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Comments by RobertoLavieri
Game Courier Tournament #1. A multi-variant tournament played on Game Courier.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I mean: Vote for Kamikaze Mortal Shogi!. Mortla is an involuntary mistake
I have to be precise: I think Chess is not a VERY popular game in America, but it is certainly played by a significative number of players. Chess variants are less popular. I live in Venezuela, here some variants are played eventually in certain circles, but the number of players of Chess variants is relatively modest, perhaps of four or five hundred of persons that sometimes play some variant. Not all known variants are played, fundamentally these people plays Grand Chess and/or Ultima, and in less proportion, Omega Chess, and in the last times, I have seen people playing Rococo, with Mirror Array, and these persons are part of the ULTIMA fans. How many persons?. The real fans of Rococo may be two or three decens, and the game may have been played at least once by, say, between one and two hundred, It is my stimation. Is it popular?. Well, it depends how are you measuring the things. Chess Variants are NOT very popular, so perhaps these number means 'relative popularity', although I´m not sure to apply this qualificative ...
Game Courier Tournament #1. A multi-variant tournament played on Game Courier.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Aproval poll partial results must be visible in this page, I think
Contest to design a chess variant on 44 squares. Our annual N-squares chess variant design competition.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I am preparing two games for the contest, but the ZRF's are not ready yet. May be in two or three weeks, more or less. I´ll send my games once I have finished the ZRF´s and tested the games, making the final adjusts and re-testing, if necessary. The prizes?. Well, if someone offers prizes, it is expected that winners can get the prizes, but I have not read WHEN.
Combined Arms Brigade Chess. New movement for traditional Chess pieces with a modern military theme. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Can you explain better the movements of Knights, Bishops and Rooks?. Please, I´m not completely clear.
I like the attempt to make the hexagonal Ultima-type game, and the Bureocrat is a very interesting piece, I like it a lot. It should be immune to the immobilizer, making the Immobilizer a bit less powerful in some situations. For the Coordinator, I suggest it can capture an enemy piece if the piece is on the intersection of the vertical line that pass through the Coordinator position with any of the Rook-lines that pass through the King position. I know you are beginning the work for the Hex-Ultima-Type game (it seems more close to Hex-Rococo-Type at first view, let´s see the evolution of the ideas). Any help or suggestions you need let me know, I´m interested in your project, there is nothing on hexagonal Ultima-Type games. Surely, other people is also interested.
For the Coordinator, it would be best if it captures in Coordination with the King using both vertical lines, the one that pass by the Coordinator position, and the one that pass by the King position, and the enemy pieces in the intersection of one of these lines with the Rook-lines that pass by the position of the other piece in coordination, are captured. I have suggested Antoine a pair of other ideas about, but decisions are not easy at this early stage. Once ready the first BETA ZRF, some tests are needed for refinements, but accord with his words, it is not expected the ZRF before the first two month of 2004. I agree with Antoine about the use of only one Long-Leaper. In a HEX Board, Long-Leapers are very powerful, and a pair of them looks too much for the game.
GCT1 Poll Results. The latest results of the approval poll for selecting the games to be played in the first Game Courier tournament.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I´m not surprised by the votes on favor of Grand Chess, Shogi and Ultima, but I have not expected other results. Chaturanga and Shatranj: Nostalgic feelings on History ?. Rococo: Sub-voted?, Kamikaze Mortal Shogi: not well known?. For my games, I obviously expected Maxima´s votes over Achernar and Deneb, but I recommend try Achernar, it is cool, clear and really intense from the beginning to the end! (in two-three weeks: The new version). Takeover and Pocket Mutation: very nice games!. Star Trek: some panic with 3d games?. I can mention many other good games in competition, but some words to Voidrider: Perhaps the best 'little board' competing game, subjectively.(For a while, because I have not sent my entries for the 44 squares contest. Wait one or two weeks and see what I´m talking about. This is a propaganda for my coming-soon games, of course.)
What happened with tha Alfaerie graphics?. Are the same as the Abstract graphics in the new Preset
Merry Christmas!. The best wishes for all friends and visitors of The Chess Variants Pages!
Contest: the 9 Queens Problem. Put 9 queens and 1 or 2 pawns such that queens do not see each other. Send your solution before Feb 29, and win a book![All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Nice problem!. I have not a proof yet, but I think it is not possible a solution with only one Pawn. With two Pawns I have constructed this one: QUEENS in a1, b3, c5, d3, d8, e6, f4, g2, h5. PAWNS in c3, b5.
This position shows TEN QUEENS and TWO PAWNS, Queens safe each other: QUEENS: a8, b5, c3, d1, d6, e4, f2, f7, g5, h3 PAWNS: d5, f3 Is it possible with NINE QUEENS and ONE PAWN?. I think the answer is NO, but it is not easy to give a proof!.
HERE IS THE ANSWER: YES!!!, it is possible to put 9 Queens and one Pawn in an 8x8 Board, every Queen unattacked by other Queen. POSITION: QUEENS: a8, b5, c2, d4, d6, e1, f7, g5, h3 PAWN: d4 Verify!!!
Gary, excuse it. I agree with your dissapointment. I were effusive because I enjoyed the problem and the way I attacked the solution, trying to give a proof to my wrong hypothesis of impossibility, it conduced me to find the solution. Of course, I´m not the winner of the book, it was almost clear in the Andreas mail that he found the solution, and he did it before me; and now I know you did it days before. But I am more interested in the mathematical problem than in the prize. I´m going to think in the general problem, but it is a very difficult one, I conjecture that if N>=n (certain n<=8), and if N<M<2N, it is possible to put M Queens and M-N Paws on the board in such way the Queens are safe each other.
Conjecture: It exists n ( n <= 8 ) such that, if N >= n, and if M is a number such that N < M <= 2N, then it is possible to put M Queens and M-N Pawns on the NxN board ia a manner that the Queens are safe each other
Time Travel Chess. Pieces can travel into the Future. Kings can also return to the Past! (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating] Game Courier Tournament #1. A multi-variant tournament played on Game Courier.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Some of us may have some problems for make a move certain days, but it can be compensated with more moves other day, if both players agree. The idea of clocks is a good one, but it may need some adjusts to reallity, I think.
Hanga Roa. A chess variant inspired by the people of Easter Island. (9x9, Cells: 81) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]It seems to be a nice game. I figure it is much more complex than it looks at first view. I´m not sure if the throwing of two Stones adds too much to the game, the density grows quickly, and some tactics would be difficult to perform, so there is the need of some non-trivial planning from the beginnings. A question: Can Arikis throw only ONE stone?. Can they move without any throw?. I have not played a complete game yet, I have only moved the pieces for a while, taking an idea of the game play, but I think that it is very difficult reach the other side goal, it looks more easy the surrounding objective of the game. I spent one hour this afternoon trying to implement a primitive version of a ZRF, but I have had some troubles with it. My impression is that Zillions is going to be a poor Hanga Roa player, I don´t know if there is other person trying an implementation, but the main problem may be the incapacity of Zillions to avoid fast losing positions in this kind of games, because the objectives of it.
Hernan, Juan Pablo: As good contributors, I think you may be Members of The Chess Variants Pages. Read about, and if you are interested, register as Members. The only things needed are your eventual contributions to the Pages, as Hanga Roa (no money!), and it has some benefits, as the possibility of enter the Contests, write comments directly, vote in all the Polls, etc, apart from become part of this nice community. Think on it.
Leap Chess. Game with mandatory captures and other Checkers-like elements on a board of 44 squares. (6x8, Cells: 44) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Is there a little bug in the ZRF with the one-step slide movement-?. If so, it is not difficult fixing it.
Rococo. A clear, aggressive Ultima variant on a 10x10 ring board. (10x10, Cells: 100) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]The game is excellent as it is -in its three variants-, and Ultima is, certainly, an extraordinary game too. These games are enterely different in the game play, and both are nice, each one with its own characteristics. No changes to any of them!.
Nova Chess. Members-Only Played on an 8x8 or 10x10 board with a wide range of pieces.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Since this comment is for a page that has not been published yet, you must be signed in to read it.
Ultima. Game where each type of piece has a different capturing ability. Also called Baroque. (8x8, Cells: 64) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Ultima is a great game, regardless the opinion of the author, Robert Abbot, about 'what is wrong with Ultima'. The case is that many people around the world plays Ultima, and accept the game as it is. The game play is closed almost all the time, and it is not easy win this game, and draw is the most possible result in many games between two experienced players playing more or less well. If someone wants an improvement that add richness to the game play without the loss of the philosophy and main ideas behind Ultima, perhaps the most simple way is introducing two pieces missing with Queen movement: First, the Advancer, and second, The FIDE-QUEEN!. The idea is reduce the number of Long-Leapers and Chameleons to only one each, it is not clear the need of two of them, as pointed out by Antoine Fourriere. I have pre-tested a version with this new elements, and the game play is nice, more dynamic than the original game, but you can feel the essence of Ultima regardless the new changes. But this idea, and perhaps any other, could find resistance by the relatively numerous fans of this game, that continue playing it, as originally born.
Pocket Polypiece Chess 43. Game with off-board pocket where all pieces of a type change when one piece of a type is moved normally. (7x6, Cells: 43) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]The 73 Sq´s version looks fine!. I agree with the leaper/withdrawer, but I´m not sure the value is almost the same if the withdrawer captures with one square movement. Usual Withdrawers are not very strong pieces, prhaps similar in value to the proposed leaper
Ultima. Game where each type of piece has a different capturing ability. Also called Baroque. (8x8, Cells: 64) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]ULTIMATUM, an ULTIMA variant. The proposal is simple: One Chameleon, one Long-Leaper. Add a FIDE-Queen and an Advancer per band. The suggested initial setup is s follows: (White): Immobilizer in a1, Withdrawer, Long-Leaper, King, Queen, Chameleon, Advancer and Coordinator, respectively in b1, c1,...,h1. For Black mirrored arrays, with Coordinator in a8, Advancer in b8, Chameleon in c8, followed by Queen, King, Long-Leaper, Withdrawer and Immobilizer. I doubt about the suicide rule, it would be not as good in this variant as in Ultima. The game play of this variant is very dynamic, but essence of ULTIMA is preserved, and it seems to be more inclined to attack than defense, at least while the new pieces are on the board. Game play in the edges is less effective, due the Queens and Advancers, and Immobilizer is more vulnerable. BETA-TESTERS NEEDED: If you want to test the variant, I can send to you a ZRF BETA, for tests purposes now (it has to be refined a little yet, but it is perfectly functional). If you are interested, e-Mail me. My adress: rlavieri2003@yahoo.com , and I´ll send to you the compressed file.
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