Game Reviews (and other rated comments on Game pages)
Equalized Shatranj. Basic weak moves of ancient pieces are compensated by their numbers. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Круто, прикольно. Что-то в этом есть и от тайских шахмат. Мне нравится такое распределение фигур по цветовым комплексам.
Cool and cute. There’s even a breeze of Thai chess here. I like this management and distribution of pieces on color complexes.
Fairyranga. Game based on Chaturanga & Makruk with Southeastern, Mongolian and even Russian elements. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I like it too, very much. I agree with Florin that the text is not well promoting this variant. Maybe someone with better English than me could help Lev in re-phrasing his presentation. That game would deserve it.
Fearful fairies. An experimental army for CadA, featuring the Dullahan (Ferz-Knight compound) and the Banshee. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Life, the Universe and Everything. 42-square double-move variant with unusual pieces, inspired by Douglas Adams' fiction. (6x7, Cells: 42) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Life, the Universe and Everything is a Chess variant inspired by the works of the late Douglas Adams. It is a double-move variant with unusual pieces on a board of (of course) 42-squares.
A game with a pretentious title that adds nothing to chess. I don't care how famous the author was. If "the answer to everything is 42", the author refuses to further explain his reason for choosing such a number.
Of course, the elites know what 42 really means, and are terrified.
Hundred Acre Chess. Chess based on Winnie-the-Pooh. (10x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]This is a very unusual variant. It appears to work despite the seemingly excessively jumpy Owl. The game is very sharp, which I like. The donkey's feel mostly useless, but that might fit the theme? I wanted to get it working with ChessV but couldn't.
I'm rating it Good (why is there no Average rating option, by the way?) because I like the creativity and emphasis on diagonals.
TCB. Traffic Calmed Boders. (9x9, Cells: 65) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating] R-Chess. Chess as Rhombus. (21x17, Cells: 213) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I don't normally give the excellent rating unless a game really impresses me. But this game looks great and deserves it.
Congratulations!
Locusts. Simple chess variant with only two set of pieces on each army. (12x12, Cells: 144) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Nice to see a game with the Locust in it and it's a great idea too, well done.
Camelopard Chess. Game with Camelopards. (12x12, Cells: 144) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Some interesting pieces in this game, I'm wondering if this is the first game with the 'Camelopard' in it.
It's first appearance is as you say from R.J.Darvall. You can see the chess problem here: 'Variant Chess' #2, April-June, 1990, page 20, 'Fairy Chess Review' 1949, R.J.Darvall, mate in 2. Amazing from the year 1949, so yes, this could be the first game ever it is in, if anyone knows another, please say.
Correct me if I am wrong, but the Tribune: (2,0)+(3,3) leaper and the Zerdinal: Slides diagonally, or makes a (3,2) leap are named by Charles Gilman with his thousands of piece creations lol. Is that where you got them from, and if so, are these the first games they also have ever been in. If anyone knows another game they are in, please say!!
Anyway, good work on the game.
Diagonal Quadrant Chess. Pieces start in two of the four by four quadrants of the board. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Tusk Tower 1320
Knavish Shatranj. Shatranj with Knaves and Debtors. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]With shuffle.
Annapurna1 SandraPaul.Brand Chess. Members-Only Missing description[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Since this comment is for a page that has not been published yet, you must be signed in to read it.
Chess with Different Armies. Betza's classic variant where white and black play with different sets of pieces. (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]How about switching Diamonds & Onyxes? or Onyxes with Lame Ducks? That'll make Onyxes easier to bring to long diagonals.
How about LafJ instead of Diamonds?
Square Root Chess. Chess on a ladder-alike tilted board. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]This is an excellent concept. There's just one tweak I'd like to see. Pawns on the a-file cannot move any further to the left, so that could be a problem. One way to remedy that might be to divide the board vertically down the middle, giving pawns on files A-D a move to the RIGHT, and on files E-H to the LEFT, as you have currently done for all pawns.
Astrohex. Members-Only Star-alike variant on irregular hexagons. (Cells: 72) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Since this comment is for a page that has not been published yet, you must be signed in to read it.
Glinski's Hexagonal Chess. Chess on a board made out of hexagons. (Cells: 91) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Since it's the featured variant for this month, here's Glinski's HC:
But with shuffle.
Banzai Chess. Friendly pieces can be pushed and pushed pieces can bounce. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]It would be an interesting challenge for someone to make an Interactive Diagram for this variant.
Pushing does appear in other games, of course (a couple of pieces in my own Zwangkrieg do it), but I don't think I've ever seen the idea applied as uniformly as this, nor explained as neatly, clearly, and elegantly. It makes me wish that there was a simple code one could add into XBetza for doing it.
Cleopatra Chess. No captures, but your Cleopatra (Queen) can seduce opposing pieces to your side. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]This looks like a good idea but I am not so sure of its practicality. The board might end up very crowded and we need to see a game simulation before deciding on its "greatness".
The 4 stars are only for the name. I like the idea of using Cleopatra as a seducing piece.
I had this idea of making pieces switch sides for a long time, but I always thought that the person in charge of finances could do this job, which is more realistic.
Cylindrical Chess. Sides of the board are supposed to be connected. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating] The Marvellous Megafauna. A diverse Chess with Different Armies faction with riders and leapers. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating] Self Eliminator. You are allowed to take your own pieces. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I had the same idea yesterday, glad to know I am not alone. What about en passant? If introduced, it should be applied "from behind", so e.g. after c4, white could capture its c4 pawn moving b2 or d2 to c3.
Janggi - 장기 - Korean Chess. The variant of chess played in Korea. (9x10, Cells: 90) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Here's an example:
Smess. Produced and sold in the early 70's by Parker Brothers. Arrows on squares determine direction pieces can move. (7x8, Cells: 56) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Smess
But 5 & Ninny can promotes to Brain.
Quadrhombic Chess. Members-Only Orientation of four board sectors is changed. (Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]Since this comment is for a page that has not been published yet, you must be signed in to read it.
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Are people still playing this game? Would love to hear if they are and if anyone would want to play with me? Post on this group and we can make a plan.