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The Turk's life extended 1769-1854, when fire destroyed the Chinese Museum. Maelzel constructed for friend Ludwig van Beethoven many ear trumpets to mitigate progressive deafness. Beethoven's ''Battle of Vittoria,'' piece written specifically for Maelzel's automaton Panharmonicon, premiered along with Beethoven's 7th Symphony, 8.December.1813. French patents covered musical chronometer, Maelzel's metronome (hence 'MM') endorsed by Beethoven. Before Maelzel's purchase, the Turk's originator Wolfgang von Kempelen himself happened to experiment and wrote 'The Mechanism of Human Speech'. The book influenced Wheatstone to build one, demonstrated to young Scotsman Alexander Graham Bell. Earlier Reverend Edmund Cartwright witnessed Kempelen and the Turk at London, ''Now you will not assert, gentlemen, that it is more difficult to construct a machine that shall weave than one which shall make all the variety of moves required in that complicated game.'' Napoleon's son Eugene Beauharnais succeeded in pressuring Maelzel to sell him the Turk to learn its secrets. [source: Gerald M. Leavett 'The Turk, Chess Automaton' 2000]
E.A.Poe's doctor's son, Dr. Silas Mitchell, the Turk's last overseer: ''The writer of this sketch was near the deceased at the time of his death. It was in Philadelphia, on the night of the 5th of July 1854 about half past ten o'clock. The east roof of the National Theatre was a mass of whirling flames. A dozen dwellings were blazing fiercely, and the smoke and flame were already curling in eddies about the roof, and through the windows of the well known Chinese Museum. At the eastern end of this building, nearest to the fire, our friend had dwelt for many years. Struggling through the dense crowd, we entered the lower hall, and passing to the far end, reached the foot of a small back staircase. The landing above us was concealed by a curtain of thick smoke, now and then alive, as it were, with quick tongues of writhing flame. To ascend was impossible. Already the fire was about him. Death found him tranquil. He who had seen Moscow perish, knew no fear of fire. We listened with painful anxiety. It might have been a sound of crackling woodwork, or the breaking window-panes, but certain it was that we thought we heard, through the struggling flames, and above the din of outside thousands, the last words of our departed friend, the sternly whispered, oft repeated syllables, ''echec, echec!!'' [Find Polysydeton, Personification, and Synecdoche. Over-all, is the passage most exemplary of (a) ETHOS (b) BATHOS (c) LOGOS (c) PATHOS? ]
We want to investigate why so many '9x9' Chesses are excellent
notwithstanding prototype Shogi(9x9) being terrible. First in spirit of
proliferation, we have invented 9x9 Baseball Chess. The starting line-up:
LeftFld/3rdBase/Shortstop/Catcher/Pitcher/CtrFld/2ndBase/1stBase/RightFld
Rook / Knight/ Bishop / King / Queen / Cardnl / Bishop/ Knight/ Rook
__a______b_______c_______d_______e_______f________g_______h______i____
From a1 to i1, the players are nothing but a Carrera derivative [that Hutnik asks for] omitting
Champion(RN) behind 9 Pawns. Each piece has a corresponding
''nonant.'' Quadrant (1/4) and sextant (1/6 usually of a circle) are
well understood. Mathematical ''nonant''(1/9) on 9x9 would be a 3x3 subset
of squares. Obviously the nonants fall into the pattern
as to the right, LF___CF___RF
so that the Pitcher has ''control'' where Pi(=Qu) SS___PI___2B
herself situates on any of squares d4, d5, 3B___CA___1B
d6, e4, e5, e6, f4, f5, f6. Finding the corresponding 3x3 matrix, Right Field (=Rook) has nonant g9, h9, i9, g8, h8, i8, g7, h7, i7; and so on.
Only FirstBase(=N) and ThirdBase(=N) are initially in their nonant at
array position. The Baseball scheme throws off a family of untold millions of
games. Differing effects may depend on whether the piece(s) must be within
its(their) nonant or not. Here are only 3 complete games: Baseball(a): Any piece actually within its nonant immobilizes adjacent opponent's pieces (after Ultima). (b) Any piece on one of its nonant's 9 squares reduces (after Altair) adjacent opponent's piece(s) to one square only. (c) Any piece so within his nonent is immune to capture.(continued) 9x9 Baseball(d) Any piece within its nonant may remove one Pawn of each side, by choice. Baseball(e) Any piece, without itself being within the nonant 3x3, may move one opponent piece or Pawn, positioned on one of the 9 nonant squares, in lieu of move. Baseball(f) Any piece not actually in its nonant may move to any vacant square there, as a move. (g) Any piece passing through its nonant may change direction once according to its movement(after Gala). (h) Any piece on a nonant nine may move twice. (i) Any piece in its nonant may teleport another friendly piece to vacant square within that nonant. (j) Any piece in nonant may move opponent King one square normally, in place of move. /// Clearly easily combinations of Baseball (a) to (z) to (aaaaa) to (zzzzz) to (...zzzzzzzz) can go on for billions of neat Variates, a new class of Mutators, awarding to pieces certain squares in groups for control or effect exclusively. That would be the broader ''Baseball'' concept hereby.
More Baseball variants. The players on the field (9x9) LF__CF__RF have effects according to their nonants (1/9 = 3x3). SS__PI__2B The positions correspond to the player-pieces 3B__CA__1B in Carrera-like array: RNBKQCBNR. The Rules are anything you want, so long as availing the Rook__Cardinal__Rook nonants. Try it at home; or just use home Bishop__Queen__Bishop plate. In Baseball, rightfielder does not Knight__King__Knight stray from right field, firstbaseman from first base etc. In Baseball Chess, if and when they get to their ''real'' positions, or stay put there, they gain powers, super-powers at your will. (k) On arrival at his nonent, a piece may immediately bring another friendly piece along adjacent to any vacant nonant square (called Rallying). (l) Firstbaseman-Knight, already in his nonant gets ''Triple Play'' just by remaining there three turns. (Hey there's a lot of lollygagging in real Baseball.) Triple play requires moving any mix of enemy Pawns immediately fully three times. (m) Conflicting nonants. The main shared nonant by same player-types of both sides is Queen's central d4-d5-d6-e4-e5-e6-f4-f5-f6. Think of it as a parity violation, or Xiangqi-like exposed file. Upon entering her nonant, she captures the other Queen if anywhere in the nonent already. Baseball (m-sub ii) Pitcher-Queen arriving at her (central) nonant, called the Mound, if the other Queen situates there too, gets to ''throw a Spitter.'' Throwing a spitter means any one radial line is chosen (out of the 8) from that Queen's position, and all pieces along it are mowed down and removed (both colours). (sub iii) So tossing the spitter is also variously known regionally as ''Rolling the Ball'' or rather illogically as ''Curving the Ball.'' 'm-sub iii' here permits Rolling the Ball to remove, i.e. capture, King too, i.e. Checkmate. (Normally, opposing sides would agree on from 2 to 12 Mutators to be in effect.)
9 innings on 90 x 90 ''feet'' bases, squares all around. 9-Player-pieces, 9 nonants of 9 squares each, 9x9 Baseball Chess RNBKQCBNR, same as LF-3B-SS-C-P-CF-2B-1B-RF. One nonent is inactive, the Catcher-King's. Teams may decide whether Bishop-adjustment [conversion] rule applies or not, and what form of castling.
LF__CF__RF
The Cardinal(BN)-Centerfielder's SS__PI__2B
nonant encompasses the other player's King 3B__CA__1B
in the beginning; and these particular nonants are called Home Plate.
White's is d7, d8, d9, e7, e8, e9, f7, f8, f9. Black Cardinal's Home
Plate is nonant(d1, d2, d3, e1, e2, e3, f1, f2, f3). Baseball Variation
(n) When Cardinal-CenterFielder reaches Home Plate, that team wins,
regardless whereabouts of King, or escape route. (o) Cardinal in Home
Plate checking also immobilizes, ergo checkmate. (p) Cardinal(BN) to a
Home Plate square (any of the 9) promotes to Amazon (RBN). (q) Cardinal
to Home Plate removes, unless itself immediately captured, the other
Cardinal anywhere on board. (r) Carrera-Capablanca Cardinal to Home Plate moves again. (s) Arrival at her nonant, Home Plate, is Foul Ball, displacing Cardinal at once to any vacant square on the board by choice; a Foul Ball may be deliberately advantageous of course. Baseball Chess 'm-sub ii' and 's' would be good combination of Mutators, conjoining Spitballs by the Queen on the Mound and Foulballs by the Cardinal at Home Plate. (These rules-choices are ''mutators'' requiring selective prior agreement of opposing teams.)9x9 Baseball Chess, Hits & Homeruns. Recall LF__CF__RF 1__2__3 ____________ White Leftfielder has affinity for SS__PI__2B 4__5__6 Bishop-SS,2B nonant(a7,a8,a9,b7,b8,b9,c7,c8,c9); 3B__CA__1B 7__8__9 Knight-3B,1B and so on. Only both teams' Rook-LF,RF Knights are initially ''nonantized.'' RNBKQCBNR It always takes three(3) below: (t) If three or more pieces are in their nonant, player gets to move twice per turn whilst the condition holds, called a ''Double.'' ''Single'' is the normal default of course, each team one move per turn. Moving into a nonant applies towards all subsequent turns. (u) ''Triple,'' three moves on a turn, requires Pitcher on the Mound, i.e. Queen in her Nonant and three pieces all together nonantized. (v) ''Home Run,'' four moves on a turn, requires Cardinal at Home Plate, i.e. Carrera Centaur(BN) in his Nonant and the two or more others also in theirs. Double, Triple, and Home Run are called Extra-Base Hits, or just taking or making the hit. (w) If no piece is in nonant, the team cannot move a piece, only Pawn or King. These Mutators 't' to 'w' motivate teams to keep 1B-Knight and 3B-Knight in starting (activated) White nonants(7,9) and Black(1,3). (These specific Baseball (t,u,v, and w) would be Mutators used in a block most often, based on prior agreement of opposing teams.)
Baseball Chess 9x9, Strikes & Balls. RNBKQCBNR = LF-SS-1B-CA-PI-CF-3B-2B-RF. They are determined by each teams' Pawns. Any diagonal containing three(3) Pawns is Strike Out for the duration holding. The Pawns do not have to be adjacent. LF__CF__RF Any horizontal row (other than array rank) with SS__PI__2B four Pawns, however spaced, is a Walk. What 3B__CA__1B does a Strike Out impose, or benefit accrue for four balls and Walking? All the following (x) through (ff) are prior and in addition to normal move. (x) A Strikeout requires moving one piece back one square straight or diagonal. (y) A Walk advances any piece to any square one rank forward. (z) A Strikeout or Walk, either or both, change the side's Pawn-type to Berolina. (aa) A strikeout requires one Pawn to return to Rank one, actually behind Pawn-array rank two. (bb) Strikeout requires any one piece within its nonant to move out of it immediately to closest empty square, ties at choice. (cc) Strikeout inactivates the Queen's nonant, the Mound, and inactivates the Cardinal's nonant, Home Plate, so long as the Strikeout is holding. (dd) Walk requires teleporting one piece to any of its vacant nonant squares. (ee) Walk advances any piece of choice to the Mound any vacancy. (ff) Three strikeouts on 3 different diagonals loses, and two walks on two different ranks wins. (These 'x' to 'ff', opposing teams would tend to agree on two or three to operate per game.)
Baseball Chess 9x9, Pinch Hitters. Standard Baseball 123 LF__CF__RF here establishes towards 100 Mutators, or rules- 456 SS__PI__2B options. Opposite teams bargain and arbitrate 789 3B__CA__1B beforehand choosing 2 up to 20 acceptable for a series, from any of (a) to (z) and (aa) to (zz)... Baseball Chess makes no distinction between designated hitter and Pinch Hitter, and P.H. usually adds to rather than replaces. P.H. is introduced to the King's 3x3 nonant, White nonant being (d1, d2, d3, e1, e2, e3, f1, f2, f3), and Black correspondingly. Each side has her 3 Pinch Hitters in their dugout: Crooked Bishop, Half-Duck(Ferz + Dabbabah + Trebouchet (0,3)), and Elbow Rook. (values 3, 4, 5 respectively) (gg) Three opportunities per game to drop a Pinch Hitter onto any vacant nonant '8' (nonant number '2' for Black) square as a move (hh) 'gg' and only if checked P.H. may be dropped to interpose the check outside the Catcher-King's nonant. (ii) 'gg', teams may pre-negotiate other mixes of the no-more-than-three Pinch Hitters. (jj) 'ii' and Pinch Hitter, when dropped, may not give check. (kk) 'ii' and Pinch Hitters may be dropped in numbers only after equal or greater number of pieces are lost to the board. (ll) 'gg' liberally implemented allows dropping of P.H. anywhere anytime, as a move, with compensating (or exceeding) removal of own material immediately, according to (P1, N3, B3, R5, Cardinal 7, Queen 9), when outside the King's nonant. P.H. staying within the nonant mandates no such accompanying piece loss.
Baseball Chess 9x9, Relief Pitchers. Baseball is a state of mind. (Notice
above and below that in Baseball Chess, whereas pinch hitters 'gg' to
'kk', 'll' being exception, are adding to the number of pieces, Relief
Pitchers only replace either Queen or one of themselves.) (mm) The bullpen
relievers for Pitcher-Queen, when not in her nonant the Mound, may be exchanged as a turn. Likewise, any relief pitcher may in turn be retired from the game with replacement by other Reliever to the square. The off-board Bull Pen consists of the six: Champion (RN of Carrera), Nightrider (NN of Dawson), Gryphon (Timur's), Long Leaper (Ultima), Advancer (Rococo), and Cannon/Canon (Jacks & Witches). Only promotion of Pawn can recover a Queen to the board, but the others are none of them even promotees for Pawn. The Relief Pitcher does inherit fully the rights inherent in Queen's Mound as her nonant for application of other Mutators. (nn) 'mm', and relief pitchers are never entitled to use Spitballs like the Queen herself ('m-sub ii'). (oo) 'mm' except Queen may be on the Mound as well (pp) 'oo' except, although Queen may be anywhere, the relievers go to any vacancy on the Mound only.
''Joel Fleischman: You know, when I was a kid, I used to--I remember
thinking that nothing was real. I just, I remember...it like all felt like
a movie set, you know, and and if you turned your head fast enough, you
catch God or something changing the scenery...
Maggie: Yeah, I know what you mean.'' --''The Quest'' episode
'Northern Exposure' 1995.Baseball Chess 9x9, Stolen Bases. Squares b2, LF__CF__RF 123
b8, h2, and h8 are the central squares of corner SS__PI__2B 456
nonants. Recall nonants are 3x3 on over-all 9x9, 3B__CA__1B 789
one for each player-piece. Files are 1-9 and Ranks a-i. RNBKQCBNR
Technically belonging to Knights and Rooks for other Mutators that may be
applicable, irrespective of those nonant identifications, the specific
four(4) squares within nonants 7,1,9 & 3 are Stolen-Base, or teleporter,
squares for any piece (not Pawn) that comes to be positioned there. In
Baseball Chess, it is Stealing a Base, not teleporting(''transporting'' after Jacks & Witches), and the four particular squares themselves are the ''bases.'' Otherwise of course, as with squares in any ''nonant'' across the board, regardless of nonant-piece-specific empowerment from certain rules-mutators, they are all normal squares to move and capture on the 9x9 playing field. The piece must be on the square already to steal to any other of its counterparts (b2,b8,h2,h8) if the destination is vacant. Thus Stolen Base is instanteous transfer with no pathway needed. Notice that initially all four ''Bases'' are occupied in the array, and so no stealing right away. Stealing base(s) is in lieu of another normal move. (qq) S.B. applies as all of above described. (rr) 'qq' except no King's stealing base to remove check (ss) 'qq', no base-stealing by King at all. (tt) 'qq', Pawns may steal base. (uu) 'qq' and if position is presenting itself, two Bases may be stolen at once by two different pieces, counting as just one move.The complex of games making the Baseball gestalt has now about 50 Mutators designated 'a' to 'z' and 'aa' to 'uu'. The underpinning is 9x9 Chess with Cardinal(BN) and checkmate of King. Fifty mutators taken two at a time make 1225 different Baseball Chesses to choose. Three activated at a time number 19,600 games. Four Mutators, around 230,200 Baseball Chesses. Five Mutators over 2.12 x 10^6 BCs, and once up to ten Mutators about 1.2 x 10^10, over 10 billion ways of implementing the pastime. Ten Mutators are reasonable, and over ten begin to get difficult to keep track. Optimum might be range of 5 to 10 employed for interesting challenge. What is one to play? One to try might be BaseBall with Stolen Bases, Relief Pitchers, the 3 Pinch Hitters, Foul Ball and Strike Out. That could be enumerated 's'-'aa'-'ii'-'mm'-'tt', according to exact ones chosen from catalogue of Mutators. Some Mutators get implemented best in blocks like under Hits & Homeruns, 't' through 'w'. Their use may frequently offer fully 15 or 20 Mutators activated at once, and therefore many more than the 10-odd billion rules-sets available.
Baseball Chess 9x9, Extra Innings & One-Run Lead. When checked, or far worse checkmated, without proponderance of material against you, it's not always fair, is it? For the following B.C. Mutator-options, three-point lead in material is ''One Run,'' as determined by (P1, N3, B3, R5, Q9; Pinch Hitters -- C.Bishop 3, H-Duck 4, Elbow R. 5; Relief Pitchers -- all 8, excep NN 7). Secondly, ''Extra Inning'' has specialized meaning in Baseball Chess. Extra Inning is always Declared as invoked, never required, and can only be declared when checked. E.I. gives the party a second move that very turn, but the second move is only for either of King or the Queen (or her Relief Pitcher). If missing opportunity to declare an Extra Inning when otherwise checkmated, it is still loss as there's nothing compulsory at all about its invocation. (vv) Required simultaneous win conditions are both checkmate and at least a One-Run lead. Actual checkmate without one-run lead becomes Draw. Realize B.C. normal win is just checkmate, but a few Mutators to choose already have alternate win conditions, such as three Strike Outs, that one under 'ff' (one Strikeout being three Pawns along same diagonal). (ww) Extra Inning, as described, may be invoked and utilized only when checked up to three times per game. The same piece, King, Queen, or Reliever may be the one moving twice, and it even permits capturing twice. (xx) 'ww', E. I. only up to twice per game. (yy) 'xx' only one E.I. declared per game. (zz) 'ww', Extra inning declared only once instead, but requires King only to move three times, to get out of check or checkmate, even by capturing one, two, or as many as three times. (aaa) 'vv' except required two-run lead. /// In roundabout way, 'aaa' approaches ''giving odds'' after the 19th-Century fashion, when Pawn(s) or Piece were removed from the starting array to equalize estimated capabilities. Maelzel showed off The Turk in 1820's and 1830's by giving odds.
Understand that a Mutator calling another (earlier) Mutator carries all the stipulations of the former one. That is our particular way to save time and space (gravely admonished by Smith), in developing multiple variants, rather than to rewrite whole Rules-sets with only one or two changes. For example, the latter is farcically done after year 2000 within twenty-odd Carrera-Capablanca '8x10's. Our method of calling is used instead in comments at ''91.5 Trillion...'' also. Betza perhaps originates the efficiency with his ''Rule-Zero'' for 8x8.
Baseball Chess 9x9, Taking the Field. Crystallizing LF__CF__RF 123 definition of the game as Baseball are the Nonants, SS__PI__2B 456 3x3 subsets accorded each player-piece for 3B__CA__1B 789 empowerment. The nonants are representative of Baseball positions. The line-up is normal RNBKQCBNR (similar to Maura's Modern Chess). These Mutators 'bbb' to 'eee', variations on a theme, put forth stand-alone change in the winning condition. They would tend to be used by themselves or with only couple others of the 60-100 B.C. Mutators. (bbb) Only capturing of Pawns, no capturing of pieces. ***First player to get every piece within his and her proper nonant, wins.*** That is the crux of this series of Mutators. No checkmate required. In other words, the player-pieces must move from the Chess array, by Chess moves, to their Baseball defense field positions. They are to do so uniformly as quickly and efficiently as possible -- despite blocks and traps set up by the opponent. Of course never allowed are two pieces on same square. Catcher-King, Knight-FirstBaseman, and Knight-ThirdBaseman have already properly Taken the Field. Countering, Pawns are moved also in order to effect blocks and delays. (ccc) 'bbb' and instead each turn must first move Pawn, then Piece too. Implied is that Pawns may promote as usual, and Pawn promotion at times does figure in the outcome to get speedily the right players to the right nonants. (ddd) 'ccc' required move of Pawn, then piece; and also now both Pawns and piece may be captured, except King. Players must get through the maze from their conceptual dugout, actually the starting array, to their respective positions, each one any of 9 squares (nonant). Now Promotion figures tremendously since pieces will be captured all over the place. Player-pieces are not immune to capture once nonantized. (eee) 'ddd' The side with more pieces in position, i.e., players in their nonant, once all others are captured or unable to fulfill further the requirements, Wins. So, the Score may be 8-7, or 7-6, or chaotically even like 3-1, and thus the team having more placed wins. In case of tie, use point values of the pieces achieving their nonents, or field positions.
Baseball Chess 9x9, Ground Balls. Infielders handle LF__CF__RF 123 Ground Balls. In B.C., whenever a Pawn moves two SS__PI__2B 456 spaces, it's a Ground Ball. Pawn two-stepping from 3B__CA__1B 789 the array: Ground Ball. Simple as that. The RNBKQCBNR ''Infielders'' are the Bishop-SS, Bishop-2B, Knight-3B and Knight-1B. Any Infielder, wherever positioned, may capture that opposition Pawn by replacing it on the square. It is variety of ''dropping,'' or teleporting, at times out of back rank systematically for the Infielder(B or N). Whenever opening two squares of Pawn, check how well-protected. Ground Ball is only possible for the same one turn as is more restrictive En Passant to other square. Maybe En Passant is less likely to be disadvantageous, but Groundball is more unpredictable for risktakers. [Not all paired teams will approve controversial Ground Ball: choose the Mutators, 5, 10, or 20, that most appeal to you in Baseball Chess.] (fff) ''Ground-Ball'' capture of Pawn by Infielder (3B-SS-2B-1B) as above. (ggg) 'fff', instead of anywhere, the Infielder (B or N) must be within own nonant to handle the Ground Ball, as Knights in fact are in the starting array. They then capture at opponent's two-stepped Pawn's arrival square as before.
Baseball Chess 9x9, Fly Balls. In B.C. any Castling creates a Fly Ball, or Fly Ball potential. Whether free or fixed castling, the King and Rook end up adjacent by the Rook's overleaping King. The immediate following turn, any Outfielder, Rook or Cardinal(BN), exercises the option to switch to any vacant square in the opponent back rank, where Castling has just taken place. In lieu of normal move, taking a Flyball is drop, or teleport, to a last rank empty square by LeftFielder-Rook, RightFielder-Rook, or CenterFielder-Cardinal. No capturing, but Check is permitted. The option is void any turn later than directly upon opponent's Castle (0-0, 0-0-0, however else designated) of King -- similar to En Passant and Baseball Chess Groundball being one-time chance. (hhh) Fly Ball by Outfielder approved the turn immediately following Castling, as above. (iii) 'hhh' except the option is good for two turns after King's castle (jjj) 'iii' three turns, then void. ''One for my Master, one for my Dame, and one for the Little Boy that lives in the lane.'' --Mother Mary Goose
Baseball Chess 9x9, The Battery. Catcher-King LF__CF__RF 123 and Pitcher-Queen are the Battery. Baseball SS__PI__2B 456 seen from distance discloses Pitcher and 3B__CA__1B 789 Catcher moving together. Directions are N, E, S, W, NW, NE, SE, SW. Whatever direction the Queen moves, the King is to move in concert immediately afterwards the same turn the same direction only his one step. So in this Baseball Chess Mutator, to move Queen is to move King too,where feasible. [Another optional Mutator befitting ''Baseball''] (kkk) As above; and whatever distance Queen moves, King must go just one step to any vacant square. If King is blocked, Queen still moves normally whilst King stays put. King's ''concert-square'' must be vacant, no capture by King upon Queen's move. Also check condition created by King's one-step yet allows Queen moving without King. (lll) 'kkk', except upon Queen's moving, King must capture that same direction (vector-like one space) if possible. (mmm) 'lll', except if King cannot move, because blocked or to be checked, Queen cannot move either. (nnn) 'kkk', the dual-move concert excludes Queen's Relief Pitcher, 'mm' to 'oo', but applies to any Queen promotee. (ooo) 'kkk', King may in fact move to the square Queen just vacates the same move, one step from King, if directions warrant. (ppp) 'kkk', void if King is not nonantized. King is initially nonantized, because King's nonant, opposition ''Home Plate,'' is (d1,d2,d3,e1,e2,e3,f1,f2,f3), and standard King array slot d1 is among them. Correspondingly opposite for Black.
Baseball Chess 9x9, Bunts. Bunting is dual move of one Pawn and adjacent piece back-ranked. Only Knight does not Bunt. Centerfielder-Cardinal(BN) Bunts only in her Bishop directions, King and Pitcher-Queen have their three forward directions to square off and Bunt. The Bunt move of one-square advance ''pushes'' adjacent Pawn one space too in same direction. If there is no adjacent Pawn in the correct direction within the Pawn row, the player-piece is forbidden Bunting that direction. White Catcher-King's bunts are precisely (1) Pawn c2-b3; K d1-c2 and (1a) Pawn d2-d3; K d1-d2 and (1c) Pawn e2-f3; K d1-e2. Queen bunts are exclusively (1) P d2-c3; Q e1-d2 and (1a) P e2-e3; Q e1-e2 and (1c) P f2-g3; Q e1-f2. Cardinal's bunts comprise (1) P e2-d3; Cardinal f1-e2 and (1a) P g2-h3; C f1-g2. The only two Outfielder-Rooks' Bunts would be (1) P a2-a3; Rook a1-a2 and (1) Pawn i2-i3; R i1-i2. Finally, each Infielder-Bishop's bunt-routes follow the King's (Queen's, Cardinal's) diagonal patterns, preceded by the proper Pawn. (qqq) Bunting as above in place of other move at option (rrr) 'qqq', Bunt by King only includes following alternative. If King proceeds as in above sample moves, taking up his residence on the second rank, he cannot Castle thereafter. However instead, King may ''Bunt'' by pushing the chosen Pawn alone and remaining himself at his initial-array square. Thereby, King retains full Castling rights later, in principle not yet having moved.
Baseball Chess 9x9, Hit By Pitch. Queen's move every LF__CF__RF 123 time it happens is the Pitch. If Pitcher-Queen SS__PI__2B 456 moves, any enemy piece at the one square beyond 3B__CA__1B 789 where Queen stops is ''Hit By Pitch.'' Hit by Pitch RNBKQCBNR becomes option for the opposing side, like Extra Inning (Mutators 'ww' to 'zz') not mandatory, or like Flyball and Groundball not mandatory. Hit-by-Pitch condition, as deserving a ''Walk'' (See mutators 'dd' and 'ee' for similarity) for the one who has been Hit, permits moving the piece or Pawn so Hit the next turn only at option to any square in the rank immediately forward. (sss) Hit by Pitch applies as above. Hit-by-Pitch option to ''Walk'' means to switch to any vacant square next rank the next turn. (ttt) 'sss', option good for the next two turns (uuu) 'sss', H.B.P. permits moving in the switch, or teleport, to any square next forward or same rank at option -- the allowed Walk. (vvv) 'sss' Queen's capture of another piece or Pawn voids H.B.P. and so only applies if Queen stops on vacant square. (www) 'vvv', also no Hit by Pitch is awarded for Queen's stopping within her Nonant, the Mound, notwithstanding any opposition player on the next square beyond Queen's arrival square. (xxx) 'sss', the Walk means any vacant square within either of the next two forward ranks, not just one. (yyy)This 'yyy' calls above 'ttt' permitting the H.B.P. option for two turns. Now unusual case where Queen moves twice in row, and happens to create two accumulated H.B.P. options for opponent, allows using both of them together as one turn: serial Hit By Pitch and the choice of ''Walking'' two pieces at once; or even rarer the same piece Walking two times once upon the other -- counting as just single turn for team earning the right by such serial accumulation from two enemy Queen moves in succession. (The very latter sub-case would ordinarily be credited to either one of the Knights or Cardinal-CenterFielder in theoretical combination of ''Queen move-Piece move-Queen move.'')
Baseball Chess 9x9, The Diamond. Baselines are different LF__CF__RF in Baseball Chess than in outdoor grass Baseball. Recall SS__PI__2B Homeplate for Black is White Catcher-King's nonant 3B__CA__1B (d1,d2,d3,e1,e2,e3,f1,f2,f3), and 'e2' its central RNBKQCBNR square. Diagonal 'e2-d3-c4-b5' and Diagonal 'e2-f3-g4-h5' are Baselines. Corresponding baselines from White's Homeplate are 'e8-d7-c6-b5' and 'e8-f7-g6-h5'. Connecting them all forms a square, tilted into the BaseballChess Diamond shape, with vertices e2, h5, e8, and b5. There are four cells per side, diagonally connected, and all together 12 spaces to move circumnavigating the Baselines. The Diamond in B.C. is this system of 12 adjacent ''transporter'' squares (after Novo Chess), completed called the Basepath(s). The Diamond is the Basepath synonymously. Travel along Diamond can entail one, two, or three 90-degree changes of direction, never four. (zzz) Any piece or Pawn landing on a Basepath square may proceed the same turn along it either Clockwise or CCW any distance of vacant squares without capturing. They may capture only upon reaching the Diamond, not moving along it. (aaaa) 'zzz' and capture upon arrival at Basepath voids the rounding leg. (bbbb) 'aaaa' and if in own nonant, player-piece may capture in rounding the Basepaths. The turn ends with the capture. Note Basepaths pass through four of the 9 nonants: Catcher's, Bishop-Shortstop's, Cardinal-CenterFielder's, & Bishop-SecondBaseman's. (cccc) 'bbbb', Pawns may avail Basepath travel only without 90-degree change of direction, so maximum of three steps. (dddd) 'zzz', Pitcher-Queen is prohibited from Diamond transportation. (eeee) 'zzz', King & Queen prohibited. (ffff) 'zzz' with only strictly CounterClockwise circulation, as in living Baseball. [Recall that ''Stolen Bases'' at ''rr' to 'uu' regulate individual cells b2, b8, h2 and h8, outside the Diamond, for teleporting, up to 2 Stolen Bases at once. Ordinarily Teams would select one of either those Mutators 'rr-uu' or these 'zzz-ffff', not both, for their Rules in a contest.]
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