[net.games.chess] Medieval Chess

chris@leadsv.UUCP (Chris Salander) (09/20/85)

	There are many different versions of chess from different
places and different times in history.  I would like to mention one
version of Medieval chess so that you out there can try it.  It does
not require changing the board or the pieces, and it plays completely
differently from "modern" chess.

	All you have to do is change the way the pieces move:

	Pawns:  One square move only.  No double move at the
		beginning.  No capture en passant.  Capture is
		still diagonal. Promotion on the eight row is
		still possible, but the pawn can only be converted
		into a piece that has been lost.  (reflects the
		rare case of a peasant ascending to nobility).

	Knights: Same as today.

	Bishops: Must move only on "church land".  This means one
		of four squares that are two squares away on the
		diagonal.  They can jump over pieces in the
		intervening squares.  EG:
		x = valid move              x . . . x
		. = other squares           . . . . .
					    . . B . .
					    . . . . .
					    x . . . x

	Rooks: Same as today.  Castling is still allowed.

	Queen: She can still move in any of eight directions, but
		she can only move one square at a time!

	King: He can only move one square at a time, and he can
		only move in the four straight directions.  He
		cannot move diagonally. EG:
						. x .
						x K x
						. x .

	Comments on play:

		The knights and bishops can now hop over the pawns
	and go into battle alone.  Against other bishops and knights
	there is a lot of "fencing" or manuvering.  The pawns slog
	along like an army of foot soldiers.  It is not until the
	pawns join up with the knights and bishops that the blood 
	begins to spill.

		The rooks are now the super piece on the board (just
	as castles dominated medieval warfare).  But they must wait
	for the pawns to get out of the way.  The queen is no longer
	the long range ICBM that must be eliminated with your own 
	queen.  Usually, because of her limited movement, and the
	king's very limited movement, she tends to hang around the
	king to protect him.  (Much more true to life!)

	Try it, you like it!

				- Christopher Salander


	

miller@rochester.UUCP (Brad Miller) (09/26/85)

I was under the impression that in medieval chess the king could not castle,
but could move like a knight once per game...

Brad Miller