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This page is written by the game's inventor, Roberto Lavieri.

The Travelers

This is an unorthodox game, very different from Western Chess. It is a strange game, but it is very nice, and regardless the apparent simplicity of some pieces and rules, it is a very complex and deep game. The object of the game is to move TWO pieces, called TRAVELERS, to the last rank.  The Travelers are uncapturable pieces, you can "attack" a Traveler (Check), but you can´t capture it. A Traveler in Check can remain in the same square, you are not obligated to move it. Nevertheless, a Traveler CAN´T move to a position in which it can be captured ( a Traveler can´t move to a position in which it is in Check). A Traveler can be MOVED by an enemy piece, called the DISPLACER, but if a Traveler has reached the last rank, it can´t be displaced, it is going to be explained later. Almost all pieces in this game, except the Displacer, move in the same manner: in the eight Queen directions, but only up-to-three squares. The Displacer moves as a Queen. The pieces per team are: Two "Travelers", One Block, One "Displacer", Four "Aces", Two "Deuces" and Two "Treys".

Setup

- - - T D T - - -
1 3 2 1 B 1 3 2 1
- - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - -
1 3 2 1 B 1 3 2 1
- - - T D T - - -

Pieces

Travelers (T): Can move in the eight directions, up-to-three positions. A Traveler can´t capture pieces, neither being captured. A Traveler can´t move into Check, but if in Check, it is not obligatory that you move your Traveler. When a Traveler reaches the last rank, it can´t move, neither being displaced. You win the game if your two Travelers reach the last rank.

Displacer (D): Can move as Queens. If a Displacer lands on a square orthogonally adjacent to an enemy piece, you can DISPLACE the enemy piece(except a Block) and send it to ANY EMPTY square in the vertical line or the horizontal line defined by the Displacer´s landing square. A Displacer can´t displace a Traveler that has reached the last rank.

Block (B): Moves in the eight directions, up-to-three squares. A Block can´t capture, neither being captured. A Block can´t be displaced. A Block can´t never move to the first or to the last rank.

Ace (1): Moves in the eight directions, up-to-three squares. An Ace can capture a piece at distance 1 in the eight directions, except a Traveler or a Block.

Deuce (2): Moves in the eight directions, up-to-three squares. A Deuce can capture a piece at distance exactly 2 in the eight directions, regardless there is or not an intermediate piece in the path. They can´t capture Travelers or Blocks.

Trey (3): Moves in the eight directions, up-to-three squares. A Trey can capture a piece at distance exactly 3 in the eight directions, regardless there are or not intermediate pieces in the path. They can´t capture Travelers or Blocks.

Rules

You win the game if your pair of Travelers reach the last Rank.
Three times repetition is a draw. 50 moves without captures is a draw.
If a Displacer displaces the enemy Displacer, the last one can´t displace again the first Displacer in the next turn. This rule is to avoid some cases of possible three-times repetitions.

Notes

Strategy is not trivial, this complex game is very different from Chess, but the game play is really nice, Try it!.


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By Roberto Lavieri.
Web page created: 2006-01-18. Web page last updated: 2006-01-18