Sky

This is a rules file for Zillions of Games, a Windows program that will let you play any puzzle or strategy board game you can feed it the rules to. With Zillions-of-Games installed, this rules file will let you play this game against your computer.

Sky is played on a 10x10 board with 9 unusual, extremely awkward moving leapers. The only other piece used is the Rook, which comes on the board after promotion. All leapers can promote, and are arranged in 2 groups, both with a promotional line leading to the Rook. Each player begins with the 4 weakest leapers, and must quickly try to promote them, defending and attacking along the way! Don't get caught with your hand on your Rook while getting mated by your enemies Antelope's! :)

There are no pawns in Sky! Promotion zone is final 3 ranks (full details below). Leapers play surprisingly well together as an attacking force, and in combination with the Rook, they are often spectacular. I must admit, i was taken by surprise at how well the leapers played, giving the game an amazing amount of complexity, depth and richness of play. Gameplay can get pretty sharp and fast-paced.

Setup

Pieces

Tripper: 3-3 leaper
Promotes to Threeleaper

Commuter: 4-4 leaper Promotes to Fourleaper

Threeleaper: 3-0 leaper Promotes to Flamingo

Fourleaper: 4-0 leaper Promotes to Antelope

Flamingo: 6-1 leaper Promotes to Lancer

Antelope: 4-3 leaper Promotes to Root-fifty leaper

Lancer: 4-2 leaper Promotes to Fiveleaper

Root-fifty: 7-1, 5-5 leaper Promotes to Fiveleaper

Fiveleaper: 5-0, 4-3 leaper Promotes to Rook

Rules

Promotional Lines:

There are 2 promotional lines leading to Rook.

1. Tripper -> Threeleaper -> Flamingo -> Lancer -> Fiveleaper -> Rook
2. Commuter -> Fourleaper -> Antelope -> Root-fifty -> Fiveleaper -> Rook

Promotion Zone:

White = 8th 9th 10th rank, Black = 1st 2nd 3rd rank. Any move that ends with a piece standing in promotion zone allows that piece to promote if desired (except Rook which does not promote)

Notes

pretty cool these leapers all playing together

hey, zillions plays this game pretty well, not easy to beat, maybe i'm not used to it yet, we shall see :)

score count for 'should pawns be in the game' - 9-2 against - all leapers voted 'no' rook and pawn voted 'yes' king didn't vote

what piece do i like best. well hmm let me think .. i love the flamingo, and the root-fifty. i like the antelope too. oh yeah and the lancer, you got to love the lancer .. and the Fiveleaper because it does have the antelope jump too. i like all them. and the tripper. love the tripper.

Antelope's Kiss:

The Antelope's Kiss is when the Antelope promotes to a Root-fifty leaper with check. That is to say, after Antelope promotes to Root-fifty leaper, the Root-fifty leaper is giving check to the enemy King. The best example i have seen comes from Zillions vs Zillions, i think either a 5sec/10sec game, when white has just played 30 Threeleaper g2-d2 to prevent black mating with Rook a3 checkmate (note Antelope helps in that mate). Now black has a forced mate in 2, beginning with the 'Antelope's Kiss'! 30 .. Antelope e6-h2 = Root-fifty leaper check!! Mate follows with 31 .. Commuter a10-e6.

below is a screenshot after white played 30 Threeleaper g2-d2.

Of course, there is a 'flamingo's kiss' and 'lancer's kiss' etc, any leaper that promotes with check. i like the 'flamingo's kiss', promoting to lancer, and of course, the 'fiveleaper's kiss', promoting to rook. i think everyone loves that :)

Double/Triple/Spectacular Mates:

i saw zillions vs zillions play a double Antelope mate but didn't save the game! anyone with some interesting screenshots of mates interesting positions or even just patterns etc are welcome to send screenshot/game to me to add here if interesting etc etc shown below, 2 flamingo's and commuter with a nice mate

........................................................................

first release - submitted to chessvariants site 23 dec 2005 thanks to creators of zillions, zillions site and chessvariants site thanks to david howe for alfaerie graphics

Game was updated in 2012, this is a screen of the original setup

Download Instructions

Instructions on downloading this Zillions file:

• Download the .zip file
• Extract the contents of the .zip file to your Zillions of Games folder
• Be sure you have the "Use folder names" checkbox checked when you extract the files.

Last revised by H. G. Muller.