Comments/Ratings for a Single Item

~~Later~~ ⇩Reverse Order⇧ ~~Earlier~~

Ghast knights. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

Jörg Knappen wrote on Thu, Aug 26, 2010 07:26 AM UTC:

In fact, I don't know immediately how to save this game. The problems are obvious: A blocked pawn threatened by a knight will bring the game to an early end, and white has the initiative which brings free moves for white while black is forced to answer all the threats by the white knight. The key is the forking power of the knight.

So there is much room for experimentation and playtesting. Ideas include:

* Make pawns insensitive to the knight

* Allow the capture of the knight if there are no forced moves left after
 the knight is removed

* Allow suicide of a stopped pawn

* Use multiple moves

* Tune down the knight to a Mao, a Moa, or a heavenly horse (vN)

Each idea and combinations of them need intensive playtesting, many of them probably must be discarded as the original sketch.

Is it allowed to move to a square threatened by a knight (of course you have to move away in one of the following moves, but maybe you can just oscillate between two threatened squares in order to avoid to be forced to move a blocked pawn?)

At last, a more precise description of the interaction between 'check' and forced moves is required. Does a piece give check and mate when it cannot move because other pieces have forced moves? What happens if your king is in check but other pieces have forced moves (you loose, you may move the king or remove the check in another way)?

Again, the rules need playtesting to see whether they result in an interesting game or not.

💡📝Daniil Frolov wrote on Wed, Aug 25, 2010 11:34 AM UTC:

Thanks. What can you suggest to make it playable? For example, knights forces move pieces in other positions in relation to these knights?

Jörg Knappen wrote on Wed, Aug 25, 2010 11:09 AM UTC:Poor ★

First of all, the write-up of the rules is a bit too sketchy and a lot of interpretation is needed in order to bring this game to play.

Second, it is a straight and boring win for white under the following interpretation of the rules: If a piece is watched by a knight (friend or foe) it must move and this zugzwang cannot be lifted by capturing the knight unless the capturing move is also also executed by a piece forced by a knight.

The sample game starts as follows:

1. e3 e6 
2. d3 d6   The first two moves are forced. Taking double step
3. Na3 Nh6 Other black responses won't help either
4. c3 f6
5. Nb5     Now black must move the pawns on a7, c7, and d6 while
           white has three free moves. Afterwards, the knight moves
           to c7 pressuring Ra8, Ke8, e6. White has free moves again.
           Eventually white blocks a pawn and the game is over.           
           Alternatively, white can bring out its queen to checkmate the 
           black King.

3 comments displayed

~~Later~~ ⇩Reverse Order⇧ ~~Earlier~~

Permalink to the exact comments currently displayed.