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Tax Chess. King mobility affected by the placement of pawns of the same color.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Tue, Sep 15, 2020 09:26 PM UTC:

This is interesting. I'd like a more descriptive name for the variant, but I don't have one to suggest right now...


Greg Strong wrote on Sat, Sep 26, 2020 01:24 AM UTC:

This is a very interesting idea, although a player would have to consult the rules frequently until they became proficient.  But I do think this sort of idea has potential.

An observation: this game is not symmetric.  It has neither mirror symmetry nor rotational symmetry.  Consider this rule:

For each pawn of color C on D file the king can slide 1 square diagonally forwards towards lower file.

File D is file D for both players (mirror) - but the "lower file" is reversed (rotational).  This may not be an issue, but I think it could lead to an advantage for one player or the other.

Also, there's this:

(Imagine pawns being wrapped around king's starting position)

I do not understand what this statement refers to.

Finally, I assume when a king can move more than one space, (because of doubled pawns), it still cannot move through check?


Ben Reiniger wrote on Sat, Sep 26, 2020 02:04 AM UTC in reply to Greg Strong from 01:24 AM:

An observation: this game is not symmetric.

I think it is mirror symmetric, and I think the confusion stems from "left for white and right for black". I believe the author means "files earlier in the alphabet" for both, and the different handedness comes from players generally sitting on opposite sides of the board.

(Imagine pawns being wrapped around king's starting position)

In the starting position, remove the major pieces. Treat the pawn row as a cellophane film, and pull it tight around the king, "sticking" the e pawn where it is. The d and f pawns also get stuck where they are, the c pawn gets pulled down into d1, the b pawn further pulled to d0 (offboard), and the a pawn down and around into e0. Similarly for the right half of the pawns, and now the position of the pawn relative to the king is the same direction that that rank's pawn grants power to the king. I do think this is a good mnemonic; anybody good at a quick animation? :P


Greg Strong wrote on Sat, Sep 26, 2020 03:15 AM UTC in reply to Ben Reiniger from 02:04 AM:

I think it is mirror symmetric, and I think the confusion stems from "left for white and right for black". I believe the author means "files earlier in the alphabet" for both, and the different handedness comes from players generally sitting on opposite sides of the board.

Hmm... Maybe.  Now that you mention it, it is ambiguous whether "left" and "right" in this context (e.g., "for black") means from that player's perspective.  I still think that's probably what the author meant, but it is not clear.  It should be phrased like "toward the A-file" for clairity.

In the starting position, remove the major pieces. Treat the pawn row as a cellophane film, and pull it tight around the king, "sticking" the e pawn where it is. The d and f pawns also get stuck where they are, the c pawn gets pulled down into d1, the b pawn further pulled to d0 (offboard), and the a pawn down and around into e0. Similarly for the right half of the pawns, and now the position of the pawn relative to the king is the same direction that that rank's pawn grants power to the king. I do think this is a good mnemonic; anybody good at a quick animation? :P

Ah!  Thank you!  This makes sense :)  You don't need to remember which files are which directions because there is a pattern to it.  I wasn't thinking of an animation, but even before your comment I was picturing diagrams with the kings surrounded by file letters to indicate which file's pawns corresponded to which directions.


💡📝Tomasz Sobczyk wrote on Mon, Oct 12, 2020 10:52 PM UTC in reply to Greg Strong from Sat Sep 26 03:15 AM:

it is ambiguous whether "left" and "right"

I use "towards lower/higher file" precisely because of this ambiguousness. I will make the definition of "lower/higher file" clearer.

I do think this is a good mnemonic; anybody good at a quick animation

Good idea. An animation would definitely speak a thousand words here.

Finally, I assume when a king can move more than one space, (because of doubled pawns), it still cannot move through check?

Right, it is indeed not quite precise. I'll clarify that since the "long" king moves are sliding moves then moving through an attacked square is indeed forbidden, so that it's consistent with castling.


Greg Strong wrote on Fri, Oct 30, 2020 09:07 PM UTC in reply to Tomasz Sobczyk from Mon Oct 12 10:52 PM:

Thanks for the updates.

I have cleaned up the writing a little in places and published the game. I think it looks interesting!


Daniel Zacharias wrote on Fri, Nov 13, 2020 02:19 AM UTC:

This is very creative. I'd like to try it. Maybe you should include a diagram showing the king surrounded by letters indicating which file corresponds to which direction.


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