Colorbound Chess
I already have tried to create a variant on only dark squares (and someone even liked it), but I’ve then realized that it’s just another vision of chess-like board. However, I can say that it’s just transposition only if board has just one color of squares.
But if there’re two?
Then I’ve read Ralph Betza’s Colorboundmost Chess, but pieces I use are quite much different. Relative to classic values, they are kinda stronger, but not all of them.
Setup
Standard setup, but Wizard replaces the Knight, Laureate replaces the Rook, and Dragon replaces the Queen.
Pieces
No piece is able to change the color of its squares, so they all are confined to certain half of the board – therefore half of your army can attack the opposite King and faces its defensive army, while another half is your defensive guard which counters the opposite attackers.
All pieces here are the diagonal analogues of certain fairy pieces.
Bishop (B)
Exactly as in Chess, along an unobstructed diagonal line.
Bishop really is Rook on diagonals. It’s both its diagonal analogue and rotary counterpart (piece which inverts orthogonal steps to diagonal ones and vice-versa).
Wizard (W)
It’s well-known piece from Omega Chess. It moves one step diagonally or moves two diagonally then one with 90° turn, and lands on the last square regardless of pieces on its way (kind of stretched Knight leap). Also known as compound of Ferz (1,1 step) and Camel (3,1 leap).
It’s the diagonal analogue of fairy piece Marquis which combines Wasir and Knight, because Ferz is inverted Wasir (straight stepper) and Camel is the diagonal Knight.
Laureate (L)
It’s more commonly named FAD, which is abbreviated Betza move description of this piece, which combines moves of Ferz (1,1), Alfil (2,2, leaps two diagonally) and Dabbaba (2,0, leaps two directly). Though no piece can checkmate on its own, this one has the most mating potential.
Normally, this is diagonal analogue of King with Dabbaba move, but that piece isn’t as popular as others.
Dragon (D)
It moves one diagonally or to every even square orthogonally, ignoring anything between its destinations, but those must be free to let go farther. It combines Ferz and Dabbabarider (repeater of 2,0 leaps). It’s the only piece which's fully dedicated to attack.
It’s the diagonal analogue of Shogi’s Dragon Horse (compound of Wasir and Bishop), because Wasir turns into Ferz, and Bishop (which can reach one half of the board) turns into Dabbabarider (which reaches just one fourth of it).
Pawn (P)
Now it’s confined to its color and cannot be divergent anymore. It steps one space diagonally forward and takes by this way; it can leap two spaces forward directly (and possibly take) from start rank, ignoring anything on the way.
When it comes to the last rank, it promotes to any desired piece besides the Pawn and King.
King (K)
It moves one diagonally or leaps two directly, combining the moves of Ferz and Dabbaba. It’s the royal piece, therefore it cannot move into attacked squares and must be protected. There’s no castling.
Moves are like Kirin from Chu Shogi (Ferz + Dabbaba); so King here is the diagonal analogue of… itself.
Rules
The goal is to checkmate the opponent’s King, and first who does it wins the game. Note that Kings never meet each other and cannot help to win, so sufficient material for winning the endgame is any two attacking pieces against bare King. Stalemate, threefold repetition of position and other draw conditions are as in Chess, however 50 and 75 moves’ rules are now 32 and 48 moves’ respectively.
Notes
Names of pieces are or well known, or made by me: Laureate is a rotary counterpart for Champion (difference is only 1,1 instead of 1,0 step), and because laureate is a kind of champion in science, I gave him this name; Dragon is middle between Dragon Horse and Dragon King from Shogi, because it's a diagonal analogue of the first one, but looks more like the second one (one more Dragon;)).
There are several variations and versions.
Equalized Colorbound Chess
has the second King instead of Dragon, and this small tweak fully changes the game; both halves are normal, not attacking and defensive one; the goal is to checkmate just one of the Kings, and the first who does it wins the game. There’s no Dragon in setup, but Pawns still can promote to Dragons.
Colorbound Decimal Chess
has bigger board and two additional pieces, one attacking and one defensive.
New pieces are
Osprey (O)
It jumps, ignoring anything on the way, two spaces straight in any direction, and then continues outwards as a Bishop, unobstructed diagonal line. It's a diagonal analogue of fairy piece Gryphon, because it inverts diagonal step to longer orthogonal leap and straight sliding into diagonal one.
Parabola (Y)
Parabola is Y=X2 function, but this piece also includes negative Y=–X2, root parabola Y2=X and its negative form –Y2=X. It moves one diagonally (1,1), then leaps to reach the spaces which are (4,2) or (2,4) far from its starting space, and from them it can leap to (9,3) and (3,9) spaces respectively; then the board edge stops it. If one step is blocked, next ones are not available. It's original piece.
Besides this, only difference from Colorbound Chess is 32 & 48 moves' rules becoming back 50 & 75.
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By Lev Grigoriev.
Last revised by Lev Grigoriev.
Web page created: 2024-02-02. Web page last updated: 2024-02-10