Comments by j_carrillo_vii

Fergus,

Thanks! I can't wait to play Korean Chess in Game Courier!

As an option for the game pieces, maybe you can use the same Chinese
characters you are using for Chinese Chess, but inside octagons, instead
of circles.

Jose

My opponent is offering a draw. 

How does he register a draw offer in Game Courier? 
How does one accept a draw offer?
Is there a draw command?

Another option to get board segments is to buy the Taurus 4-player Chess board. You get an 8x8 (64 squares) plus 4 segments of 8x3 (24 squares) for a total of 160 squares. For $9.95 per board, you can't go wrong.

http://hometown.aol.com/taurusgaming/myhomepage/index.html

What's the correct link for the Chancellor Chess preset for Game Courrier?

I found the Chancellor game log below:
http://play.chessvariants.org/pbm/play.php?game=Chancellor+Chess&log=judgmentality-cvgameroom-2006-86-980

but I can't find the preset link in Game Courier to start a new game.

The link is also not on the alphabetic index of presets.

Just created a new preset for Modern Chess:
http://play.chessvariants.org/pbm/play.php?game%3DModern+Chess%26settings%3DModern+Chess

I just discovered this variation in Puerto Rico while on vacation there when I played chess with some friends at a park in Manati.

A better logic in the pre-game of the preset to give an equal chance to all 960 FRC positions is this:

drop B any a1 c1 e1 g1;
drop B any b1 d1 f1 h1;
drop Q any a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1;
drop N any a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1;
drop N any a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1;
drop R left a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1;
drop R right b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1;
drop K all a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1;

>> Is there any provision in Modern Chess allowing the Bishops to 
>> Change to opposite Diagonals?

Yes there is.

There is a 'Bishop-Castling' or 'Bishop Adjustment' rule.

For only ONE of the bishops, you can 'castle' (switch positions) with either the Knight, Queen or Minister next to it, therefore moving that Bishop to the white squares.

The Bishop in question must have not moved before 'castling', and the Knight, Queen or Minister to 'castle' with must have not moved either.

I'm trying to get a copy of the original book from Gabriel Maura from a friend in Puerto Rico, to formalize the rules, and request an update to the rules page in Chess Variants.

Haven't heard of the Bishop's one square ortogonal move in Modern Chess, but will ask for the clarification.

I created a new preset for Modern Chess:
http://play.chessvariants.org/pbm/play.php?game%3DModern+Chess%26settings%3DModern+Chess

I just discovered this variation in play in Puerto Rico while on vacation there when I played chess with some friends at a park in Manati.

Gabriel Maura invented Modern Chess in 1968, and it was last played in tournaments in 1983.

I'm looking for player to try it out. If you are interested, please send me an email. Thanks.

Maura's Modern Chess already has a solution for the 'Bishop Conversion' to the light squares.

Modern Chess has the 'Bishop Castling' rule, where one, and only one, of the Bishops is allowed to swap places with the Knight, Queen or Minister adjacent to it.

Neither of the pieces involved in the 'Bishop Castling' must have moved before, and the move is optional.

Unlike Carlos Cetina's Bishop Conversion Rule, which mandates one of the Bishops to convert to the light squares; Maura's Bishop Castling is just an option.

If a player is confortable playing with 2 Bishops on the dark squares, he may choose to do so. But he may end up playing against a formation that has Bishops on both light and dark squares.

Is Chess Variants not been able to send emails anymore?

I'm tyring to get a friend subscribed to CV to play a game of Modern Chess, but the email with his password has never arrived.

His id is: pleyades21

I notice that I'm not getting an email advice when my opponents make their moves. Is there a problem?

Who can help me?

Can someone edit the link on the page for Modern Chess to list the 'Game
Courier Logs for Games of Modern chess'?

Currently this link points to:
http://play.chessvariants.org/pbmlogs/index.php?age=0&stat=any&gamewcp=Modern+chess

and displays no games in progress.

The right link should be:
http://play.chessvariants.org/pbmlogs/index.php?age=0&stat=any&gamewcp=Modern+Chess

with a Capital C for Chess (the search is case sensitive).

[Done! -Eds]

Thanks!!!

I just created the preset for Advanced Chess:
http://play.chessvariants.org/pbm/play.php?game%3DAdvanced+Chess%26settings%3DAdvanced+Chess

Anyone interested in playing a game?

Just a suggestion. 

The Game column in the waiting room should link to the CV game page for reference to the game instructions to those not familiar with the variants open for challenges.

Excellent Antoine! Thanks!

Does it enforce that only one Bishop can castle per side?

How does one become a Contributor to Chess Variants?

I have a new Bishop Adjustment Rule that I want to publish (next to Carlos Cetina's BCR rule), and I have 3 news variants that I've created that I also want to publish.

Admins,

Can someone please update the Query page on 'M' items below:
http://www.chessvariants.org/index/mainquery.php?type=Any&startswithletter=M&orderby=LinkText&displayauthor=1&displayinventor=1

to include the Modern Random Chess Game Courier preset:
http://play.chessvariants.org/pbm/play.php?game%3DModern+Random+Chess%26settings%3DMRC

Thanks.

• The option of having both Bishops start up on squares of the same color
• Reverse Symmetry
• Symmetric Castling to either side (Players must agree before the game which type of castling [short or long] will they use in the game)
  In a 10x8 setup castling can be either short (O-O) or long (O-O-O), but not both:
  • O-Ob is Kb1 & Rc1 [Kb8 & Rc8 for black]; or O-Oi which is Ki1 & Rh1 [Ki8 & Rh8 for black]
  • O-O-Oc is Kc1 & Rd1 [Kc8 & Rd8 for black]; or O-O-Oh which is Kh1 & Rg1 [Kh8 & Rg8 for black]
• The Bishop Adjustment Rule giving players the choice (if they want) to change one of the Bishops to the opposite color squares in those setups where the Bishops start off on the same color.

Why is the setup of the Knights and Bishops different from White to Black?

White has both Knights next to the King and Queen, Black doesn't.

This position is not symmetrical. 

Is there not a one sided advantage with this setup?

Anyone interested in a game of Chaturanga?

This preset has regular pieces:
http://play.chessvariants.org/pbm/play.php?game%3DChaturanga%26settings%3DAlfaerie

This is the same as Fischer Random Chess' position number 323.

http://frcec.chess960.info/FRC-StartingPositions/Positions_320-399.jpg

Not sure what you mean by extra move.

When the pawn crosses the river, it gains the ability to move and capture sideways.

It still can't go backwards.

Solution:

1. ... Sg3+ (c5-e3-g3 / g3-h2-h1)

The White King is in check, and only has 2 moves Ki1 and Kh1 [the g1 square is under attack by the g-Sissa (g3-e1-g1)]


2.Ki1 Sfxi2# (f8-i5-i2 / i2-h2-i1)

The i-Sissa checks on i1, and attacks h2 (i2-i1-h2); the g-Sissa protects the i-Sissa (g3-h2-i2) and attacks h1 (g3-h2-h1); mate!

or if:

2. Kh2 Sfxi2# (f8-i5-i2 / i2-h1-h2)

The King is in check by the i-Sissa, and he can't take either of the Sissas with the King as he would be in check by the other Sissa 'after!' the capture (note that the Sissas do not have a path to protect each other until the King moves out of h2, which it can't as he would be in check).

The Sissas attack all the possible squares for the white King:

g3 -> i-Sissa (i2-h2[once the King moves]-g3) -> This path protects the other Sissa
i2 -> g-Sissa (g3-h2[once the King moves]-i2) -> This path protects the other Sissa
i3 -> g-Sissa (g3-i5-i3)
g1 -> g-Sissa (g3-e1-g1)
h1 -> g-Sissa (g3-h2[once the King moves]-h1)
i1 -> i-Sissa (i2-h1-i1)

Thanks for the info on Mir Chess 32 and Midgard Chess.

I'll add them to the list of games with reverse symmetry.

I found this link on Thai Chess:
http://www.thailandlife.com/thaichess/

which explains the rules of the game, including the rule about how many moves does a player have to checkmate a lonely King before a forced draw.

I was also looking to play a game.

Here is a new preset I just created:
http://play.chessvariants.org/pbm/play.php?game%3DMakruk+%28Thai+chess%29%26settings%3DAlfaerie

I am looking to play a game of Makruk.

Here is a new preset I just created:
http://play.chessvariants.org/pbm/play.php?game%3DMakruk+%28Thai+chess%29%26settings%3DAlfaerie

Anyone interested?

I got a supplier and placed an order for 200 vynil 10x10 boards, and will be ready to distribute them soon.

More details later on...

I've created a new English Random Chess preset which provides automatically the random positions for both sides:
http://play.chessvariants.org/pbm/play.php?game%3DEnglish+Random+Chess%26settings%3DAlfaerie

New Game Courier Preset for 'Courier Chess':
http://play.chessvariants.org/pbm/play.php?game%3DCourier+Chess%26settings%3DAlfaerie

I've created a 4-player Chaturanga variation (with two 6-side dice) which is simpler to play, and has proved to be a lot of fun for my wife (a non chess player) and my two young kids (7 & 5 years old).

Partnership Chaturanga:
http://www.chessvariants.org/index/msdisplay.php?itemid=MSpartnershipcha

Good to see the Sissa in action again! Love the new symbol for the Sissa!

Very interesting new piece the Sorcerer Snake... It feels like a longer range Knight, yet it's not a leaper, and is a cousin of the Sissa, as the path to it's destination square must be unobstructed.

The Sorcerer Snake's movement is actually easy to learn, and understanding it can make it easier for beginers to learn the more complex movement of the powerful Sissa.

Well done Charles!

PD. Just curious why didn't you also improved the Bishops and made them Wazir-Bishops (since you improved the Knights)?

Thanks for the info David. I wasn't aware of Micheletto's Ultra Chess.

The problem (in my opinion) with Ultra Chess is that all the pieces are able to capture each other upon close contact, and a King will never be able to go hunting or to defend itself against minor pieces in endgames because he will be hindered by the check received by any of the other pieces one square move.

Ajax Chess doesn't allow a capture on the pieces 'adopted' steps. Therefore in an endgame, a King is allowed to defend himself against a Bishop (Knight or Rook) as they can't capture or check him orthogonally (adjacently or diagonally).

The pieces on the other hand get an easy way to find a new outpost to perform their attacks. 

A 2 Knights and King endgame will finish swiftly in a mate in Ajax Chess.

I just rediscovered the Mastodon in the shape of my Ajax Minister (inspired by enhancing the move of the Courier Man or Commonner):
http://www.chessvariants.org/index/msdisplay.php?itemid=MSajaxchess

Thanks Mats, for the historical research of the previous encarnations of the Man-Alfil-Dababah compound. I've added references to the games that used this compound before in my Ajax Chess rules page.

Here is a Modern Chess preset that doesn't enforce the rules:
http://play.chessvariants.org/pbm/play.php?game%3DModern+Chess%26settings%3DAlfaerie2

Antoine,

The Preset you previously created has a bug in the Bishop adjustment. If a Bishop moves first (not adjusted), the 2nd Bishop is not allowed to adjust (which it should!)

Can you check it? 

Thanks.

Jose

Thanks for your comment Thomas.

As I said this was by no means an all inclusive list of processes for randomizing positions.

It was meant to have a stake in the ground on generating random positions for OTB games, and a place to comment on other methods, probabilities, etc. about random positions.

I agree with your comment on the same color Bishops.

The reason of some of my options is to keep the process simple with handy equipment.

Of course if everyone (like myself) carried a 10-sided dice around then matters would be a lot easier for randomizing.

But the fact is that a 6-sided dice and a couple coins are easier to find, so I setup simple procedure accordingly.

Remember these procedures are intended for OTB games.

How many random OTB games do you expect to play in one sitting? Not enough to matter.

The Excalibur program must have a bug. Castling is legal in that position.

Or you havenèt reset the castling flag or something like that on the Excalibur (I donèt own one, so I donèt know).

BTW, your Be3 moves are illegal in that sequence you provided, Bd3 is the correct move.

Your c1-Bishop (the one that actually can reach e3) is blocked by the d2-Queen.

My two new images can be used by chess variant creators however they want, if it makes sense according to the rules of their particular game.

The pieces I'm using in my Ajax variants just make logical sense as to the direction of their movement, but one must always remember the rules.

If I had to create new Ajax figurines, I couldn't play my Ajax variants OTB, which I do. I use a regular chess set, and elephants to represent the Ajax Ministers. Keep it simple!

My OTB opponents just know the rules, and know that the orthodox rook that they have always used in standard chess, in the Ajax games can move, but not take, one square diagonally.

-

Last time I checked my new pieces hadn't been aded yet to the Alfaerie Many set. Who else besides Fergus can help me with this?

Thanks David.

I wasn't aware of White Elephant Chess or the Great Elephants.

I stand corrected I my evaluation of the strenght of the Silver Elephant.

I based my statement more on my short experience playing with the Silver Elephant and the Bishop on the same board, than empirically.

While the feeling from my short experience playing the Silver Elephant was that they were both similar in value.

Mathematically, these are my value estimates on a 10x10 board:

Bishop 3
Rook 10.5
Queen 16
Knight 5
Silver Elephant 4

What I was surpise to find out was that the Silver elephant was weaker to the Knight.

Yes, you can use the 'swap' command.

Look at the text at the bottom of the Korean Chess Preset page:

= = =

To swap Elephants and Horses at the beginning of the game, use the swap command. For example, this will swap Elephants and Horses on both sides for Red, then move an Elephant. Follow each swap command with a semicolon, and use coordinates for its arguments. Use it only before your first move.

swap b1 c1; swap g1 h1; E b1-d4

Korean Chess is Changgi.

Can a Korean speaker please translate 'Korean Random Chess'?

Thanks.

I just bought this same set today! at Korean Town, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

I bought it at a P.A.T. supermarket near Bloor St. West & Euclid St.

The pieces are sold separately from the board.

The plastic Changgi pieces are sold for $3.99 CAD, the board for $16.99 CAD featuring Changgi on one side and Baduk (Japanese Go) on the other.

The Go stones were $10.99 CAD for the (white and black) set.

The board and piece are all very good quality.

The web site on the outside of the box for the board: www.6brothers.com