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Can one of the admins for the site update the links at http://www.chessvariants.org/index/mainquery.php?type=Any&startswithletter=M&orderby=LinkText&displayauthor=1&displayinventor=1 to include a link to the Modern Chess preset for Game Courier? The Modern Chess preset's link is: /play/pbm/play.php?game%3DModern+Chess%26settings%3DAlfaerie The 'See Also' page for Modern Chess: http://www.chessvariants.org/index/displayitem.php?itemid=Modernchess needs also to be updated with the link to the Chess Courier preset above. Thanks in advance.
My new Bishop Adjustment Rule also applies to Modern Chess:
http://www.chessvariants.org/index/msdisplay.php?itemid=MSthebishopadjus
1. Are there any websites dedicated to Modern Chess... I mean do people actually play it?
2. It's tempting but I don't like the Bishop adjustment thingy. Unless perhaps, would giving the Bishop the option to utilise one opportunity per game to move one square in any direction be good?
3. Is it one sided playing an odd number of squares? Does Black or White have a distinct advantage on a 9 x 9 square board?
4. Where can I buy a 9 x 9 board?
I'll try to answer your questions:
>> 1. Are there any websites dedicated to Modern Chess...
No, other than here at Chess Variants, I do not know of any othe websites dedicated to Modern Chess.
>> I mean do people actually play it?
Yes, still in Puerto Rico (where the game was invented in 1968), but not as much anymore.
You can't find Original (brand new) Modern Chess sets anymore.
I got this original (used) Modern Chess set last year while visiting Puerto Rico.
>> 2. It's tempting but I don't like the Bishop adjustment thingy.
It's the only kind of obscure rule, but it was the creator's way of solving the problem of Bishops starting on the same color (which the creator actually didn't see as a problem).
>> Unless perhaps, would giving the Bishop the option to utilise one opportunity per game to move one square in any direction be good?
I guess one can use it as an option or alternative to the original rule. It must agreed before the start of the game to use this variation of the rule.
>> 3. Is it one sided playing an odd number of squares? Does Black or White have a distinct advantage on a 9 x 9 square board?
No. There is no advantage for either player, other than for white having the first move (just like in Orthodox Chess).
>> 4. Where can I buy a 9 x 9 board?
You can try:
Ministers Chess (9x9) at http://www.corinthiangames.com/
or
International Chess Variants Board (10x10, and you make it smaller) at http://www.modern.chess.variants.tripod.com/
In Europe you should be able to get other 10x10 International (Polish) Checkers (draughts) boards, which you can customize to 9x9, and use your chess pieces from a couple of Orthodox Chess Sets.
I also found last year a copy of the Spanish version of the game inventor's book in a library of rare books in Spain.
>>White has the advantage of a more quickly promoting centre Pawn but it is balanced somewhat by the reverse symmetry.
White has no advantage other than the first move, just like in Orthodox Chess. Not sure where you get that the reverse symmetry somewhat balances the 'more quickly promoting centre pawn' theory of yours.
>> The imbalance between the colours, both in terms of the board and the armies, makes the game ugly,
What imbalance of armies are you talking about?
>> as does the Bishop Adjustment Rule.
Won't argue this one. There had to be a way (perhaps ugly) to solve the problem of the initial Bishops on the same color squares.
Here is a Modern Chess preset that doesn't enforce the rules: /play/pbm/play.php?game%3DModern+Chess%26settings%3DAlfaerie2 Antoine, The Preset you previously created has a bug in the Bishop adjustment. If a Bishop moves first (not adjusted), the 2nd Bishop is not allowed to adjust (which it should!) Can you check it? Thanks. Jose
Actually another option would be to place the Minister where the King side Bishop usually stands - since it is also a Bishop you wouldn't be changing anything - then you would have the opposite coloured Bishops.
You then put the King side Bishop where the Queen is and put the Queen on the other side of the King as in normal Chess.
So like this:
R N B Q K B M N R
But yeh, 9x9's are irritating. lol.
Interesting use of the BN piece type combo in a variant.
This may be a question with an obvious answer, but I was wondering if either side can commit to playing the whole game with two bishops on the same coloured squares (not including any promotions to a bishop). As there is nothing I can see that's against this possibility in the rules, I'm assuming it's allowed.
Kevin,
I have a Modern Chess set, so I checked the official rules. They state that the game be played as it is set up. That is, one player has two bishops on white, the other had two bishops on black. The author seems to think this is better. The inventor permits, with prior agreement of both players before the start of the game, the "Adjustment of the Bishop". Each player may swap one bishop with either neighboring piece, providing neither has moved. This expressly forbidden in the official rules.
Hi.
i believe the personal invitation feature for game courier simply hasn't been working for some time now.
Only public invites are working.
Nonetheless: Thanks for all your great work on the website, Fergus.
Does anyone now if there still is a world federation of modern chess?
According to Pritchard's Encyclopedia, it was dissolved in 1984. I tried some Google searches, English and Spanish, and didn't come up with anything. Apparently, like many variants, it did died out once the inventor was no longer promoting it.
It has been brought to my attention that the name of the author of this game is not correct. The full name is Gabriel Vicente Maura. From the examination of several sources, it appears that Gabriel is the first name and Vicente Maura is the family name. As it is usual in hispanic mode, Vicente is the father's name and Maura is the mother's name. Vicente also being an usual first name, a confusion has arisen.
In his Spanish book "Evolucion del ajedrez, 40 siglos" (Madrid, 1980), the prologue mentions "esta obra de Gabriel Vicente Maura", then simply "este libro de Vicente Maura", "el labor de Vicente Maura". In the acknowledgements, the author thanks his son, Carlos Gabriel Vicente Vega. He is also named his son as Carlos Vicente Vega at several instances in the book. On p212, the author mentions his niece, Marissel Velazquez Vicente.
From all this, it is certain that Vicente is not the second given name of the author, but his main last name, the one inherited from his father. The inventor of Modern Chess is Gabriel VICENTE MAURA, Mr. VICENTE.
I don't think that dark-squared bishops are a problem here. On the contrary, it is rather something that makes this variant interesting, considering the fact that a bishop is stronger than a knight on large boards. It would be great if someone could actually calculate which one is actually more valuable here. This game is intended to represent chess in a modern condition, apart from the introduction of the minister, where the influence of religious institutions, represented by bishops, is diminished, and it is logical that the other part of the board is no longer under their control.
Brilliant analysis and subsequent position, Max Koval. However, could it not also be consonant with contemporary emphasis upon cults and conspiracies, the the bishop adjustment rule, which would render control along "theistic" or spiritual lines, to all of the white squares upon the board might not also represent the current world emphasis upon a Spirituality 2.0 or next-generation spirituality which would actually require an expenditure of energy to re-emphasize the importance of the spiritual or numinous in a secular world? And that this expenditure of energy would be masterfully represented by a player sacrificing momentum (in the form of one 'castling' like maneuver to switch one of the black bishops to white? Additionally, it has been many years since I have read the original thesis, and I was quite young, at the time, but... is it possible to perform a Bishop switch maneuver TWICE? And thus have a player be able to have TWO bishops operating along white squares? This is an intriguing perspective and again, thank you for the BRILLIANT and mind-expanding ideations!
@SYG: "is it possible to perform a Bishop switch maneuver TWICE? ". The answer is in the short text: "The player would have four ways to do the adjustment, but he is only allowed to do it one time throughout the game".
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