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Oblong chess. Variant of Shatranj, played on a four by sixteen sized board. (4x16, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

M Winther wrote on Wed, May 10, 2006 06:18 AM UTC:

Dear JL, are you certain of these rules? Bodlaender says about Oblong 
chess (above link): 
'Moving is not obligatory. In this variant, a win is achieved by taking the 
opponents king.' 
If win is achieved by king capture, then it must be allowable to move within 
check, and to let the king remain within check.  In chess variants with die, the
king capture rule is natural. Checkmate and check rules don't work properly.
As to the promotion rules. I am not convinced that all Shatranj variants only 
promoted to fers. In four-handed Shatranj pawns promoted to Queens. In the 
still older 4-handed Chaturanga, pawns promoted to any piece, but 
depending on which square they promoted on. The ferz promotion rule is not 
universal. The reason why I believe that promotion was to any piece is 
because, in this dice game, it would be too hard to win otherwise. As to the 
bare king rule, I did not enforce this because it's so unlikely to happen. With 
promotion to rook, the king will be captured long before he is bare. But all 
rules don't need to be enforced. The player can decide himself that it's a win 
when the king is bare.
--Mats