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Modern Shatranj. A bridge between modern chess and the historic game of Shatranj. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

David Paulowich wrote on Fri, Dec 9, 2005 08:20 PM EST:

Another warning: using (count-condition (total-piece-count 2)) in an attempt to add an 'automatic draw rule' to a ZRF can create serious problems. A sample position is given a Comment to my Zillions of Games file for King's Leap Chess.

Joe: Shatranj (and Makruk) variants are indeed popping faster then we can classify them. I am currently working on an 8x8 variant with Chinese Cannons added. One could also call it a sort of 'mini-Shako' variant, with the Bishops and Queens removed.

David Paulowich wrote on Fri, Dec 9, 2005 06:21 PM EST:

My 2005-03-30 Comment on the Shatranj page ended with: [Also every Shatranj related ZRF that I have tested will record a 'bare king victory' without giving a chance to make a final move resulting in a 'two bare kings draw'.]

While my Zillions Version 1.3.1e will not run Christine's Zillions (Version 2?) implementation of Modern Shatranj, I have examined the code and suspect that the same problem exists relating to the bare king victory rule. The good news is: Peter Aronson's ZRF for his variant Gothic Isles Chess uses a complicated coding to correctly handle the rule: 'Bare King counts as a win, provided that your King cannot be bared on the very next move.'

Christine Bagley-Jones wrote on Sat, Dec 3, 2005 08:10 AM EST:

hey joe at this site here http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gpjnow/VC-GM.htm#F
the 'alfil + fers' is listed under the name 'Ferfil'!
there are a lot of interesting piece descriptions at that site.

💡📝Joe Joyce wrote on Fri, Dec 2, 2005 08:50 PM EST:

Thank you for your comments and references, David. This elephant does not
show up in the CV piecelopedia, but does in piece descriptions within the
rules of both games you mention. How many others, who knows, but it seems
to be a logical 'new' piece. This does demonstrate how difficult it is
to come up with something truly new in the way of pieces. Hasn't stopped
anyone from trying yet, including me.
A comprehensive set of rules for shatranj variants is, based on just these
variants posted in 2005, very possibly doomed. Boards, pieces, setups and
even setup strategy all have expanded considerably. A shatranj
piecelopedia and a book on shatranj variants might be the best we could
hope for.

David Paulowich wrote on Thu, Dec 1, 2005 06:59 PM EST:

Jean-Louis Cazaux uses elephants in his 10x10 variant SHAKO, which also has Chinese cannons. I believe that this elephant piece first appeared in Courier-Spiel, a 19th century variant of Courier Chess.

David Paulowich wrote on Mon, Jun 27, 2005 11:45 AM EDT:Good ★★★★

Shatranj Kamil (64) is my recent attempt at providing a comprehensive set of rules for Shatranj variants.

Consider the endgame position White: King (c1), Knight (a6) Black: King (a1), Pawn (a3). White can force checkmate with 1.Nb4 a2 2.Nc2, or stalemate with 2.Kc2.

If White choses to play 2.Na6 instead, then, under the variant rule that Pritchard cites, the Black king can escape stalemate by transposing with the Black Pawn. Question: under the rules of Nilakantha's Intellectual Game (web page by John Ayer) can Black 'slay the piece of the enemy in his vicinity which imprisons him'? That piece is the White King!

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