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The Game of Three Generals

Setup

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Pieces

Pawns

Pawn (7th rank, 3rd rank) - Moves forward one square, orthogonally or diagonally. For further details, see "Rules - Pawns".

Golden pieces

Angle (a9, c9, g1, i1) - Moves like a Bishop, but only forward. Promotes to Rook.

Rook (b9, h1) - Moves like a Rook.

Jeweled pieces

Flier (d9, f9, d1, f1) - Moves like a Queen, but only forward. Promotes to Queen.

Queen (e9, e1) - Moves like a Queen.

Silver pieces

Chariot (a9, c9, g1, i1) - Moves like a Rook, but only forward. Promotes to Bishop.

Bishop (b9, h1) - Moves like a Bishop.

Generals

Golden General (b8) - Moves like a Shogi Gold. Does not promote. For further details, see "Rules - Generals".

Jeweled General (b8) - Moves like a Shogi King. Does not promote. For further details, see "Rules - Generals".

Silver General (b8) - Moves like a Shogi Silver. Does not promote. For further details, see "Rules - Generals".

Rules

Rules are based off of Shogi, which is the Rule Zero for TGoTG. I will only list the rules that are ambiguous in reference to Shogi or unique to this game. A player loses by stalemate, usually by losing all three Generals.

Captures

When a non-General piece is captured, it can be dropped as in Shogi. Pawns cannot be dropped in the same file as another friendly Pawn. Generals are not dropped as in Shogi. For rules on captured Generals, see "Generals".

Generals

There are three Generals per side, the Golden General, Jeweled General, and Silver General, AKA Kinshoo, Gyokushoo, and Ginshoo. I prefer to use the full names or the Japanese terms to avoid confusion of the Gold with the Golden pieces, etc.

Each General "commands", if you will, his section of the army. The Golden General commands the Golden pieces, etc. This is functionally irrelevant until one of the Generals is captured. When a General is captured, it is completely destroyed and not put in hand. All commanded pieces become "Stone", losing their mineral value to become common rock. Stone pieces remain on the board and can be captured like regular pieces of that side. However, they cannot move or promote. Pieces may return from a Stone state. For rules on returning from Stone, see "Pawns".

Generals are confined, a la Xiang Qi, to individual Palaces. Each Palace is named after its General, as the Golden Palace, etc. However, whenever there is an unbroken Queen-line between two Generals of the same type, one can "shoot" and capture the other General without moving.

Promotion

Promotion is as in Shogi. However, a piece may also demote into the piece which promotes to it. When captured, a demoted piece will return to normal. Pawns have a special promotion which can be found in "Pawns".

Pawns

When a Pawn promotes, it is removed from the board. A lost General of the player's choice may then be returned to an empty square in its respective Palace. When the General returns, all Stone pieces of that type become mobile again.

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By John Smith.
Web page created: 2008-12-31. Web page last updated: 2008-12-31