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This page is written by the game's inventor, Charles Daniel.

Ninjutsu (Claustrophobia 2)

This is an entry in the 45/46 cell 2007 design contest.

Like Claustrophobia, this game is played on a 5x8 board with 3 additional squares on each side - a total of 46 squares.

Here however, the Ninja Warriors - the exact orthogonal version of the ninja guards - replace the flying bombers. There is also the additional aspect of piece promotion, for both the Ninja Warriors and the Ninja Guards can promote to Insane Ninja Knights! These super-powerful knights, not present initially in the game, combine the moves of the knight, the ninja guard and the ninja warrior.

Setup

note that the standard chess pieces can represent the new ones:
Queen = Queen-Guard
Bishop=Ninja Guard
Rook=Ninja Warrior
Upside Down Rook=Insane Ninja Knight!
Claustrophobia 2 starting position Start Position for white. (black mirrors white)

Ninja Warrriors on a1, b1
Knights on c1,g2
Ninja Guards on d1, e1
Queen Guard on f2
King on f1

Pieces

The Ninja Guard’s Moves

The Ninja Guard is a color bound piece that can move one or two steps diagonally. It can leap over a diagonally adjacent friendly piece to land exactly 2 squares away (a two-space diagonal leap). It can capture on any square it lands, and additionally it can can capture an enemy piece that is diagonally adjacent by jumping over it. It can capture two pieces (the first immediately adjacent to it, and the next right after) in its path on a diagonal by jumping over the first one and capturing the second piece on the square it lands.
Ninja Guard’s moves The Ninja Guard on c4 can capture all the pieces in the diagram.
It can capture the pawn on a6 by jumping over the knight at b5.
It can capture the pawn on b3 by moving to b3 or by jumping over the pawn and landing on a2.
It can capture the knight on d5 by moving to d5 or it can capture both the knight and the pawn by jumping over to e6.

The Ninja Warrior’s Moves

The Ninja Warrior can move one or two steps orthoganally. It can leap over a friendly piece to land exactly 2 squares away (a two-space orthogonal leap). It can capture on any square it lands, and additionally it can can capture a piece right next to it by jumping over it. It can capture two pieces (the first immediately adjacent to it, and the next right after) in its orthogonal path by jumping over the first one and capturing the second piece on the square it lands.
Ninja Warrior’s moves The Ninja Warrior on d4 can capture all the pieces in the diagram.
It can capture the pawn on d6 by jumping over the knight at d5.
It can capture the pawn on d3 by moving to d3 or by jumping over the pawn and landing on d2.
It can capture the knight on c4 by moving to c4 or it can capture both the knight and the pawn by jumping over to b4.

The Extra-mobile sliding pawn

The pawn moves and captures exactly as in orthodox chess except for the following. Normally, when a pawn faces an opposing pawn or an enemy piece, the pawn is blocked. However, the sliding pawn can, under these circumstances only if it is blocked, slide pass the enemy piece or pawn with the same 1-step diagonal movement that it would make when capturing.

The Queen Guard

The Queen Guard moves exactly like the King, 1 step orthogonally or diagonally.

The Insane Ninja Knight

This piece is the ultimate goal of Ninjutsu. It combines the powers of the knight, ninja guard and ninja warrior.
For more info on this piece see Asylum Chess

Rules

The rules are as in orthodox chess except as noted below:

Notes



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By Charles Daniel.
Web page created: 2007-10-02. Web page last updated: 2007-10-02