Schizophrenic Chess

Board and Setup

a b c d e f g h i j k L +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ 7 |:BT:|BLSc|:BS:| BCN|:BB:|BBob|:BK:| BB |:BCN| BS |BRSc| BT | 7 +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ 6 | BC |:BC:| BC |:BC:| BC |:BC:| BC |:BC:| BC |:BC:| BC |:BC:| 6 +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ 5 |::::| |::::| |::::| |::::| |::::| |::::| | 5 +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ 4 | |::::| |::::| |::::| |::::| |::::| |::::| 4 +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ 3 |::::| |::::| |::::| |::::| |::::| |::::| | 3 +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ 2 | WC |:WC:| WC |:WC:| WC |:WC:| WC |:WC:| WC |:WC:| WC |:WC:| 2 +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ 1 |:WT:|WLSc|:WS:| WCN|:WB:|WBob|:WK:| WB |:WCN| WS |WRSc| WT | 1 +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ a b c d e f g h i j k L DIAGRAM KEY: WC - White CRAB WT - White TELEPORTER WLSc- White LEFT SCHIZZY WS- White SQUIRE WCN- White CROWNED KNIGHT WB- White BISHOP WBob- White BOBBER WK- White KING WRSc- White RIGHT SCHIZZY BC- Black CRAB BT- Black TELEPORTER BLSc- Black LEFT SCHIZZY BS- Black SQUIRE BCN- Black CROWNED KNIGHT BB- Black BISHOP BBob- Black BOBBER BK- Black KING BRSc- Black RIGHT SCHIZZY

The Pieces

The KING and BISHOP move and capture in this game the same way that they do in usual Chess. The object of the game is to checkmate the enemy King. Special moves for the King are described below.

CRAB- moves and captures like the Pawn (one square diagonally forwards, initial move of two squares) but in addition to being able to move one square forwards like a standard chess pawn, may also move one square forwards diagonally in either direction on any move.

(In the above diagram a black dot indicates a square to which either a capturing or non-capturing move may be made, and a green dot a square to which only a non-capturing move may be made.) Upon reaching the last rank a crab may promote to any of the following pieces of its own color: QUEEN, BISHOP, CROWNED KNIGHT, SQUIRE, or TELEPORTER. ALSO a crab which promotes in files a to f may promote to a LEFT SCHIZZY and a crab which promotes in files g to L may promote to a RIGHT SCHIZZY. Crabs may capture and be captured en passant by other Crabs after moving two squares.

Special restrictions on promotion: A player may not have more than one QUEEN in the game at any time. (This does not count the BOBBER, or the SCIZZYs) If a player already has a Queen in the game and is promoting another Crab, it must under-promote. Also a player may not have more than three SQUIRES in the game, so if a player already has one Queen and three Squires and is promoting another Crab it must yet again underpromote to something other than a Queen or Squire. After that, there are no further restrictions to promotion.

TELEPORTER- A TELEPORTER moves and captures differently. When making a non-capturing move, it may move to any unoccupied square on the board that is of a different color from the square it started its move on. (For instance, from a light square to a dark square, or from a dark square to a light square.) However, when capturing, it moves like a King, one square in any direction.

The only exception to this rule on its movement is a TELEPORTER may at any time during the game move back to either of that player's initial TELEPORTER starting squares (a1 or L1 for White, a7 or L7 for Black) even if it is of the same color from the square it is teleporting from. When a TELEPORTER moves back to its origin square in this way, that square must be unoccupied for it to be allowed to stay in the game. A TELEPORTER MAY teleport back to one of the teleporter origin squares [either TELEPORTER may teleport back to a1/L1 (for White) or a7/L7 (for Black)] but if that square is occupied by an enemy piece at the time, not only is the enemy piece captured, but the TELEPORTER "explodes" and sacrifices its life in order to capture the enemy piece. The TELEPORTER is then also removed from the game and is considered captured. The surrounding squares are unaffected.

Additionally, a Teleporter may also teleport into any square on the player's own first rank (rank #1 for White, rank #7 for Black) which is occupied by an enemy piece (regardless of whether it is a light or dark square) and the Teleporter will "explode" thus capturing the enemy piece and also sacrifice its own life and be removed from play. A Teleporter may still (of course) move to an unoccupied square on the first rank, only if it is of the opposite color from which it is teleporting from. But it may teleport into squares occupied by enemy pieces in its own first rank, regardless of the color of the square, and explode.

LEFT SCHIZZY- Moves and captures like a Knight (in an "L" shaped 1-2 move), Wizard (like an extended "L" shaped 1-3 move, or one square diagonally in any direction) IF IT STARTS ITS MOVE FROM ANY SQUARE IN FILES a, b, c, d, e, or f; or may move or capture like a QUEEN (any number of squares in any direction) IF IT STARTS ITS MOVE FROM ANY SQUARE IN FILES g, h, i, j, k, or L.

RIGHT SCHIZZY- Moves and captures like a Knight (in an "L" shaped 1-2 move), Wizard (like an extended "L" shaped 1-3 move, or one square diagonally in any direction) IF IT STARTS ITS MOVE FROM ANY SQUARE IN FILES g, h, i, j, k, or L; or may move or capture like a QUEEN (any number of squares in any direction) IF IT STARTS ITS MOVE FROM ANY SQUARE IN FILES a, b, c, d, e, or f.

The reader should note that it is possible for a SCHIZZY to reach a square from which it will be able to make its next move like a Queen after making two Knight or Wizard moves from its starting square.

Thus the LEFT SCHIZZY increases its firepower on the RIGHT side of the board, and the RIGHT SCHIZZY increases its firepower on the LEFT side of the board! A SCHIZZY may (when legally empowered to do so) move (either in a capturing or non-capturing manner) as a Queen from one side of the board to the other, and may continually move back and forth from one side of the board to the other as it wishes, but its move will always be determined by what file it starts its move on. A LEFT SCHIZZY which starts its move on files g to L moving like a Queen back to files a to f will make its next move only as a Knight or Wizard, and vice versa for the RIGHT SCHIZZY. Likewise, the LEFT SCHIZZY moves as a Knight or Wizard from files a to f but if it ends its move on a square in files g to L will be eligible to move like a queen on its next move, and vice versa for the RIGHT SCHIZZY. A LEFT SCHIZZY MAY NOT MOVE LIKE A KNIGHT OR WIZARD FROM FILES g to L!! ONLY AS A QUEEN! A RIGHT SCHIZZY MAY NOT MOVE LIKE A KNIGHT OR WIZARD FROM FILES a to f!! ONLY AS A QUEEN!

Also please note that the terminology for the Schizzy pieces are named according to how the board looks from White's point of view. When the board is viewed from Black's perspective, his "RIGHT SCHIZZY" actually starts the game on his left side, and his "LEFT SCHIZZY" starts the game on his right side. Nevertheless, each Schizzy moves the same way on each side of the board for each player. If you only look at the board from White's perspective it is less confusing.

SQUIRE- moves as a standard chess Rook, any number of squares up, down, left or right, or like a Ferz, one square Diagonally. This is the same piece as the Dragon-King from Shogi, where it is the promoted form of the Rook.

CROWNED KNIGHT- A CROWNED KNIGHT moves and captures like a Chess KNIGHT (in an "L" shaped 1-2 move) or like a KING (one square in any direction). It is not royal. This piece is also known as a Centaur.

BOBBER- The BOBBER moves and captures in a unique way. The BOBBER increases its firepower the longer it is able to stay alive in the game. On its first move of the game, the BOBBER may move one square in any direction. On its second move of the game, it may move up to 2 squares in any direction. On its third move of the game, it may move up to 3 squares in any direction. On its fourth move of the game, it may move up to 4 squares in any direction... and so on and so forth up to its 11 moves of the game where it can (theoretically) move up to 11 squares on one move (the maximum number of squares it could possibly theoretically move on the board if moving from one side of the board to the other horizontally. After its 11th move of the game, it is essentially a QUEEN and will continue to move and capture like a Chess Queen for the rest of the game. (After its 6th move of the game, a BOBBER is essentially like a Chess Queen when moving vertically or diagonally but is still limitted in its ability to move horizontally.)

Special Moves

CASTLING

SPECIAL KING MOVE: Once during the game, the King itself may "teleport" to either of that player's own TELEPORTER starting squares of (for White: a1 or L1, for Black: a7 or L7) only if the square the king is teleporting to is empty and is not controlled by an enemy piece (would not be teleporting into check). It may still teleport after it has castled, but obviously may not castle after it has teleported. Again, to emphasize: the King may not teleport while in check, may teleport only once during the game, and has the option to teleport to either of its own TELEPORTER starting squares only if that square is empty and the King does not teleport into check.

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Written by David Short.

HTML conversion by Peter Aronson.

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Created on: September 24, 2002. Last modified on: September 24, 2002.

Schizophrenic Chess

By David Short

Introduction

Board and Setup

Rules

The Pieces

Special Moves

Zillions of Games

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