety
of chess widely played in Burma.' 
Who was this man? Which year that happened?

If all this information is not available, what was the source used to
write these very interesting lines about Sittuyin History ?
Thanks very much by advance.

M Winther wrote on Wed, May 3, 2006 06:05 AM UTC:

Jean-Louis,
I don't quite understand what you mean. The author actually gives the references:

Edward Falkener, Games Ancient and Oriental and How to Play Them, New York 1962.
John Gollon, Chess Variations, Vermont 1974.
Maung Maung Aye, Myanmar Traditional Chess, Yangon Oct. 1989 (in Myanmar language)

Another book on the subject is
Murray, HJR (1913). A History of Chess. Oxford: At the Clarendon Press.

Burmese Chess is very attractive. I would like to know more about the drop rule (which I implemented in my zrf) and how common that was. It seems like Burmese Chess was, in some quarters, played with standard setups. --Mats

Alexander E. Stevens wrote on Sun, Apr 8, 2007 08:10 PM UTC:Good ★★★★

I believe there is an error on the page; The Diagram for Yangon Division Championship 1986 has red with three Sins?

David Paulowich wrote on Mon, Apr 9, 2007 11:39 AM UTC:

The moves 6. (Si) D2-E3 and 7. (Si) B2-C1 and 9. (My) F3-G5 and 20. (My) E2-D4 tell us which squares these pieces started on. Apparently the third rank was copied from the preceding diagram by mistake. Thanks for spotting this, Alexander.

K.Schlesser wrote on Tue, Jan 20, 2009 01:13 PM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★

A clearly and in-depth written article on Burmese chess, the author has done a very thorough research on it. He obviously knows what he is writing about. Thank you!

John Smith wrote on Tue, Jan 20, 2009 04:15 PM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★

This page is extremely informative. I did not know about the history of the game and the appearance of the pieces. I think that the flexible setup reduces White's advantage, especially when White sets up all of his pieces before Black. Perhaps by too much...

Ed wrote on Sat, Feb 18, 2012 04:40 AM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★

I see a new English-language work on Sittuyin has been made available on
the internet:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/79655591/How-to-Play-Myanmar-Traditional-Chess-EnG-BOOK-1

I thought that it was very helpful both for its diagrammatic presentation
of 37 opening arrays, its practical summaries of endgame positions and move
counting in endgame, and other helpful details for playing this worthy form
of chess.

Ed wrote on Thu, Apr 12, 2012 02:12 AM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★

@Mats Winther: For your Sittuyin ZRF, would you be willing to add
traditional piece graphics like the ones in this Sittuyin guide:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13125331/Myanmar%20Chess.zip ?  I wonder if you
could also add some of these standard setups as options to select, or the
other setups not in Maung Maung Lwin's book that are found in David
Pritchard's earlier Encyclopedia of Chess Variants (p. 32)?

M Winther wrote on Thu, Apr 12, 2012 11:01 AM UTC:

Ok, I have added an alternative traditional graphics to my program.
I also added eight standard positions.
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/burmese.htm
/Mats

Ed wrote on Thu, Apr 12, 2012 03:25 PM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★

Thanks, Mats! Those are great additions to your ZRF!

M Winther wrote on Thu, Apr 12, 2012 07:41 PM UTC:

You're welcome! In fact, I added yet another alternative graphics 
(Western, however). Please download again.
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/burmese.htm

M Winther wrote on Fri, Apr 13, 2012 07:47 AM UTC:

I realized I had introduced a bug. Please download again. http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/burmese.htm
/Mats

Ed wrote on Fri, Apr 13, 2012 11:54 AM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★

@Mats: Would that be that the AI pieces left the board inexplicably yet stayed in play (although invisible)? If so, I encountered the bug last night and applaud your swift resolution of it.

M Winther wrote on Sat, Apr 14, 2012 06:22 AM UTC:

Yes, and I have now increased the relative value of the Elephant and removed the small board since it was too small. The Elephant is still less valuable than the knight, but the difference is not that big. The Elephant (Silver General in Shogi) is surprisingly powerful, despite its slowness, as it is a strong defensive piece, but it is also powerful in mating attacks. To be certain that you have the latest version, please download again.
/Mats

Ed wrote on Mon, Apr 15, 2013 01:30 AM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★

I noticed that there is an online site for Myanmar (Burmese) Traditional, 
Chess: http://www.sittuyin.com/ , and that it has an English-language
interface.  The only drawback is that one must be a Facebook user to logon
to play; since I lack a Facebook account, I cannot say anything about
whether this is a good site to find opponents or not.  As I debate getting
access, I wonder if anyone else has experience of this site, the rule
set(s) used, and the numbers of opponents (or best times) one is likely to
find.

Ed wrote on Sun, Aug 17, 2014 11:55 PM UTC:

I have noticed another online site for Myanmar (Burmese) Traditional,
Chess: http://mmchess.com/home.php, and that it has an English-language
interface.  Does anyone have experience playing the computer or online
opponents there?

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