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Comments by benr

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Home page of The Chess Variant Pages. Homepage of The Chess Variant Pages.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Thu, Apr 12, 2012 10:31 PM UTC:
It's looking better now.  It would be nicer if the links (to the Gindex, comments, etc.) were set above the collage; if a variant surrounds a link, I can't get to the link to click it, since the collage variant takes focus in front of the link.  It probably makes sense to do this for the login box and for the logo at the top left of the screen as well.

Archabbott Chess. Introduces the Archabbott piece which moves like Bishop + Wazir + Dabbaba.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Wed, Jun 13, 2012 03:21 PM UTC:
This exchange makes me wonder how hard it would be to create an applet that allows one to choose a small grid and fill in certain locations with flags, then outputs a list of named pieces (with links to appropriate CV pages) that share those moves on that grid (or perhaps--as options--at most those moves or at least those moves).

Ben Reiniger wrote on Wed, Jun 13, 2012 10:28 PM UTC:
In response to Jeremy's points,

1) Of course the majority of the "space" will be empty for being generally unused pieces.  It would be nice to have an easy way to find out whether such a weird piece like the "forward-left knight, forward-right alfil, backward ferz/rook" actually was invented by someone and used in a variant (unlikely, for this one).  There is perhaps already a method for doing this, using funny notation or something similar, but a graphical interface would be nice.

2) For popular pieces, I'd be happy to have links to the already existing (perhaps large) articles here.

3) For pieces that move differently than they capture, the applet could also allow for distinguished move/capture flags.  For even more exotic movements (Mao, Moa, Cannons, etc.) you'd be out of luck (though for these examples the applet should probably just list them as possibilities when given the appropriate input of a knight or rook movement; the pages on CV could then clarify their distinctiveness).  I tend to think of en passant and castling as special rules to the game and not inherent to the pieces.  Further special abilities (multiple captures, custodial captures, copying piece moves, carrying other pieces) wouldn't be the focus of such an applet.

It's probably too much work to try to dig up as many pieces as possible to make this helpful, but I think it would be nice for something like the introductory comment in this thread.

First move advantage in Western Chess - why does it exist?[Subject Thread] [Add Response]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Fri, Aug 31, 2012 12:50 AM UTC:
It seems that most of you already know this, but maybe it's still helpful
to note that there is a definite answer for who wins chess given perfect
play on both sides (white, black, or neither [draw]).  This is true of any
chess variant that involves a fixed turn structure, perfect information
(& no randomization), and finite length (here's where we need something
like the 50 turn rule).

So, in the mathematical sense, any such chess variant either has a perfect
1st turn, perfect 2nd turn, or absolutely no advantage.

Joe keeps referring to "noise", which is how we can manage to talk about
a 1st turn advantage without the mathematics making it boring.  So far no
one has actually defined the framework of the question, but it seems
generally to be accepted as referring to people's current thoughts on
optimum strategies, and how those interact.  I suppose to make this
rigorous we would want to define the fuzzy value of positions (it's
unclear how to do this, though current chess programs are probably a good
starting idea), then allow for some randomness in the players' moves that
biases toward high value positions.  Then I think we should say there's
"no" advantage if the probability distribution of wins-draws-losses given
this framework has no advantage with statistical significance.  So we say
there's no advantage if the noise drowns out whatever perfect mathematical
advantage actually exists.  (I think this is essentially what Joe has been
saying?)

Checkless Chess. Giving check without mate is not allowed. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Sat, Oct 6, 2012 11:33 PM UTC:
Rodrigo, I think the idea is that if after white's move, black's only response will put white in (non-mate) check, then that black move is illegal, so black is in fact in checkmate, and white's move was legal.

Then, what happens if black's only response is to put white in a similar position?  This is the "paradox" that is referenced.

Steno-Chess. A variation on retrograde analysis.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Thu, Dec 27, 2012 05:16 AM UTC:Good ★★★★
I agree that this is really neat.  Perhaps the 2007 comment makes it clear that this page should state more clearly at the beginning that this is a form of chess problem, not a suggested new method of notation.  :)

In fact, since I now see the "problem" icon attached to this page (but couldn't until I looked at the comments or re-found the page through search), maybe it would be beneficial to head every page with a note about what type of article it is?

Tower Siege: 3D Chess Game. Missing description (8x(8x8), Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Wed, Jan 30, 2013 09:45 PM UTC:
It seems that you want the diagonal moves to be either diagonal within a layer, or triagonal (in the sense that Malcolm described).  Is that a fair assessment?

Do your kings also move this way (orthogonal or "special diagonals"), or do they really get 26 directions?

Do knights leap, or slide?  If they leap, you needn't say that they can go 1 then 2 or 2 then 1: they are equivalent.  (Saying it isn't bad, but it makes me think perhaps they don't leap...)

I agree that the checkmate example probably isn't checkmate.  That should get fixed/clarified.

The queen "holding" rule is nice, and a bit reminiscent of a rule Joe Joyce used for a 4D game.  However, it then seems likely that minimum mating material is FIDE chess mating material plus one queen.  Practically requiring a queen for mate seems like perhaps you should include additional pawns.  Or maybe a different piece should have the holding ability?

hanging submissions[Subject Thread] [Add Response]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Mon, Feb 25, 2013 02:52 PM UTC:
Namik Zade, you have three submissions for Knights games; did you mean to
submit all of these?  I tried to contact you via the email address listed
in your account, but the message bounced.

Buypoint Chess. Buy your fighting force - each piece costs a number of points.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Sat, Mar 2, 2013 12:10 AM UTC:
(In reference to Jeremy's note about comment display weirdness:
It occurred when the associated page was deleted; the hanging comment is handled strangely.  If an editor who knows more about the php code can fix this for the future that would be nice; for now I've just moved the comments for the deleted sovereign chess page into a non-page comment thread.)

Menu Bar[Subject Thread] [Add Response]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Sun, Mar 24, 2013 09:34 PM UTC:
I've added the pending submission link into the new menu.

I'm not getting anything coming up when I go to the Change Password page
via my membership info page.  Has this happened to anyone else?  Fergus, do
you know what's going on?

MStestisdeleted[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Wed, Mar 27, 2013 09:15 PM UTC:
test comment: made after isDeleted was set.

Home page of The Chess Variant Pages. Homepage of The Chess Variant Pages.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Tue, Apr 9, 2013 07:32 PM UTC:
Yes, that image comes from this page, which is linked to from the Raumschach page.

Raumschach. "... (German for Space Chess) is one of the first three-dimensional chess variants and the first to survive until present".[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Wed, Apr 17, 2013 02:42 AM UTC:
I've attempted to put together a rules-checking version of this preset. It is at
RaumchachRulesTest
There are probably a lot of places where you can break the rules if you really try, but I think I have things working in general. Please stress test and let me know if something goes wrong.

Raumschach - picture from the book. Pictures from book on Raumschach from beginning 20th century.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Wed, Apr 17, 2013 09:57 PM UTC:
It seems this entire book is now available as a free eBook.

http://books.google.com/books?id=XbbhY4Q6U0IC

I don't read German, but it looks like the book is entirely about the 8x8x8 version.  (There's some mention of different sizes, but I don't see any mention of a 5x5x5.)  Interestingly, the pieces are set up on the first two levels (instead of opposite levels as the 5x5x5).

Cheskers. Cross-variant between chess and checkers. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Thu, Apr 25, 2013 04:49 PM UTC:
I had not realized that the inventor of this variant is a mathematician. Interestingly, he is also the inventor of polyominoes (of which Tetris pieces are a special case).

Does size matter?[Subject Thread] [Add Response]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Sun, May 12, 2013 06:30 PM UTC:
Of course, there are some variants on these pages played on infinite
boards.  I have thought a bit about infinite-dimensional games as well.

I suppose any large size is workable, especially if pieces have short
moves: the game becomes a large map, which you could zoom in on a sector of
and make relatively normal-looking moves.  (It becomes a discrete version
of many RTS games.)  Infinite-dimensional doesn't admit as good a visual
tool.  :P

RSS Feed for the Chess Variant Pages. Chess Variant Pages RSS Feed.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Wed, May 15, 2013 01:46 AM UTC:
I believe I have the RSS feed working again.  Let us know if anything goes wrong.

Lion Chess[Subject Thread] [Add Response]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Thu, May 16, 2013 05:29 PM UTC:
As for the no-trading rule, see also Angel Chess (Ed has a java app for
it).

RSS Feed for the Chess Variant Pages. Chess Variant Pages RSS Feed.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Mon, May 20, 2013 03:33 AM UTC:
Thanks, after I got it working in Yahoo and Google I didn't actually run it through a validator.  Error-free now.

Home page of The Chess Variant Pages. Homepage of The Chess Variant Pages.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Wed, Jun 5, 2013 12:56 AM UTC:
The new header includes a link to the signin/join page.

I could delete your old account Daniel, but it would be nice if we could find out what's happening with your temp password, to prevent future problems.

Ben Reiniger wrote on Sun, Jun 16, 2013 04:00 AM UTC:
If anyone else has problems with registration, let us know via email (see the Feedback page) and we'll work it out.  (I've been emailing with Super Bishop.)

Related note: I've been checking the chessvar@yahoo account, so you'll get responses at least to things I know the answers to.

MS4-by-1-knot-chess[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Mon, Jun 24, 2013 06:14 PM UTC:
I'm not really sure if this qualifies as a 4D variant, but I've indexed it that way to be as inclusive as possible.

If pieces couldn't turn at the knot, I would insist that it is 4D, but which is easier to explain here: four disjoint 1D boards with a glued square, or a subset of the 4D board with turning pieces?  (Note that in the 4D interpretation, the Entity's teleport power is almost the same as a 4D bishop's move.)

Ben Reiniger wrote on Tue, Jun 25, 2013 03:22 AM UTC:
In regard to dimensionality of chess variants, I think of it as the most convenient way to describe the rules. Any (most?) variants can be thought of purely combinatorially, with a set of locations and pieces occupying those locations, with a set of transitions between states. But often the transition rules are easiest to describe using some extra geometry. (Do FIDE rooks move orthogonally in 2d, or as in Eeeeeeeex as a 1 or 9 rider in 1d, or as some set of at most 14 locations that depend on the current locations of itself and the other pieces?)

Home page of The Chess Variant Pages. Homepage of The Chess Variant Pages.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Ben Reiniger wrote on Tue, Jun 25, 2013 03:29 AM UTC:
I'm not sure how practical an offline app would be.

I agree a random article would be nice, but I'm not sure exactly how to implement it, especially since our articles come in two flavors: hardcoded html and database entries.  And should it just be game articles?

Ben Reiniger wrote on Wed, Jun 26, 2013 04:26 AM UTC:
Ah yes, that was silly of me, all the articles should be indexed in the database in one table, and I'd only have to worry about the type after the random selection.  I'll probably be too busy to get around to it in the next couple of months, but perhaps I'll get something working.

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