And all this time, I thought Chess was a Bughouse variation...

I just finished a 24 move Atomic game, which for me is pretty long. What's the longest game you've played?

I agree with the people who don't like this game, though. It's only value is maybe training for real chess, or a real variant... and I hate to say this, but Chicken Chess is *boring*. I can't stay focused long enough to net the bird; I just fall asleep. *lol*

:P

Not quite. Pawns can't join fellowships.

:)

Well, my guess is:

1. There are a few purists who might scream bloody murder if the rules for their game were tweaked.

2. Fencer hasn't yet discovered the best way to balance this game and is either still looking into it or letting us hash it out.

Just my $.02 worth.

And Chessmaster: You could be right about the three Maharajarahs. I haven't had a chance to test the playability of that. What was your starting position for them? I was thinking of placing one each on the rook and king positions, and allowing them to be checked or captured, as long as there is at least *one* Maharajarah on the board that is not checked.

If you need further balance, maybe we can restrict that to still having no checks or captures on White's side, but that seems a bit silly to me. Ah, well... I'm going to bed.

My first complete game of Maharajarah:

1. Mf3 h6
2. Ma3 e6+
3. Ma4 c6
4. Ma1 b5
5. Mh1 Bb7
6. Mh5 g6+
7. Me5 Qc7+
8. Mxh8 Nf6
9. Mxf6#

White wins. You can't sit there and tell me white has no chance. :P

Did you even read my message before you responded? I didn't say this game hasn't been solved. I said most people's game play does not show best play. Have you browsed your fellow players' ratings as I suggested?

And yes, as interesting as your solution is, posting it at this time was in very bad taste. No one asked for a solution for Maharajarah Chess. Some of us aren't here to make a life's study of a game, or to memorize move trees. Some of us are just here to have fun.

That's what I'm saying. All this talk about how black *can not* lose assumes that people are playing perfect games. Look around, and check people's ratings. Most of them do not play perfectly.

Yes, the game is imbalanced. In my opinion, white needs *three* Maharajarahs in order to balance the play. But the matches are even, one black and one white, and you're wrong, Dmitri. It's not a guaranteed 10-way tie. In my experience with chess, people generally just don't play as perfectly as you seem to think they do.

Besides, look at the entrants' ranks. Last time I checked, everyone except me is a rook, which means they don't *need* the prize, and it will go to me anyway! *lol*

Unless there's another pawn who wants to compete for it? ;)

Hmm... in that case, I say we have a tiebreaker tournament, invitation only, for obvious reasons. The game? Tic-Tac-Toe! *rofl*

Honestly, it's a good point, and one I wondered about, but I don't really think people are going to squabble over the results.

Besides, it seems to me that you're assuming best play. Which, as you yourself know, doesn't happen all that often in live-fire games anyway.

Awesome! Not that I'll win the first time I touch a Maharajarah, but it's a nice incentive. I know some of the tourneys are for prizes, but it seems that I'm too new to join most of them. I've managed to find two of them, and they both had restrictions on when new accounts can be created. I'm too new.

Also, I have some practice games on the board, if anyone wants to join. No rating adjustments, just for fun.

Greetings. I'm new to the site here, and a great site it is, with a lot of interesting games. I just about fell out of my chair when I saw this chess variation. It seems to me that Black has about 27 points of material advantage over white. That makes for a pretty sucky odds match, in my opinion. An interesting mental excercise, I'll agree. But I also agree that white should never--ever--win this game.

This coming from a chess enthusiast who has never touched Maharajarah. I'll probably play a few games just to check it out. Maybe my opinion'll change.