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Dual Direction Variants. Adding extra moves to pieces in historic forms of Chess.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
💡📝Charles Gilman wrote on Mon, Apr 19, 2010 06:47 AM UTC:
There are many interpretations of how the dual of the Mao move should work. My first thought was that the rotation-by-45° aspect would dictate starting with the diagonal step. Consider my Nested Xiang Qi in which, to replicate on the diagonals how the Mao moves on the orthogonals, 'In the stepping subvariant the move comprises a Ferz step to an empty square followed by a Dabbaba leap'. Fergus Duniho's Storm the Ivory Tower take yet another approach, using the Moa move which follows up the Ferz step with a single Wazir step, so that the full piece is effectively the Moo. At the time of invention a leaping move seemed more natural to me for oblique directions, as more direct than a move going through the heart of an 'off-route' square. Also, the Mao in the original Xiang Qi can cross the River by the disgonal part of its move, and Ifelt that a Mao compound of any kibd would complicate the rule against crossing the River diagonally.

Further to that rule, it occurs to me that this has some similarity to Jose Carrillo's Ajax Xiang Qi, which also restricts moves outside the conventional Xiang Qi pattern, but by making them strictly noncapturing.


💡📝Charles Gilman wrote on Sun, Apr 18, 2010 06:32 AM UTC:
You have to read the 'Rules' section as well as the 'Setup' one. 'ABQ ... pieces ... can cross the River orthogonally or Knightwise but not diagonally or Camelwise.' In other words, the River blocks the Tanks from capturing the Queens as Arrows. Conversely you can safely advance the relevant Princeling leaving your Tank safe from attack by the Queen moving as a Bishop by the same River.

I will get on to the Knight issue when I have had time to analyse it offline.

Daniil Frolov wrote on Sat, Apr 17, 2010 05:06 PM UTC:Good ★★★★
I like this idea.
I can see one problem in Xiang-qi variant: tank can capture queen on first turn without being captured on next.
Also, i don't like that in Xiang-qi there is jumping wildbeest: what the problem with non-jumping variant of it? Non-jumping camel move must be 2 steps orthogonally and when 1 diagonally outward.
Interesting, that if play chess in this way, game will start with 5 queens.
There is another idea: instead of being compound with piece of corresponding direction, original pieces simply changes to these corresponding pieces. Or each piece changes after each move in this way: rook (knight) - bishop (camel) - queen (wildbeest) or only rook (knight) - bishop (camel). Or, after each move all pieces changes (in one of same orders).

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