George Duke wrote on Thu, Jan 12, 2017 08:04 PM UTC:
In only eight comments here are Lists of specific piece-types clearly defined, one by one, numbering about 2500. 2500 different pieces not enough to choose from?
Suffix Use Charles Gilman's Suffix Index to generate multiples more.
Take the first one ALTERNATOR:
ALTERNATOR after angle (rounded to nearest degree on these pages) and full name of 2 pieces square hex a piece whose move's odd stages are those of the first, and even ones those of the second, piece, each in one direction. An alternator can be prefixed MIRROR to start with the second-named piece, CONTRA- to end with the first-named piece (and start with either), MIRROR CONTRA- to end with the second-named piece (and start with either), and DOUBLE that to be free to start or end with either.
Say you want to combine Wazir and Knight, not as compound but as combination or sequential piece. The first new type of piece is "27 degrees Wazir Knight," meaning a piece that moves first as W then N in the narrow direction as one move. 'Mirror 27 W N' starts with Knight then Wazir, and in a class you may want to keep the naming order the same and so actually use "Mirror." "Contra 27 WN" must stop with a Wazir but can start with either. "Mirror Contra (implied 27) WN" has to stop with a Knight. "Double WN" is higher value because can start or end with either. There are other possibilities including making the angled change of direction 63 degrees for the wide Knight mode. And there is the opportunity to allow both 27- and 63-degree angled changes of direction. Estimate there are about 20 reasonable p-ts by combining Wazir and Knight in different ways as ALTERNATOR.
WEAVER is the last suffix alphabetically. A weaver is an alternator by definition. If we make all the above special-case Weaver instead of plain Alternator, it means the Knight's direction changes systematically every other step in its leg of a solitary move -- that is alternating between Wazir and Knight as well as weaving like a crooked nightrider. Jorg Knappen finds in "Nachtmahr" there are quite a few Nightriders so it needs specification between which two the Knight weaves as part of the ALTERNATOR. That is just a matter of putting two different angles in the piece description, or else using accepted name for it from Knappen.
Probably 100 reasonable piece-types can come about from combination piece -- meaning more than one leg -- of Wazir and Knight. Gilman's system can describe the movements well enough, and it's not worth trying to adapt simple Betzan notation become anachronistic.
In only eight comments here are Lists of specific piece-types clearly defined, one by one, numbering about 2500. 2500 different pieces not enough to choose from?
Suffix Use Charles Gilman's Suffix Index to generate multiples more.
Take the first one ALTERNATOR:
ALTERNATOR after angle (rounded to nearest degree on these pages) and full name of 2 pieces square hex a piece whose move's odd stages are those of the first, and even ones those of the second, piece, each in one direction. An alternator can be prefixed MIRROR to start with the second-named piece, CONTRA- to end with the first-named piece (and start with either), MIRROR CONTRA- to end with the second-named piece (and start with either), and DOUBLE that to be free to start or end with either.
Say you want to combine Wazir and Knight, not as compound but as combination or sequential piece. The first new type of piece is "27 degrees Wazir Knight," meaning a piece that moves first as W then N in the narrow direction as one move. 'Mirror 27 W N' starts with Knight then Wazir, and in a class you may want to keep the naming order the same and so actually use "Mirror." "Contra 27 WN" must stop with a Wazir but can start with either. "Mirror Contra (implied 27) WN" has to stop with a Knight. "Double WN" is higher value because can start or end with either. There are other possibilities including making the angled change of direction 63 degrees for the wide Knight mode. And there is the opportunity to allow both 27- and 63-degree angled changes of direction. Estimate there are about 20 reasonable p-ts by combining Wazir and Knight in different ways as ALTERNATOR.
WEAVER is the last suffix alphabetically. A weaver is an alternator by definition. If we make all the above special-case Weaver instead of plain Alternator, it means the Knight's direction changes systematically every other step in its leg of a solitary move -- that is alternating between Wazir and Knight as well as weaving like a crooked nightrider. Jorg Knappen finds in "Nachtmahr" there are quite a few Nightriders so it needs specification between which two the Knight weaves as part of the ALTERNATOR. That is just a matter of putting two different angles in the piece description, or else using accepted name for it from Knappen.
Probably 100 reasonable piece-types can come about from combination piece -- meaning more than one leg -- of Wazir and Knight. Gilman's system can describe the movements well enough, and it's not worth trying to adapt simple Betzan notation become anachronistic.