Your pieceset is nice,Reinhard.But I personnally would prefer to play with standard pieces like here:
Link

Hi Caissus, who declared that 'standard'? I have seen some very different icons. Overmore the Queen still is not sybolized (which is good so) by a hybrid piece symbol combined from rook and bishop.

Hi to all!
I believe in CRC! It's allligned on Bobby Fisher ideas!. I've discussed it on http://forum.fide.com/viewtopic.php?t=684
I hope that the filtering (and/or pondering) of unwanted positions has to be done very soon!
Bya at all!

Hi Morphy72, the filtering is already implemented in Smirf. To do it manually would be frustrating. But a tool like the Smirf program is a usable solution.

What is standard,hm?I think in the real chess the Staunton pieces are a standard.In virtual chess the most computers and chessservers use pieces as we have here in Bk and they are very similar to the Stauntonpieces.In chessvariants.com they have the alfaerie-chessset.The icons for the chancellor and the cardinal are very logical and selfdeclarend.In Janusschess we have an icon,which was defined by the inventor and the januschessfederation http://www.janusschach.de/.

Well I have seen a lot of different icons also for a Janus. And (except of the pointed dog ?) they seem all to have their inner logic. But its just the character of being a mix of others which takes those symbols out of the row of the conventional icons. Thus I have 'invented' my own more distinct symbols. I did it not for to claim that this should be a new type of standard. But it reflects the situation in which the common symbols only seem to be a substitute for the missing real symbols.

I have 80 square boards and I could easily make a Janus set since I have extra pieces. Just let me know.

morphy72....you seem to like the word"diffuse",and your writing skills are similar to another user who is banned from this board.

I would like to present this game;since I beleive it is one of the 4 best I ever played. When the game ended explosively after 14 moves I had 7 forced mates in less than 5 moves. Most were 1 or 2 move mates. My opponant was actually in a hopeless situation after move 11;due to his greedy over aggressive play from move 7 until he resigned. My opponant has a higher ranking than me at present.

http://brainking.com/game/ShowGame?g=503892

Ed Trice has created a Gothic Chess tournament with 3 prizes for first, second and thrd place finishers.
Sign up here

I like the pictures of the Chess sets for Grand Chess. Perhaps you could have them send you the pieces and order two extra Cardinals with your set. Then you could play Janus Chess, Bird's Chess, Capablanca Chess, and Gothic Chess on a 8 X 10 board and Grand Chess on a 10 X 10 board, by selecting the right pieces and set-up to use.

Hi Walter, do you know my symbols for Archbishop (Janus) and Chancellor? See also: http://www.chessbox.de/Compu/schachveri1_e.html

I meant the actual pieces themselves, not the representations of them. Grand Chess used to have a webpage up and it had a page of the chess sets for the game that they made and sold. I thought it cool how they made the Marshall and Cardinal. Easy to tell which piece they were, plus nice looking sets too.
As for you symbols. I suppose the two swords is a gatekeeper, but I don't like it much. That link to the chess variant's page of Grand Chess had better looking representations than the one I'm used to seeing on their site.

Since when was the King valued as 4 Pawns? I've always played him as just under the Knight in strength. He covers eight squares maximum like a Knight, but it takes him 7 moves to cross the board. Plus, his vulnerablity makes him a target and he can't be traded. Definitely not a stronger piece than a Knight or Bishop. Or am I reading that chart incorrectly?

Hi Walter, concerning the King: you have to keep his value distinct from combinatorical thoughts, because then his value is infinite. Imagine there would be a piece with similar gait but not to be defended like a King when being threatened.

OK, I've imagine that. As I said, I value him just under a Knight. How can you seperate the loss of him costing you the game from how strong a piece he is? Even in doing so, I still value him as I've said. I'd like to know how it is that you value him stronger than a Knight or Bishop?

well I have a close approach to all pieces even for the capablanca board an piece set. For this see: http://www.chessbox.de/Compu/schachansatz4_e.html and around, where I derived the average piece values like used in Smirf.

I currently have four games on the "Waiting games" page if any of you reading this would like to play a game or two. If they're all gone by the time you read this, please feel free to send an invitation or a message. I generally need three or four days for a time limit in case I have to be away, but I almost always move once or more a day.

Does anyone know what this is all about? I did not take the time to read it, thought maybe a Janus player would know more about it.

http://www.miranda-im.org/download/details.php?action=viewopinion&id=1118

It doesn't appear to have anything to do with Janus Chess. It's seems to be some sort of game enabler for internet play. Perhaps you can go there and check for yourself. The rest of the post seem to concern bugs and use of the program. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Janus 1.0.9 (1.0 epsilon)

Download
21378 Downloads | 274.46KBytes
Install using Miranda Installer


Updated:
06/04/2004 05:04:20
Screenshot View

Publisher ai91
Date added 28/02/2004 03:11:27
Requirements
License Freeware
Source code None Available

Description
Janus is a games-plugin for popular instant-messengers Miranda, Trillian and &RQ.
It allows to play some games with your friends over the internet.
Games currently implemented: Chess, Reverse, Corners, International checkers, Russian checkers and Pool checkers

Re: Miranda IM is just the very best Instant Messenger on this planet. It is open souce, smaller, faster, easier than Trillian or the native messengers. Miranda works with ICQ, AIM, MSN and all other popular networks, also QQ of course which is popular in Asia. So everybody is connectted with everybody via Instant Messaging. Currently 308 plugins are offered, they are what makes Miranda to be Miranda, the core program is very plain. Miranda offers perfect spam protection, contact list sorting, buddies survey and let´s you see invible users and much much more things. This plugin named Janus has nothing to do with Janus chess. The plugin just allows you to play Chess, Reverse, Corners, International checkers, Russian checkers and Pool checkers with other Miranda users. I am the most recent poster and know it rather well. I called it an offtopic remark. You see, Ed Trice, whereever you find positive remarks about Gothic Chess, they are most possibly written by me. I am a Miranda maniac. I use it only with ICQ, which is the by far most popular IM network in Europe. My number is 67351, not 9 digits like if you would register a number today. :-) Many people told me that they would like to buy my number. :-)

Always nice when someone knows what they're talking about. I was just winging it from my short visit to the site. Since you're now the new poster over there, I've deleted the reference to it in my previous post. Is the game use of the Miranda IM a new feature of it?

I forgot to mention that I had planned my last move as early as move 11;and only had to wait until I had driven off his archbishop to a square where it could not defend against the mates.

Relatively new, yes, it´s there now for some months. There are about 100 active plugin writers for that open source Instant Messenger. I am a heavy Miranda user and I try nearly every new plugin and every plugin update (there are 308 plugins so far, the messenger can do just everything about messaging and keep your many contacts sorted), but I nether tried this Janus plugin. I mainly use the messenger for spam protection reasons with ICQ (spam robots have no chance because they have to answer a question to get through), to really keep the survey over my 1.000 local contacts (some known like family members, others I never talked to), I keep the survey with picures of them in the message window, mouse-over-tooltip-notes, history statistics and quick sorting on last seen date, seeing invisble users, such things. but I only use 40 plugins. Many plugins used by me have just the sense to improve the design, capture screenshots, or see who reads my status message when I am in away-mode. As said - the Janus plugin has NOTHING to do with JANUS CHESS, and I don´t see much sense in it, because it´s probably more fun to play on a game server. Also: The other side also must use the plugin - normally it´s a main sense of Miranda to connect everybody with everybody, no matter which client is prefered on which side.

I know 2 variations using The Gothic King's Indian Attack as White. In The Philadelphia Variation White's moves are Nh3,i3,Bi2,f3,Af2, ect. In the New Jersey Variation White's moves are Nh3,i3,Bi2,e3,Be2. I have an Article in an old Gothic Chess Review discussing The Philadelphia Variation;and showing a game using it. Does anyone know of any Article discussing the New Jersey Variation;or of any games using it? Also,have any other Variations come along since Mr. Trice gave names to these? I would appreciate the help.

Are there any Articles other than the one in the July 2000 Gothic Chess Review discussing this Openning that anyone knows of? The basic first 3 moves are: 1.e4 d6;2.Nc3 Nh6;3.Nh3 c6. As I stated in my last message I would appreciate the help of anyone knowing about this.

I suppose any and all such questions would be easily answerable by Mr Trice, if he decided to grace this board with his presence again...

Unfortunately,Mr. Trice sent me a message asking me help him boycott this site. So,unless he has these articles available elsewhere;I do not know where to obtain this information.

I meant to say boycott this discussion board;not Brainking.

I'm not sure when the next version of gothic vortex comes out. In it it will have more than 10x as many opening positions. In it will probably have that opening, but we will have to wait until Ed Trice releases it.

What would be neat for this board if we had links to our games or anyone's games and say white to move and win, or black to move and win like chessgames.com does. It should be a brilliant move which undermines the oponent or sets up for a forced checkmate or a win in a good amount of material.

This board has mostly been dead lately. It would be nice to start up some discussion.

That sounds like an excellent idea;except that I really dislike computer analysis as opposed to human analysis.

GothicChess.de will be online very soon. It´s not yet ready to be watched, so it´s nowhere else "promoted" right now, it´s a private hobby site. The aim is to just build a site in German language and to show that there is another one, not only the original one alone ! At least as long as this is okay for everybody it uses much content of gothicchess.org and will link to the offers there, but maybe also to other ChessVariant Software. If the copyright owner of images and text content doesn´t want it to be copied, let me know. My goal is to make the game more popular in Germany and to demonsrate it´s advantages over Birds chess, other Capablanca variants and over 8x8 chess. I don´t feel too much as German base, but a good relation would be very best. It will be mainly just a translation of all content and it will also use the name Gothic Chess of course, I think this should be okay. I am rather familiar with intellectual property law and will recommend Gothic Vortex and the pieces from GothicChess.org. It´s not planned right now any soon, but I would like to feel free to add software like ChessV as link, also including the remark that this program can play evey Chess. I mean this program is absolutely legal for sure despite it can play Gothic Chess even without editor and without code change and it will always be much weaker than Vortex which is mainly promoted as Gothic Chess software. I have greatest respect in both, Ed and this author, so I don´t want to hear of any trouble between them even if some people for the beginning play with ChessV. They all will talk about Gothic Chess and heavy users buy the vortex later for sure.

In "Feenschach" Germany 1998 was published the following januschessproblem composed by Udo Marks:

W checkmates in two moves

Solution soon !

1. A2h3, waiting.

if 1..gxh3 2. Axh3#

And here is the solution with all nice variants:
1.) J2h3! threat 2.Jixg4#
Every of Black`s effort to defend results in another checkmate:
1.) ... , Qe4 . 2.) Be6# .
1.) ... , Jd4+ . 2.) Sxd4# .
1.) ... , Jxe5 . 2.) Rxe5# .
1.) ... , Jh6 . 2.) Jxh6# .
1.) ... , Jj7 . 2.) Jg7# .
1.) ... , Rf4 . 2.) Jxg3# .
1.) ... , Bxe7+ 2.) Sxe7# .
1.) ... , Sxd7+ 2.) Qxd7# .
1.) ... , Si3 2.) Jh4# .
1.) ... , gxh3 2.) Jxh3# .
1.) ... , g5 . 2.) Jhxg4# .

I just notice the board colors on the diagram are wrong. The lower right hand corner is always supposed to be white.

That`s for sure!

Will United States Cititens be able to use this website?

So far I haven´t heard of any plans of the US administration to avoid this. But you never know.
I don´t know how it is about aliens and others. All three parties, visitors, Ed and I have no problems with the site. By the way, for those who are alrady paying members, knight is enough, there are also other GC discussion forums, which are moe alive. This one her should be relighted, too. If newbies want to discuss anything, feel encouraged please.

I have created the New Year Janus Chess Open for all players!
The best games of this tournement will be published in the German chess journal "Rochade Europa"!

<I will participate in this tournament altough my Janus experience is zero! It can't be too difficult to play since i know Gothic Chess. I just have to study a little the opening from games between strong players and i'll be ready to bite anyone who would think: "Unrated==>Easy opponent...:-)"

You're in for a surprise. The game is lots different. Least ways, it is for me. Them Januses (Archbishops in Gothic Chess) are different when there's two of them for each player. I suppose if you're playing a game and you trade one for one early in the game it'll go like a game Gothic Chess without the Chancellors in many ways, but the starting position is different and castling is slightly different.
The Januses can work together like same colored Bishops, too. Plus after making a Knight type move, they can have a Bishop backing them up along a diagonal in a way that the Chancellor can't. I've been burned a number of times this way.
Still, if you're good at Gothic Chess, you should have no problem learning Janus Chess. Probably spank me good when our game comes up. :(

This sounds like a good site. I hope it isn't spoiled by rude nonplayers.

I would like to think that this game might be a candidate for inclusion in that journal:

http://brainking.com/game/ArchivedGame?g=347378&i=65

The position shown is the start of a mate in 27 (with optimal play) and it involves sacrifices of the Janus on both ends. White to move and win tosses one on the right side of the board, and the opponent finds a creative way to try and draw by disposing of his Janus on the left side of the board. Black then sacrifices the exchange (Rook for Bishop) to sustain the attack with his Janus. Then, white parts with the Queen, and the win is finally assured, although the ending of 2 Rooks vs. Janus plus "army of pawns" looks bad for white at first glance.

I don't think I have the energy and time to pour into another Janus tournament, or clearly not at the same level, so that game might be all I have that is worthy of print.

A great game against a very strong Janus player.

Does anybody knows any software (preferable freeware) to view Janus Chess PGN files?

Smirf does it, even the shrinked beta version. But it always would be demanding to view its licensing screen.

EdTrice:
Thanks.I must say,that I have missed your Janussacrifice in this position.
I have sent this game to the journal already and it will be published perhaps in January or February.

Sumerian: Where can I download Smirf?

andreas:
at http://www.chessbox.de/beta.html , see Project Cronicle, 2004-Dec-10. But because of designed to become shareware, Smirf will be shrinked in its power and often suggest to become registered.

Sumerian: I tried to download a PGN file from this site (see link to the game in the recent post by Ed Trice). However Smirf just displays: 1. e3 f5 1-0.