Check out Modern Chess, our featured variant for January, 2025.


[ Help | Earliest Comments | Latest Comments ]
[ List All Subjects of Discussion | Create New Subject of Discussion ]
[ List Earliest Comments Only For Pages | Games | Rated Pages | Rated Games | Subjects of Discussion ]

Comments/Ratings for a Single Item

Earlier Reverse Order Later
Gravitational Chess. Major units fall back toward the friendly side.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
HaruN Y wrote on Sat, Dec 28, 2024 01:16 PM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★
files=8 ranks=8 promoZone=1 promoChoice=NBRQ graphicsDir=/graphics.dir/galactic/ squareSize=50 graphicsType=gif borders=0 firstRank=1 coordColor=#ffcfcf lightShade=#cc0000 rimColor=#000000 darkShade=#9bed00 whitePrefix=W blackPrefix=B pawn:P:ifmnDfmWfceF:Pawn:a2,b2,c2,d2,e2,f2,g2,h2,,a7,b7,c7,d7,e7,f7,g7,h7 Mafarrate knight:N:fmpafsmcabqWfmpafzcmaqFbmpabasmpafqmcafqWbmpafqmcafF:Knight:b1,g1,,b8,g8 Mafarrate Bishop:B:fymcabzBbymcafqB:Bishop:c1,f1,,c8,f8 Mafarrook:R:fyafmcabRbymcafRfompabyasmycazWfcabW:Rook:a1,h1,,a8,h8 Mafarratu:Q:fymcabzBbymcafqBfyafmcabRbymcafRfompabyasmycazWfcabW:Queen:d1,,d8 king:K:KisO2:King:e1,,e8

Jörg Knappen wrote on Tue, Dec 31, 2024 05:03 PM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★

Playing around with the interactive board I start appreciating this great invention. It looks like Chess in the first sight, but it is so different!

Knights are colourbound, Bishops are colourswitching, but both pieces keep control over their original target squares, provided there is a fall-back square behind. All pieces are more powerful in the endgame compared to the normal Chess men. One rook can mate unassisted and forced, one bishop and a king mate against a lone king.

Some open questions, to one who has access to the original sources for that game:

Is castling really allowed while rooks cannot move along their base lines? It fells like cheating even more than in standard Chess.

Can rooks and queens pass a move (going one step orthogonally forward and fall back)?

Can rooks and queens capture by igui a piece in front of them ending on their starting square (can only be a pawn)?


HaruN Y wrote on Wed, Jan 1 03:04 AM UTC in reply to Jörg Knappen from Tue Dec 31 2024 05:03 PM:

I'd assume that null move is illegal since it's the default

And castling is a King's move.


Jörg Knappen wrote on Wed, Jan 1 01:10 PM UTC in reply to HaruN Y from 03:04 AM:

Not knowing the original description by the author of that variant it is only a guess.


Cas Itsu wrote on Wed, Jan 1 07:23 PM UTC:

Knights are colourbound, Bishops are colourswitching, but both pieces keep control over their original target squares, provided there is a fall-back square behind. All pieces are more powerful in the endgame compared to the normal Chess men. One rook can mate unassisted and forced, one bishop and a king mate against a lone king.


Cas Itsu wrote on Wed, Jan 1 07:26 PM UTC:

Can rooks and queens pass a move (going one step orthogonally forward and fall back)?


6 comments displayed

Earlier Reverse Order Later

Permalink to the exact comments currently displayed.