Caissus: I like the Hammer a good deal. I saw your game a few days ago at ChessVariants.org and was pleased to see your name. I read about the GrosseSchach and was intrigued. A running knight swinging a mace--nice adaptation.

Walter Montego: To summarize--Superchess is chess with pieces from all throughout western chess history, plus some adaptations from eastern chess also, played on an 8x8 board, but can also be played on an 8x10 (or 10x8) or 10x10 board. Checkmate is the goal, and the piece army starts off as any chessgame, but in the "prelude" some pieces can be switched out according to a solid set of rules. It has been played for 3 years at the Corus Chess Tournament by amateur and GM alike. It is a very entertaining variant, more storylike in its approach to each game. Familiar chess principles apply.

manchildstein: It's called the Baron in Superchess. It is a very tough piece. Henk van Haeringen has written a book of laws and piece movements to codify the movements--check at his site. Thanks for your message about "American Chess"--have you made it possible to play at chessvariants.org?

Walter Montego: ...Or, if both monarchs are on the board, you have a game similar to Vernon Rylands Parton's "Twin King Chess".

Walter Montego: The Emperor is a royal piece (it can be substituted for the queen during the setup phase of the game, prior to piece movement phase); it has king movement plus the ability to move 2 squares vertically. Visualize the king castling in the standard game--it moves 2 squares horizontally. During the Italian domination of the old game, up until the late 1800s, the castling rules were more flexible, allowing the king to move several squares in combination with the rook. Prior to this, the king could move independently of the rook once in a game 2 squares horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, and take the rook with him as a personal guard. This Emperor is imitative of an earlier rule. In this particular case, the "King" can move vertically 2 squares as well as horizontally 2 squares, in the case of castling. That is a salute to the game in a more original, earlier form. Making this kind of substitution in the prelude phase allows for a tandem-ruler game with more than one target, or a switching of a targeted side, so as to reverse the weak-pawn from kingside to queenside. Tactically, you may want to hand your opponent a mental jab--"now let's see if you can adjust your pattern recognition to attack me on this side".

Lambik: Wow! Lots of good talk about a great game--I am pleased.

Cubs93: I agree. The possibilities for tournament play are great. The choice of pieces are familiar, and the combinations are great. The setup phase of play is easy to include here, (I would guess in the same style as Screen Chess is played here, or the game that resembles "stratego", with an initial setup before play begins.) and some of the pieces are already in use here (chancellor, archbishop). The addition of the Veteran (moves like king & knight, non-royal) and the Guard (king & wazir) would be great additions to the chess army here. I hope Fencer could consider it.

Fwiffo and Mikezilla, this "BodyGuard" (BG) looks impressive. I like the idea--it seems to be unique. If possible, I would like to see this game represented also.

Geometry is a subject studied often, with the goal of understanding; although the "proofs" stand--the idea is to spread the knowledge amongst masses of people. The essence of the process hold innovative ideas, even if they are old, and a few know the solution.

Our games have such depth we play, and most don't know the "solution", or they would fall into disuse. Our games are not yet "past their time", because those few who do "know the solution" haven't transmitted it to the rest of us by osmosis.

So there is plenty left to see in these games. And even when they are solved, there will be plenty to see....

BIG BAD WOLF: From chessfriend Hans--

(an email to me today)--

"Dear Michael,

Thanks for the mail. Yes, there is a problem - the hosting firm thought we
use too much resources with the script that gets the comments at the bottoms
of the webpages. I've forwarded your email to David Howe (and cc him with this
email), who is currently one of the chief editors of the website.

Best regards,
Hans"

I offer a Shogi tournament for those who love "drop chess" games, this is the Father of them all.

Come and play.

Paul, this one's for you!

Fencer: Yes, I misspelled his name, --Bodlaender-- and I just emailed him.

Just waiting for response.

Fencer: I will be sure to do that.

Fencer: Yeah, I got the same thing. Unsure of what is going on....

I hope it is very temporary.

Fencer: the address should read:

www.chessvariants.org and currently I am playing several games there at their Game Courier. I logged on yesterday, 00:15 hrs GMT, but I have not logged on today.

I will try again, but try my link and see if it works for you.

I hope it is there.

I have Hans Boedlander's address in my files--give me some time to send him a note, and maybe we can find out more about it.

Fencer: No problem. Abigail gave you the correct answer, I just offered something more for you or for those who may want an example. Thank you for asking about the game.

Fencer: Here is a position in Hostage Chess I played recently; I control the Black pieces. In the gamescore, the Asterisk (*) indicated a piece is being dropped on the board. Two piece abbreviations in parenthesis indicate that a piece is being exchanged for another piece, and that shorthand is followed by the piece that is being dropped and the square on which that piece is being dropped. EX: 7.(N-B) B*c5 means that White exchanged a white bishop for a black knight, and the bishop is dropped on c5.

r3kb2/pp3pp1/1qpp2n1/6p1/2P1P1N1/bB1P1nP1/
PPPpN3/RKrR4 w - - 0 29

I invite you to set it up and play along.

In White's prison: black rook.
In Black's prison: white pawn, bishop, queen.

Free Pieces: white bishop.

White is in check. White to move.

I want to continue the process of executing the smothered mate.
29. Choices between RxR or NxR. The c1 square is being occupied and attacked 3 times, and defended 3 times, but the king is one of the defenders. The black Knight on f3 is threatening mate as soon as the black pawn on d2 vacates the square. When the pawn promotes, anyone in the prison (in this case the rook) can be redeployed. Because the rook is giving a contact check, no square is left for the freed bishop or queen to intervene. They, in this case, are useless. The decision to drop the piece could have been to drop the rook anywhere along the 1st rank. Also I could have kept the white queen in prison and sacrificed my queen to re-deploy it. But would that have been a good idea? My bishop is sitting en prise at a3, which a moment ago would have forced a mate for black if unanswered or would have weakened the b2 square and allowed the bishop to reinforce the c1 square for attack. I have to come up with a plan.

29a1. RxR--Rd1xc1, d2xc1 = *R (pawn goes to prison in exchange for Rook) + ; 30. Ne2xc1, Nf3-d2 #.
29a2. RxR---Rd1xc1, d2xc1 = R +; 30.Kb1xc1, Qb6-e3+ and either dropped piece is captured with a contact check by the queen at d2, and then the rooks can be exchanged with check and a won game. […(R-R) R*d1+, and queen & rook can force a drop, and the knight comes to d2 anyway for a smother.]
29b. NxR----Ne2xc1, d2xc1 = R +; 30. Kb1xc1, and the e3 square is protected by the N at g4. So re-deploy the pawn, 30…(P-P)*d2+; 31. Choice of RxP or moving the king to b1 again. There is a powerful sequence which brings the white king to a5, which I forgot to annotate, but here is the position, which entails NOT taking the rook on d2, but instead forcing checks and captures with Ba3xb2+; KxB, (N-B)B*c3+; Kxc3, Qd4+; Kb4, d2-d3 (discovered check with Bf8)+; Ka5 (forced), Qb3 + with at some point an exchange and drop of pawns at *b4 with check, and here is the FEN:

r3kb2/pp3pp1/1qp3n1/Kp1p2p1/2P1P1N1/1B1P1
nP1/P1PR4/R7 w - - 0 1

Hopefully that will give you an idea of how play moves in Hostage Chess.

"Message corrected.Any favorite Janus games?..."

moved to the board "Januschess"

I have been watching the games on and off, and I have been interested in many of the ideas I have seen. ...(edited and deleted at the request of Moderator)

I very much like Janus Chess also, and can, if you like, do a similar collation for Janus Chess players. If more folks here like Janus (and I do like the tactical strength of the game) I will keep the subject more solely on Janus. It has been my wish that more people would discuss the Janus games as well, maybe adding some annotation to particularly strong games, or even games of lower strength that were enjoyable. Does anyone have a JanusSchach game that she/he is particularly fond of, even if that person was just a spectator?

Karterobrontis: Shogi and the "drop chess" variants have wonderful gameplay. Tell me of the differences between Mino--High Mino--and Silver Crown.

Fencer: That's fine. Just Checking.

Fencer: Two or three folks (in addition to myself) have mentioned Hostage Chess; I mean only to get a response--are you against adding it? Neither the others nor I have gotten a response either way. The game rules
clarify its advantages. I invite you again to look at it.

Walter Montego: (From Jan 22nd) Opening libraries are not originated by computers. They analyze tactice after the opening libraries (made my human study) and improve upon them. As far as I know, no opening has been designed exclusively by machine. The time-tested openings, created and maintained by humans, are studied by machine and master, and new ideas are brought out, sure. But The original ideas are human-inspired. Also, in FRC, the machine would have to design a plan to combat its opponent, and the human, who is a better planner, may design an idea which will outdo the calculator with which the human is playing. Computers calculate with given information, but the Idea is the advantage of human players. We will see what comes of it, but take the opening book away, and computer strength is reduced.

I see your concern, but at a website for enjoyment, any obstacle to computer interference is a good one. I come to enjoy myself, and the comfort of beating (or being beaten ) by an opponent who is playing unassisted is encouraging.

Caissus: Team play encourages discussion and exchange of ideas, which is good for players; stronger players teach, which strengthens and verbalizes knowledge--while eager-to-learn players get new information and insight into the board.

redsales: I am always pining for Alice Chess.

The challenge is a deep one.

Tandem chess is good, as is Hostage Chess. The "Drop Chess" games make for strong initiatives, and the playing field is levelled a bit. Hostage keeps the forces more equal; Tandem Chess forces the opponent who makes mistakes to pay for them in pieces. Hostage Chess keeps all the pieces (possibly) able to be in play. Either would be good--both would be better!

Sumerian: Excellent graphics. How does one get the FEN editor for that?

Fencer: Would it be possible, since we are adding Shogi, and we already have Loop Chess (CrazyHouse), could we add Hostage Chess also? It is in the family of "drop chess", but it keeps the forces per side more even, and gives each side the opportunity to take a calculated initiative in the game. Hostage Chess description. Let me know what is possible here. Great game.

Fencer: Very true! Also, those players who are concerned about Computer assistance can rest easy, as our silicon friends have difficulty with the game.

For my vote, I would be more than curious (now that the idea of Immobilizers has come up) to see Demigorgon Chess,
or Medusa Chess. It was invented by Vernon Rylands Parton in the 1960s, and it is a great variant. The text on the games, including Alice Chess and several others, are located in a Text File at ChessVariants.org, in reference to several pamplets on chess variants, both 2d and 3D, and some draught-based variants as well. Look under the section on "Demigorgons" on pages 4-6.

Fencer: I think the game is interesting. Surely the addition could not hurt the site. But, like Walter says, Ultima, or Maxima, its sister game, would be just as interesting, and free. Maxima: see ChessVariants.org on Maxima

Ultima: see ChessVariants.org on Ultima

Arimaa -- I like it. See what some others think.

There is a link about the game, which is the western standard game with a bit of the Japanese Shogi flavor in terms of captured pieces, instead of leaving the game completely, being able to return during a "trading of hostages", whereby pieces can be dropped as in Shogi. It complements standard play very well, and makes for a very interesting game. Look at www.chessvariants.org/difftaking.dir/hostage.html
to see some details on the game, or check out D. Pritchard's Popular Chess Variants to read about it. I got a chance to play it (it is similar in the dropping aspect to Loop Chess) and so would not be such a challenge to modify the programming, I would guess. And the gameplay is marvelous.

I am running a tournament there in Alice Chess, but I would love to play here! Great game.

Play a computer here at this link.. Thanks to programmer Ed Friedlander.

Tournament designers---check into Chess and ChessVariants Clearinghouse to get info to chess players of all tags.

Alice Chess, anyone? I have read about it at British Chess Variants Society, and the work of David Pritchard. It can be accessed at ChessVariants to see about it. Ed Friedlander has a simple PixelPusher program where you can practice it, if the mood strikes.

It plays as standard chess, but two boards are used, and when you make a move on one board, the activated piece moves to the other board.

I am becoming intrigued with the potential of Grand Chess, despite the comments of some of my peers that endgames become quite difficult with the space involved.

Is the possibility of Grand Chess being offered here getting closer?