[The following was transcribed directly from the published pammplet, regardless of existing typographical errors.] _ _ |_|_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _|_| |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| _|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_ |_| |_| 100 SQUARES FOR CHESS+DAMANTE by V.R.Parton -------------------------------------------------------------------------- [page 1] CAPABLACAN CHESS Among the chess ideas to which the great player Capablanca gave his serious study and playing, one belongs to the Decimal field of the game. From a theoretical point of view, the three "radical moves" in chess are first, vertical and horizontal moves of the Rook; second, diagonal moves of the Bishop; and third, skew leap movements of the Horse or Knight. The chess Queen can be regarded as being a piece which combines two of these radical moves namely, the orthogonal (Rook) and the diagonal (Bishop) so that the Queen is really the compound R + B. It is quite logical to have a piece combining the diagonal move and the skew leap, and a piece combining the orthogonal move and the skew leap. These two compound types are naturally proper companions for the Queen, as fashioned in the same manner. The piece moving as Rook and Horse is called "Chancellor" and that moving as Bishop and Horse is called "Archbishop". (These terms are Capablanca's terms). For playing the Capablancan on the Decimal board, a player has twenty men consisting of his normal pieces and the Chancellor and Archbishop with their pawns. In the initial arrangement of chessmen in the player's rear rank, the position of the Chancellor (Rook-Horse) is between the Bishop and Horse on the King's wing, and that of the Archbishop (Horse Bishop) likewise between the corresponding pieces on the Queen's wing. The order of men in the back rank is thus: R-H-A-B-Q; K-B-C-H-R. The ten pawns are in the 2nd rank. DECIMAL FALCON-HUNTER (Schulz Chess) The variant of Decimal Chess described in this section is derived from a very original idea due to the imagination of an Austrian player Karl Schulz who invented about 1943 two new kinds of chessmen. The common characteristic of these two pieces, which are named Falcon and Hunter, is that they move forward in a different way to that in which they move backward. The Falcon moves forward diagonally like the Bishop, but moves backward orthogonally like the Rook; it cannot move left or right along its rank. -------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ [page 2] The Hunter moves forward vertically like the Rook, but moves backward diagonally like the Bishop; it has no movement along its rank. These two pieces are complementary and together form a logical couple, being one another opposite or reverse in type of movement. A marked difference may be noted between the normal pieces, (K, Q, B, H, R) and the Falcon and Hunter, which two pieces, instead of moving in four or eight directions as do the ordinary five types, move in three directions, for the pattern of move made by the Falcon may be symbolised by the letter Y and the pattern of move by the Hunter by this letter Y inverted. The initial position of the Falcon on the Decimal board is between the King and his Bishop and that of the Hunter between the Queen and her Bishop. The order of pieces in the player's back rank is thus: R - H - B - Hunter - Q; K - Falcon - B - H - R. HALF - QUEEN'S CHESS The general design of Half-Queen's Chess resembles closely those of the Capablancan and the Schulz variants. The player's normal chess pieces are augmented by the two new types, with corresponding pawns, to raise his forces to twenty men. The chess Queen can be regarded as the compound of Rook and Bishop. For all that, however, one can hardly think of either piece as being a proper logical form of "Half-Queen" because their powers are too unequal and their patterns of move little related. In theory an alternative "halving" for the chess Queen can be established. When the non-taking moves are completely separated from the capturing moves, then the Queen has four components in all. It is now possible to combine the diagonal (Bishop) non-taking move of the Queen with her orthogonal (Rook) capturing move into one type, and her orthogonal (Rook) non- taking move with her diagonal (Bishop) capturing move to the other type. These "Half- sisters" as they might be called of the Queen are consequently the "Biok" which moves like the Bishop for mere change of position, but captures like the Rook; and the "Roshop" which behaves reversely, moving like the Rook for simple change in position, but capturing like the Bishop. Together these two Half-Queens compound into the Queen. On the Decimal board, the Biok is initially placed between the King and his Bishop; and correspondingly the Roshop between the Queen and her Bishop. The order of pieces in the player's back rank is thus R - H - B - Roshop - Q; K - Biok - B - H - R. ----------------------------------- --------------------------------------- [page 3] DECIMAL ORIENTAL CHESS. For the game of Decimal Oriental the player has an army of twenty men which consist of two Chariots,two Cannons, two Horsemen,two Camels and two Elephants,with the Minister and Prince Commander,supported by eight soldiers. The arrangement of pieces in the player's rear rank is Chariot - Cannon - Camel - Elephant - Minister - Commander - Elephant - Camel - Cannon -Chariot. In the second rank, a Horse is placed immediately in front of the Camel in the same file. The eight sildiers are placed on the player's third rank but the squares are not occupied in the two files (c and h) which each have a Camel and a Horseman. The Chariot in Decimal Oriental Chess moves like the Rook;the Horseman like the Knight; and the Commander like the King. Soldiers move and take forward like chess pawns. The Minister moves one square cornerwise forward or backward. The Elephant has a diagonal move,which consists of a leap over an adjacent cornerwise square,whether occupied or empty,into the next square beyond along the same direction. The Cannon moves any distance vertically or horizontally,by leaping over a piece (called the "screen") in it's path. It can move only over one piece,which may be either friend ir foe; it can capture a foe lying beyond the screen. The Cannon has no movement nor take except by leaping over a "screen". The Camel has a move resembling the Knight's skew leap; it's move is a slant jump to the cross opposite corner of a rectangle 2 x 4. The aim of play in this game is naturally to attack and defeat the enemy Commander. DECIMAL IMITANTE Q CHESS. The player for "Imitante Q" adds to his normal 16 chessmen a pair of Imitante Q pieces with their attendant pawns. An Imitante Q is initially placed between H and B on each flank. The order of back row pieces R-H-I-B-Q-K-B-I-H-R. An Imitante Q moves like the Queen,but has no specific take of its own,quite unlike chess pieces. An Imitante Q captures a foe in exactly the same way as that foe is threatening to capture this Imitante Q itself. For example,the Imitante Q captures a Rook with a Rook take; it cannot capture that Rook with a Bishops' or Knights' take as a consequence. These Imitante Q's check the enemy King only when they are of course adjacent to that King, for he only captures adjacently. Naturally an Imitante Q cannot capture an enemy Imitante Q. ----------------------------------------------------- --------------------- [page 4] CENTAUR ROYAL For playing Centaur Royal, a player has force of twenty- one pieces. This includes two Queens, four Rooks and four Bishops. Strange as it may seem the player's force has neither a Horseman nor a King of the ordinary chess game included in its type of men. The remaining pieces in the player's army are ten Pawns and the Special piece which is termed "Centaur Royal". The role of kingship is here the task of the Centaur, for this reason the title of "Royal" being added. The move which the Centaur makes is the move of the Horseman (Knight), not the move of the ordinary chess monarch. Because of such form in movement (and taking) the name of the mythological Greek creature, partly horse-like and partly man-like, is quite appropriate as the special name for the "vital piece" or the King equivalent in this variant of Decimal Chess. In actual play these "Centaurs" are conveniently represented by Horsemen or Knights. In the initial arrangement of the player's pieces, his ten pawns occupy his third rank, not the second rank. His Centaur Royal is placed in the left-hand square of his second, but no other pieces occupy this rank at the start of play. His two Queens, four Rooks and four Bishops are arranged along his back rank as follows: R-R-B-B-Q-Q-B-B-R-R. The player's aim is naturally to attack and capture the enemy Centaur Royal while defending his own Centaur from danger. Attempting to capture a piece moving about with skew jumps like a Horse creates play very different from attacking a piece that can move only one square at a time. The variation of Double Decimal Centaur has the same arrangement of pieces as that already described, but a second Centaur Royal is added to the player's force, this second being placed in the right-hand square of his second rank. Capture of both enemy Centaurs wins the game. ------------------- ------------------------------------------------------- [page 5] DAMATE GAME The essential idea on which my Damante Game is founded may be roughly described as the variety of draughts (checkers) which is played with "chessmen" on all the squares both black and white of the decimal board, instead of only on the system of one colour of the board. The Damatic is my idea of that modern, augmented and diversified decimal form into which the simple basis of ordinary draughts can be extended and developed in a quite natural and logical manner. In chess each of the types of pieces moves in a different way; it is clear that such good variety in pieces can provide much depth and wealth for opening and developing play, for combinational and strategic play. In its character the idea of this Damatic Game is essentially the adding and blending with the general elements basic to draughts, of a nearly equivalent and similar variety in pieces to gain like depth and richness in the Damatic play. A Damate, as a piece in this game is specifically named, captures in a manner similar to that mode of capture used in draughts, and not as pieces take in the game of chess. The correspondence between damatic types and varieties of chessmen is:- King, minor damate, can move one square in any direction from its position, and can take a foe situated on some neighbouring square by leaping over its foe into the first square, if vacant, on the other side of its captive. [Note from transcriber: In the preceding paragraph, the phrase "first square," was originally typed as "third square," and hand-made corrections were applied to form its present reading. The 'h' in 'third' was over-written with an 'f', the 'd' was over-written with an 's' with the letter 't' tagged to the end. Although the 't' in the original word 'third' was not deleted, it was felt that its exclusion in this transcription would only increase clarification to the reader.] In other words, this minor damate captures like the crowned piece in ordinary draughts, but it can do so both horizontally and vertically as well as cornerwise. The taking move in which a damate captures an adjacent foe by leaping over this enemy into the first square beyond (if vacant) is termed "short take". Rook, orthogonal damate, can move any number of squares in either vertical or horizontal directions from its position. The orthogonal damate can capture an isolated foe in its path (either vertical or horizontal) even when empty squares separate if from the foe, and it may leap to any vacant square on the other side of its captive in that same direction. Bishop, diagonal damate, can move any number of squares in a diagonal direction, either forward or backward, from its position. The diagonal damate can take an isolated enemy in its diagonal path, even if separated from its foe by empty squares; and it may leap to any vacant square on the opposite side of its captive along that same diagonal line. The extended taking move by which orthogonal and diagonal damates can capture enemy pieces is termed "long take", for clear distinction from the "short take". Queen, major damate, has the powers of both diagonal and orthogonal damates. ----------------------- --------------------------------------------------- [page 6] Pawn, advancing damate, can step one square either straightforward in its column or cornerwise forward; it can capture a foe adjacent in front (whether cornerwise or straight in front) with a "short take". As in ordinary draughts, taking is compulsory in this game;and a piece can make a continued (multiple) take, when by capturing one foe it comes to a square from which it can take another enemy. The aim of play in Damate is to capture all the enemy pieces whatever they are. At first thought, a damate with the move of the chess knight may appear awkward to introduce into damatic form. Such H damate makes a "double knight move" over its foe in capturing this. For example, situated on square b3, this H damate, can capture a hostile piece on square c5, by leaping over that foe to square d7 (if vacant); or an enemy on square d2, by leaping over it to square f1. It will be seen that b3. c5, d7 are in a straight line, and likewise b3, d2, f1. The chess knights can be used to represent pieces in Damate which cannot move or take, but which can be captured. Such Z damate (Z = zero, stationary) will avoid the awkwardness of the H damate (H = Horse, Knight) as players may at first prefer to exclude H damates altogether. For playing on the Decimal board, a player should have two each of Q (major), K (minor), R (orthogonal), B (diagonal), H or Z, with ten P (advancing) damates. The pieces in the player's rear rank are arranged as follows - R - B - H - Q - K - K - Q - H - B - R with ten pawns in his second rank. (Two extra pawns may be added centrally in 3rd row) An advancing damate (P) moving across the central line into the enemy side or half of the Decimal board is promoted into major damate. DAMATIC CHESS. The games of Capablancan, Schulz (Falcon-Hunter) and Half Queens already described can easily be given corresponding damatic forms. For the Schulz game, the damatic equivalent of the Falcon naturally moves and takes forward like the diagonal damate, but backwards in its column like the orthogonal damate; whereas the equivalent of the Hunter move and takes straight- forward like an orthogonal, but backwards like the diagonal. The damatic King moves and takes like a minor damate; and capturing the enemy monarch (damatic King) wins the game. --------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- [page 7] The corresponding damates to the Archbishop and Chancellor in the Capablancan are those combining the H damate respectively with the diagonal and orthogonal damates. In the case of the Biok and Roshop in Half Queens, the idea of a piece moving diagonally but taking orthogonally, and that of a piece moving orthogonally but taking diagonally, are both easily given their respective damatic form. In the Schulz and Half Queens equivalents in Damatic Chess, it may be convenient to treat chess knights as Z - damates, stationary on their squares until captured. The aim of the player in Damatic Chess is to attack and capture the hostile damatic king, any other enemy damates captured in the struggle being of secondary importance or value. The player wins this game immediately he captures the enemy damatic king. Advancing damates (pawns) may be allowed to promote when they have moved across the central line into the enemy half or side of the Decimal board. As only one piece is the vital target of attack, games of Damatic Chess will be shorter, and easier to understand in general, then games of Damate itself requiring capture of all enemy pieces for victory. DECIMAL DUFFERS' CHESS. Perhaps the real difficulty for a Decimal Duffer is that he has far too wide in choice of moves in playing Decimal Chess variants. He has as it were rather a banquet instead to have digestive biscuits to eat chessically!. In order to prevent the Decimal Duffer having chessical sickness through over-rich food,the idea explained in this chapter reduces DC to a simple meal of moves permitted in play. The initial arrangement of pieces used in playing the Capablancan, Schulz, or Half Queens variant may be used for playing Decimal Duffers' Chess. First,if one of the player's chessmen can make a check on the enemy King,then he may make that checking move. Between two or more ways of checking,the player has a choice. Secondly,if one of the player's pieces can take an enemy, then that capturing move may be made but the player has of course a choice between two ways of taking which occur at the very same turn. Thirdly if the player can make neither a check not a take with any of his chessmen, then he must play only some pawn in his force. -------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ [page 8] Fourthly, if his King should be in check, the player is permitted to move this King out of check. Capturing a hostile piece that gives check is of course allowed under the first rule stated above. Moving a piece between the player's own King and a checking enemy is not permitted, except in the case of a pawn, allowed by the third rule. Also it is clear that castling cannot be used in Decimal Duffers' Chess. WYVERN CHESS. The game of Wyvern is played on the Decimal board. Besides his normal sixteen chess pieces the player has a pair of chessmen called Wyvern, with their corresponding pawns to complete the pawn row. (Wyverns may be represented by Rooks inverted.) The position of a Wyvern is between those of Horse and Bishop in the rear rank, so that in the player's back row the order of men is R - H - W - B - Q - K - B - W - H - R A Wyvern is the most powerful of the pieces, for a Wyvern can move, take and check like Rook, Bishop and Horse from its position. DABBABANTE CHESS. In this Decimal game of chess the player adds to his normal force of chessmen a pair of special pieces called Dabbabante, with their pawns. In the initial arrangement of the pieces on the Decimal board the player's ten pawns occupy his third rank. The other pieces are arranged on his second rank in the following order R - H - D - B - Q - K - B - D - H - R. His rear rank is thus not occupied by chessmen at the opening of play. The special piece Dabbabante moves in vertical and horizontal directions, but never in diagonal directions. A Dabbabante can move only to squares of the same colour in its rank or file. If it is initially on a white square, then a Dabbabante will always move to white squares in its file or rank. Also, a Dabbabante can move over occupied squares in its orthogonal path; these occupied squares may be either black or white, and pieces occupying such squares can be friendly or hostile. A Dabbabante can capture an enemy in its file or rank, provided of course that this Dabbabante and its enemy are standing on squares of the same colour. A Dabbabante in the same rank or file as the enemy King checks that monarch only if they are both on squares of the same colour. The check of the Dabbabante on the King is not obstructed of course by any piece situated between these two. A large part of the Dabbabante's value is due to there being no defense by intervention against attacks and checks which it makes. In the early stages of the game when the forces have lost very few men, Dabbabantes have their best chances to destroy the enemy defenses and to drive the enemy King into an awkward position. It will be seen that a Dabbabante is limited to movements on only a quarter of the total squares of the board, ---------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- [page 9] This new type of chessmen, the Dabbabante, is my special "extension and expansion" of the old chess piece called Dabbaba. The diagonal similar piece to this Dabbabante is of course named the Alfilante, being like "extension" of the old chess piece called the Alfil. The power of the Dabbabante may be increased by its combining with the "A" type of movement, but this "compound Dabbabante" is still limited to movements on the same square system as the proper Dabbabante. DECIMAL BUTTER The arrangement of pieces used for the Capablancan, Schulz Tweedle or Wyvern games can be used for playing Decimal Butter. In this game the pieces (called Butters) capture enemy pieces neither like chessmen not like draughtsmen. A Butter strikes at any foe by "butting" that foe which is sent flying off the Decimal board and out of the game. A Butter moves to some square adjacent to a foe in order to give that foe a "butting". Should a Butter rush to a square adjacent to several enemies, then they are all "butted" together and som must be removed together off the board. The player's aim is to "butt" every enemy off the board as quickly as possible. DECIMAL OBSTACLES CHESS The arrangement of pieces used for the Capablancan, Schulz, Tweedle or Wyvern can be used for playing Decimal Obstacles. The rules are very simple. Pieces can only advance; there is no taking, and no checking in this game. The aim of the player is to advance one of his pieces into the enemy rear rank before his opponent can do so. The pieces are really "obstacles" in character to prevent an enemy penetrating through their lines to reach the desired goal. Naturally a player has to be very careful how he moves a piece from his rear rank, thus opening a square for an enemy to advance into later. Pawns* will of course remain in their own files, and so will have small chance to reach the enemy back row. Rooks cannot get into that back rank being obstructed by the pawns in the same file. Clearly the Queen is the most likely to reach the enemy rear line first, if the Schulz or Tweedle arrangement of pieces is used for Obstacles Chess *Pawns can take enemy pieces. ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------- [page 10] CHIMAERA For playing the Chimaera idea of Decimal Chess, the player's force includes a pair of special pieces to which the name of the Greek mythological monster, Chimaera, has been given. In the initial arrangement of pieces on the Decimal board, the position of a Chimaera is between Horse and Bishop, one placed on the Queen side and the other on the King side of a player's force. (Chimaeras may be represented by Rooks inverted or by draughtsmen for practical convenience) A Chimaera moves like the Queen, any distance diagonally or orthogonally when changing position. A Chimaera cannot take, but also it cannot be captured by any hostile piece whatever. Moreover, as it cannot take, the Chimaera cannot give check of any kind on the enemy King even when they are adjacent or are in open line either diagonally or orthogonally with each other. The special power of the Chimaera is that when it appears to be attacking a foe, this Chimaera can interchange positions with that foe! That is, the Chimaera is like an imitation of a Queen that can occupy its victim's square, not making a capture but instead forcing its victim to transfer to that very square which has just been quited by the Chimaera itself. Chimaeras of opposing forces are naturally not able to capture each other, but they are instead able to interchange their squares. The menace of the Chimaera on the enemy King is obviously that this unfortunate monarch may suddenly find himself flying as it were across the board into the very midst of his enemies, by such interchange of positions forced by the monster on this very miserable feeble King. Also a pawn acting as a shield before its own King may be sent flying away from its position of defending its King by an enemy Chimaera, suddenly and unexpectedly leaving the monarch exposed in the open to forthcoming assault. As the Chimaeras are untakeable, they remain in play on the Decimal board until one of the players can succeed in checkmating the enemy King. GORGONA For playing this variant of Decimal Chess, a player adds to his normal force of sixteen chessmen a pair of special pieces called "Gorgona" with corresponding pawns. The initial square of a Gorgona is between those of Horseman and Bishop on the same wing of the player's force. -------- ------------------------------------------------------------------ [page 11] Consequently, the order of pieces in the player's back rank is as follows R - H - G - B - Q - K - B - G - H - R, with a line of ten pawns in front. (It is very convenient to represent Chimaera by inverted Rooks or even by draughtsmen). [Note from transcriber: At the end of the preceding paragraph, there is a reference to the "Chimaera". Obviously, that word should read "Gorgona".] A Gorgona moves like the Queen but cannot capture at all. Instead, a Gorgona has the special power to "petrify" any hostile piece on which its gaze falls directly; that is, such enemy being petrified by a Gorgona is completely unable to move or even take as long as it is facing this Gorgona's gazing attack. Should later this Gorgona move to a new position where it no longer gazes on that particular foe, then of course that foe becomes quite free to move and take once again in its normal manner. If some piece, whether friend or foe, comes between a Gorgona and its petrified enemy, such spell is at once broken and that foe will regain its freedom of normal movement. It is understood that the King when petrified by a hostile Gorgona is not able to move from his square, not even if this monarch is actually in check! When the very probable situation arises where a Gorgona is gazing directly at a hostile rival Gorgona, then it results logically that both are mutually petrified and neither Gorgona is able to move from its position. In such position, even though two Gorgonas of opposing forces have immobilised one another, each will still petrify any hostile piece in open line with its gazing attack. The vulnerable spot in the Gorgona's power is that Horsemen (Knights) can capture them for obviously a Horseman by its skew jump movement in taking the enemy Gorgona is not in open straight line with the monster. One particular point needs perhaps to be clarified. A piece that is petrified by a Gorgona is not of course able to move to take, consequently that petrified piece makes no checking whatever on the enemy King though the position appears to be so. Immediately the petrified becomes "dispetrified", then the position will really become a check on that King. On the Decimal board the chess Knight (Horse) has rather less power than on the ordinary 8 X 8 board; but in Gorgona this piece has at least one advantage over all others, for the Horse is the only chessman able to capture the Gorgonas. Terrible even more is the "Terrible Gorgona" that can take as well as petrify its victims. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------ [page 12] CIRCEAN The idea of Circean is probably the most fantastic form of Decimal Chess. Though the player begins this game with a force of twenty pieces, they are all pawns! Initially, ten pawns occupy the player's back rank and the other ten occupy his third rank. When a player advances one of his pawns, on its new square it will become a completely different sort of piece, namely a Knight! The general idea in this game is that when a piece moves or takes, it not only changes its squares, but also its very nature at the same time, just because it is Circean, a chessman which that Greek sorceress Circe might have "enchanted". Should the player move a Knight, this piece becomes on its new square a Bishop; in like fashion a Circean Bishop changes into a Rook and a Circean Rook into a Queen. Finally, on moving to a new square a Circean Queen changes her gender and becomes a King instead! Briefly, the rule of change in Circean pieces is P - H - B - R - Q - K, this order of change being the ranking of the importance of the pieces themselves. When at last a Circean piece has reached the status of kingship, this piece must remain a "plain" King till the end of the game. In consequence, a player may find himself in time the proud possessor of several Kings! Should any one of those Kings be checkmated, then this Circean game is of course lost to their player. Certain limitation is placed on the number of knights, bishops etc., which the player is allowed to have on the Decimal board at the same time. He may not have more than four knights; bishops (or rooks) are restricted to three (and queens to two) of their own kind. If the number of pawns in a player's rear rank are reduced from ten down to just a single pawn, then obviously it is easy to play Circean! AMBI- CHESS (L and R)[TWEEDLE] The game of Ambi-Chess is my special variant of the chessical idea in which a player at each turn is required to move two of his pieces, not just one as is customary. For playing this Decimal Ambi-Chess a player requires a second King and second Queen with their corresponding pawns. The pieces in the player's rear rank are initially arranged as follows R - H - K - B - Q; Q - B - K - H - R (the letter H meaning Horse or Knight) with the ten pawns placed in the third rank. ----------------------------------------------------------- --------------- [page 13] The chessmen in the lefthand half of the player's force must be clearly distinguished in some manner from those in his righthand half. The chessmen in his left half-force can very conveniently be pieces of a larger size that those in the right. (such distinguishing sign may also be shown by fixing a coloured elastic band or coloured thread or paper round the left half chessmen) The two half-forces may be termed L and R chessmen. When the player has his turn to move in Ambi-Chess, he must move two of his pieces before the opponent can play. First the player must move one of his L or left half pieces; and then one of his R or right half pieces. He cannot play two pieces belonging to the same half-force. The player's aim in Decimal Ambi-Chess is naturally to checkmate one of the two hostile monarchs, which one of them not being important. ---------------//------------------- ----------------------- --------------------------------------------------- [page 14] DECIMAL SCACI PARTONICI For playing the game of Scaci Partonici on the Decimal board, a player has a force of twenty chessmen, consisting of two Kings and two Queens, and four each of Rooks, Bishops, Horsemen (Knights) and Pawns. Initially no pieces occupy the player's back rank; in his second rank the ten pieces are arranged P - R - H - B - Q - K - B - H - R - P; and the ten other pieces are similarly arranged in the player's third rank. In playing this game all the pieces as well as the pawns are strictly limited to their advancing movements until they may reach the enemy back rank where such pieces are "promoted", so gaining their complete chess moves. The object of play in "partonici" is to capture hostile pieces. The manner of taking in partonici games is a rather unusual idea, not at all like the mode employed in Chess and Damate for capturing enemy pieces. (l) A player captures an enemy with a simple partonic take when he moves one of his men to a vacant square adjacent to the foe, by which there is already another man ofthis player's force standing adjacent, so that now the enemy piece is situated between both of his men. The three pieces involved must lie in a straight line but the direction of this row can be vertical, horizontal or diagonal. The piece so held or gripped between its two foes is now a captive by this simple partonic take, and is therefore removed from the board. In the horizontal direction the position of these three pieces will of course be either WBW or BWB. (ll) The contrary idea to the simple partonic take produces the mode of taking termed the contrary partonic form of capture. Here it is not the piece between its two foes which is captured, but those two foes themselves between which it is moved that fall victims in this contrary partonic take. (lll) In the mode termed the line partonic take, the idea of partonic is extended so that a straight line of two, three or more enemy pieces will become capturable together at a single turn. Instead of just only one foe between two of the player's men, now two or more enemies lie in a straight line between his two men, whereby this line partonic position of attack is formed. -------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ [page 15] Those two or more foes thus held or gripped between the player's two men are captives by such line partonic, and must therefore be removed together off the board. (lV) Naturally the line partonic capture just explained has its own contrary form in similar manner as the simple partonic has its contrary. In this line contrary partonic take, the player attempts to form a straight row in which two or more of his men will be situated between two enemy pieces. By such contrary line partonic attack, the player will thus capture those two hostile pieces, one at each end of the line so formed. The player capturing the larger number of enemy pieces by means of partonic takes will gain the victory. A player who has "promoted" four (or five) of his men and has captured more pieces than his opponent, may claim the victory at once, if it is obvious that his opponent could not equalise within five moves more from that position. When a move makes two or three partonic captures at the same time, all the enemy pieces involved in these attacks are of course removed off the board; such a capture is termed a "compound or mixed" partonic take. Extra pawns may be added to a player's force by placing six pawns in the middle of his back rank.