Check out Symmetric Chess, our featured variant for March, 2024.


DISCLAIMER: The ideas expressed on this page are the creative work of its author, Charles Gilman, and they might not be shared by others responsible for this website. They do not represent any convention, consensus, or standard regarding piece names.

Man and Beast 19: The Vice Squad

MAB 08: Diverse Directions lists and names compound rectilinear pieces having both a radial and an oblique component, both of them Straight and symmetric. MAB 10: The Hybrid Diagonal introduced radial, and MAB 14: Oddly Oblique oblique, pieces specific to hex geometries. This article covers pieces with a radial and an oblique component one or both of which are hex-specific or forward-only (FO). It is names of certain of the latter that give the article its name. It also builds on MAB 09: Mighty Like a Rose and MAB 13: Straight and Crooked Moving with pieces having a radial and an oblique component one or both of which are non-Straight, and pieces whose Crooked or Curved path alternates between radial and oblique stages.

The acknowledgments, overview, and glossary to the series can be found here. Established pieces have a link to their Piececlopedia page. The images used in this series, and indeed in most of my pages, can be found here.

Pieces

A hex piece whose components share rectilinear pieces' names inherits the compound name. Compounds of each oblique piece I list in the order Rook/Bishop/Queen/Unicorn/Dabbaba/Elephant/Eunuch. Xyrixa and hex-prism Elf compounds remain LEASEHOLDER/LEVITE/ELUDER/LEPRECHAUN/LEGIONARY/LECHWE/LEGENDIST. On hex prisms the first three are unbound but the rest are bound to all of alterante hex boards. All the hex-prism Fortnight's, the FONVASSER/FOLIPH/OFME/FOFILA/FOSBAH/FORIBOU/FONTOR, are unbound. Xyrixa and hex-prism Underscore ones remain NUASEHOLDER/NUVITE/UNUDER/NUPRECHAUN/NUGIONARY/NUCHWE/NUGENDIST. On hex prisms the fifth and sixth are bound to all of alternate, and the last to one in four, hex boards. Hex Overscore ones are the OVESHAL/VORDINAL/OVE/VOVALCADE/VORPENTER/VONGAROO/VOPARISONNER. The first can exist on, and the fourth and last are on hex prisms bound to one in three cells of, a single hex board. The fifth and sixth are bound to all of alterante hex boards. So it continues with longer leaps.

Where the oblique component is hex-specific the compound follows the same rules. Pieces with a pure-hex oblique component include Sennight compounds the SEASEHOLDER/SEVITE/ESUDER/SEPRECHAUN/SEGIONARY/SECHWE/SEGENDIST, Aurochs ones the AURSHAL/RARDINAL/ARE/RAVALCADE/RARPENTER/RANGAROO/RAPARISONNER, and Student ones the SUASEHOLDER/SUVITE/USUDER/SUPRECHAUN/SUGIONARY/SUCHWE/SUGENDIST. The first of each group can exist on, and the fourth and last are on hex prisms bound to all of, a single hex board, and the fifth and sixth to all of alternate hex boards. Tutor ones are the TUNVASSER/TULIPH/UTME/TUFILA/TUSBAH/TURIBOU/TUNTOR, of which the fourth and last are bound to one in three cells of all hex boards. Sennight+Trebuchet=SEIOPELMA appears in Nearlydouble Hex Chess. Where the oblique component's SOLL divides exactly by 4 I must define them from scratch, as no coprime cubic piece's does. As the jumping-off piece for remainder-3 SOLLs is Elf, so for exact multiples it is Heffalump, and as it is unbound so are all its compounds. Rook+Heffalump and Bishop+Heffalump I pair as HEROINE and HERO (plural HEROES). For Queen+Heffalump the dictionary offered no useful word, so I resorted to EHSAYER, a person saying "Eh?" Unicorn+Heffalump=HERALD reflects heraldic use of unicorns, and Dabbaba+Heffalump=HERON my use of another bird name, Dabchick, for the FO Dabbaba. Elephant+Heffalump=HEADOFHERD, alluding to the song Nellie the Elephant, and Eunuch+Heffalump=HERMIT. Prefect compounds follow the pattern with PEROINE/PERO/EPSAYER/PERALD/PERON/PEADOFHERD/PERMIT, Sabbaba ones as SAROINE/SARO/ASSAYER/SARALD/SARON/SAADOFHERD/SARMIT, Calibrator ones as CAROINE/CARO/ACSAYER/CARALD/CARON/CAADOFHERD/CARMIT, et cetera. All -roes and -adofherds always change hex board.

Conversely, the radial component can be hybrid-diagonal. I considered many themes for Dicorn and Drummer compounds, some for each in turn and none entirely satisfactory. As the Dicorn refers to making choices I eventually settled on giving its Knight/Camel/Elf/Heffalump ones names alluding to giving or taking choices: CATERER, CAROUSER, LENIENT, and HEDONIST. For Dicorn+Gnu I follow the theme with the ACCOSTER who may accost you to either sell or beg food. For Drummer compounds I look to obscure religious minorities, those said to "march to a different drum": CATHAR, CAMISARD (a kind of Huguenot), LEAGUER (an enemy of same), and HEMEROBAPTIST. All extrapolate in the obvious way.

Extensions work the usual way. Examples include Rook+Heffarider=HEROIRIDER, Rumbaba+Nightrider=CATHAROVER, and Ferz+Heffalump=HEROLANDER. Again if the radial component is a General or King the piece takes the suffix -ruler. General+Sennight=SEASERULER and Viceroy+Aurochs=Ravalcade appear under the names Princess and Emperor in John Smith's Neptune.

.

It may have dawned on you that the Headofherd might simply be called a Rooteightleaper. True, but it needed a name from which other Elephant compounds could be extrapolated. Likewise extrapolation from Hermit gives the Roottwelveleaper the alternative name Permit.

However, many pieces combining a coprime oblique and non-coprime radial - and a few also a non-coprime oblique - component can be simply named after their leap length. Square-cell pieces include FIVELEAPER=Antelope+Quibbler and its dual ROOTFIFTYLEAPER (R50)=Namel+Quitter. On cubic boards, whose R50 has an Epoletna component, and xyrixa boards, whose Fiveleaper has a Pentagram one, add THREELEAPER is Ninja+Trebuchet, its dual ROOTEIGHTEENLEAPER (R18) Nimel+Tripper, ROOTSEVENTYTWOLEAPER Nrine+Bitripper, SEVENLEAPER Heptagram+Settler (as it also is on 2d hex boards), and ROOTNINETYEIGHTLEAPER Hemel+Setter. The R18 is significant for the fact that two of its moves at right angles, but always one from each component, form a 4:4:2 Nhirolais move. The cubic ROOTTWENTYSEVENLEAPER is Exorcist+Zombie but the xyrixa one is Exorcist+Opportunist+Zombie. Cubic boards also add ROOTSEVENTYFIVELEAPER=Petmouse+Skeleton, NINELEAPER=Opossum+Ultimatum+Nhimois+Tritrebuchet, and ELEVENLEAPER=Eloper+Enabler. Hex-prism boards, whose Fiveleaper has a Pentagram component and Sevenleaper a Sceptic one, add ROOTTWELVELEAPER=Prefect+Eunuch, FOURLEAPER=Sabbaba+Drummer+Cobbler, ROOTTHIRTYTWOLEAPER=Furtherlump+Minorlump+Commuter, ROOTFORTYEIGHTLEAPER=Monitor+Pefter+Corpse, and EIGHTLEAPER=Cubbaba+Safter+Cornettist+Bicobbler. The SIXLEAPER=Nhirolais+Bitrebuchet and TENLEAPER=Nharolais+Biquibbler are the shortest-range purely non-coprime examples. Such pieces cannot lose the move on square-cell boards, nor odd-SOLL ones on cubic boards, but many can on large enough boards of hex geometries. If both leaps are repeatable, -rider replaces -leaper. Other extensions use the same suffixes as in MAB 08. For example Ninjarider+Trebuchet=THREEROVER, Ninja+Trebuon=THREEON, Antelope+Quibbrider=FIVEQUINTANTE, Antelrider+Quibbon=FIVEDIEM.

.

A further development of MAB 08 pieces, and of those just introduced, is forms of them wholly or partly restricted to forward directions.

Pure-FO pieces continue with suffixes. Thus I term Wing+Helm MARSHRUNNER, Wing+Helmrider MARSHCHARGER, Point+Helmrider MARSHFLANKER, and Point+Helm MARSHCHICK. This is of course extendable to all combinations of a radial and an oblique direction. Thus Mitre+Helm=CARDIRUNNER, Wing+Hump=CANVARUNNER, Mitre+Humprider=CALIPCHARGER, Princess+Helmrider=ACECHARGER, Cross+Cloak=LEVITCHICK, Saltire+Helmrider=CAVALFLANKER. and many others. As with the -rider and -rover suffixes these apply equally where the radial component is non-coprime. Thus Helm+Dabchick=CARPECHICK, Helm+Tuskrider=KANGARUNNER, Humprider+Dabchrider=CASBACHARGER, Disgurider+Trechick=THREEFLANKER, Haste+Quichick=FIVECHICK. Helm+Trechick=CATAPCHICK is used in Nearlydouble Chogi. Here are the movement diagrams for the Marshrunner, Marshcharger, Cardirunner, and Acerunner;

Specific to coprime first steps are Pandacub+Helm=MARSHCUB and Pandacub+Helmrider=MARSHTAMER. These extend to the likes of Bearcub+Helmrider=CARDITAMER and Pandacub+Hump=CANVACUB. Conversely specific to non-coprime ones are Poker+Helm=CARPERIEVER and Poker+Helmrider=CARPERAIDER. These extend to the likes of Picket+Helm=KANGARIEVER and Poker+Humprider=CASBARAIDER.

Part-symmetric pieces use prefixes, starting with Rook+Helm=VICEMARSHAL. For Rook+Helmrider COMARSHAL fits something of similar power to the Marshal. To these I added Wazir+Helmrider=SUBMARSHAL, Wazir+Helm=MINIMARSHAL, Wing+Knight=PARAMARSHAL, Wing+Nightrider=RIDEMARSHAL, Point+Nightrider=METAMARSHAL, Point+Knight=UNDERMARSHAL. Again this extends to the likes of Rook+Hump=VICECANVASSER, Bishop+Helmrider=COCARDINAL, Ferz+Humprider=SUBCALIPH, Viceroy+Helm=MINICAVALCADE, Princess+Knight=PARAACE, Princeling+Knight=UNDERACE, Mitre+Elf=PARALEVITE, Point+Elf=METALEASEHOLDER, Saltire+Elf=UNDERLEPRECHAUN. Helm and Helmrider compounds can be convcreted to Superhelm and Superhelmrider ones by a further prefix of SUPER-, thus Prince+Superhelm=SUPERMINIACE. A Superminiace and Underace are Frolov Octagonal analogues to Shogi's Gold and Silver generals.

Specific to non-coprime radial moves are the likes of Panda+Helm=HALFMARSHAL, Panda+Helmrider=FLANKMARSHAL, Pandacub+Knight=PARTMARSHAL, Pandacub+Nightrider=TEAMMARSHAL, Pocket+Helm=OVERCARPENTER, Pocket+Helmrider=MAXICARPENTER, Poker+Knight=DEFTCARPENTER, and Poker+Nightrider=MEGACARPENTER. Most part-symmetric pieces inherit the fully-symmetric ones' bindings or lack thereof, but some with non-coprime components are more bound. As regards more complex combinations of directions, Jörg Knappen's 10 Directional Chess features Knight+Rookranker under the name Fischer, which it now occurs to me could in Anglicised form be a suffix for all compounds of oblique symmetric piece and radial -ranker, making the piece a MARSHFISHER. Thinking of Jesus making his disciples "fishers of men" and Matthew already having been a "farmer of men" as a taxman, I was further inspired to term Rook+Nightranker MARSHFARMER. Similarly Camel+Rookranker is CANVAFISHER, Bishop+Nightranker CARDIFARMER, et cetera.

On Pentagonal-prism boards Rattlesnake+Knight=MARSHSNAKE, Nadder+Knight=MARSHCOILER, Boa+Knight=CARDISNAKE. Correponding Camel compounds are CANVASNAKE, CANVACOILER, and CALIPSNAKE and Elf ones LEASESNAKE, LEASECOILER, and LEVITSNAKE. They can be further extrapolted only to other n:1 and n:1:1 oblique directions and the Gnu compounds - ACTRESNAKE, ACTRECOILER, ACTORSNAKE - to none.

.

Straight radial pieces can also be combined with Curved oblique ones, and vice versa. All inherit the symmetric Straight pieces' bindings or lack thereof.

Wazir+Rose is primarily an enhanced Rose, Rook+Rose an enhanced Marshal, and the hex-prism pieces Finch+Knight and Finch+Nightrider enhanced Finches. Names fitting these respectively are MARSHMALLOW (a plant), MARSHRANGER (suggesting authority over a marsh), and MARSHWARBLER and MARSHHARRIER (birds). For FO Straight components I resort to prefixes as with pure-Straight part-symmetric compounds: Finch+Helm=AIRMARSHAL, Finch+Helmrider=HIGHMARSHAL, Wing+Rose=PROMARSHAL, Point+Rose=PROVICEMARSHAL. Specific to coprime first radial steps are Panda+Rose=MARSHROAMER and Pandacub+Rose=QUASIMARSHAL, and to non-coprime Pocket+Rose=CARPERINGER and Poker+Rose=CIRCUMCARPENTER. All radial+oblique names can be so suffixed: examples include CARDIMALLOW, CANVARANGER, CALIPWARBLER, CAVALHARRIER, CAFILMALLOW, LEASERANGER, LEVITWARBLER, CARPEHARRIER, KANGAMALLOW, CASBARANGER, AIRCARDINAL, HIGHCANVASSER, PROCALIPH, PROVICEZEBSHAL, AIRSENVASSER, HIGHNIVALCADE, PROLEVITE, PROVICECARPENTER, CARDIROAMER, QUASICANVASSER, CASBARINGER, CIRCUMKANGAROO. Note that the suffixes -warbler and -harrier and prefixes Air- and High- are specific to hex 3d geometries for Marshal/Canvasser/Leaseholder/Cavalcade/Cafila/Leprechaun, and to any hex geometry for Seaseholder/Seprechaun/Aurshal/Ravalcade, but to the cubic geometry for Cardinal/Caliph/Levite.

The compound of a Straight radial and a Crooked oblique piece takes the latter's suffix - and prefix if any. Examples include Rook+Nightdueller=MARSHDUELLER, Rook+Longcamelsidler=LONGCANVASIDLER, Bishop+Shortnightflyer=SHORTCARDIFLYER, Bishop+Camellady=CALIPLADY, and Rook+Longzebraofficer=LONGZEBSHOFFICER. If the radial component is 90° Crooked and the oblique one Straight the suffix is prefixed with -contra- giving the likes of Girlscout+Camelrider=CANVACONTRADUELLER, Boyscout+Nightrider=CARDICONTRADUELLER. If both components are 90° Crooked the suffix is prefixed with -double-: MARSHDOUBLEDUELLER, CARPEDOUBLEDUELLER, KANGADOUBLEDUELLER, ACEDOUBLEDUELLER. For compounds of a radial dueller and oblique leaper I retain the -scout suffix with Girlscout+Knight=MARSHSCOUT et cetera, and the reverse takes -guide so that Ferz+Nightdueller=CARDIGUIDE et cetera.

.

Crooked pieces can alternate radial and oblique moves. All these too inherit the symmetric Straight compounds' bindings or lack thereof. A -MIXER alternates between just two directions, and -WEAVER has the oblique steps themselves alternating. These are in turn prefixed with LONG- for the slighter and SHORT- for the sharper angle, which on square-cell boards add to 90°. Thus Mixers and Weavers prefixed LONGMARSH-/LONGCALIP-/LONGCARPE-/LONGCARIB- all turn half the Longnightflyer's angle (Mixer EMDs Camel-/Knight-/Giraf-/Gimel-wise), SHORTMARSH-/SHORTCALIP-/SHORTCARPE-/SHORTCARIB- half the Shortnightflyer's (Mixer EMDs diagonal/orthogonal/Zebrawise/Zemelwise), LONGCARDI-/LONGCANVA-/LONGKANGA-/LONGCASBA- (Mixer EMDs Zebra-/Giraf-/Antel-/Zemel-wise) half the Longnightsidler's, SHORTCARDI-/SHORTCANVA-/SHORTKANGA-/SHORTCASBA- (Mixer EMDs orthogonal/Zebrawise/Girafwise/diagonal), LONGZEBSH-/LONGZELIP-/LONGZERPE-/LONGZERIB- (Mixer EMDs Knight-/Camel-/Satyr-/Samel-wise) half the Longzebraflyer's, et cetera.

Cubic mixers' angles do not add to 90°, thus the 35° LONGSENVAMIXER (EMD Elfwise) and 66° SHORTSENVAMIXER (EMD Ninjawise), 48° LONGNINSHMIXER (EMD Fortnightwise) and 71° SHORTNINSHMIXER (EMD ND), and 25° LONGLEASEMIXER (EMD Nimelwise) and 72° SHORTLEASEMIXER (EMD Fortnightwise). Where the radial stage is either kind of diagonal there can be three mixers. Thus a 30° LONGSELIPMIXER (EMD Fortnightwise), 55° MIDSELIPMIXER (EMD ND), 73° SHORTSELIPMIXER (EMD Camelwise), 19° LONGNIRDIMIXER (EMD Underscorewise), 45° MIDNIRDIMIXER (EMD Fencerwise), 76° SHORTNIRDIMIXER (EMD Zebrawise), 16° LONGNIVALMIXER (EMD Lecturerwise), 55° MIDNIVALMIXER (EMD SD), and 79° SHORTNIVALMIXER (EMD Fortnightwise). Likewise if the oblique stage has three distinct coordinates, thus a 37° LONGFONVAMIXER, 58° MIDFONVAMIXER, and 74° SHORTFONVAMIXER. Cubic boards add 90° Wazir/[m:n leaper], Ferz/[m:m:n], and Ferz/[m:n:n] alternators, for which -SCALER suits the staircase-like move shape. Thus the MARSHSCALER has a Sextonwise EMD, CANVASCALER and NIRDISCALER Elfwise, ZEBSHSCALER Fortnightwise, GIRSHSCALER Nimelwise, ANTSHSCALER Arbezwise, ZENVASCALER Exorcistwise, SELIPSCALER Elephantwise, LEVITSCALER Zebrawise, FERDISCALER Underscorewise, et cetera. Any -lipscaler shares the Bishop binding. Compounds whose Crooked component ends with -mixer, -weaver, or -scaler have -mixer-, -weave-, or -scale- with the further suffix -LEADER if the Straight component is coprime radial, -BANTE if it is twice-coprime radial, -TRANTE if it is thrice-cxoprime radial, and -ROVER is it is oblique. Examples based on the shortest basic leaps are MARSHMIXERLEADER, MARSHMIXERROVER, MARSHWEAVELEADER, MARSHWEAVEROVER, MARSHSCALELEADER, MARSHSCALEROVER; but CARPEMIXERBANTE, CARPEMIXERROVER, CARPEWEAVEBANTE, CARPEWEAVEROVER, CARPESCALEBANTE, CARPESCALEROVER.

Notable Curved pieces alternating radial and oblique moves are the ORBITERS for radii of root 12½, 5, root 32½, root 65, and multiples of them. The ROOT12½ORBITER is a Rose with Wazir steps inserted into its 55° turns to break each into two 27½° turns, the FIVEORBITER a Macel with Ferz steps inserted into its 55° turns to break each into two 27½° turns, the ROOT32½ORBITER a Rose with the 55° turns broken up by Trebuchet leaps and the 35° ones by Ferz steps, and the ROOT65ORBITER a Macel with the 55° turns broken up by Tripper leaps and the 35° ones by Dabbaba leaps. MONSTERS of a radial and oblique piece, or vice versa, always turn outward, which is defined as passing through other radial lines but not bouncing off them. Thus the PRINCE-KNIGHT MONSTER which is the Mao's Frolov Octagonal analogue can go to Bison destinations but not Newt ones. From d4 on a FD board this means via c3 to a2 and b1, via c4 to a3 and a5, via c5 to a6 and b7, via d3 to c1 and e1, via d5 to c7 and e7, via e3 to f1 and g2, via e4 to g3 and g5, or via e5 to f7 and g6 - but not to a4, d1, d7, or g4 - which would involve bouncing off an orthogonal - or b2, b6, f2, f6 - which would involve bouncing off a diagonal.

.

Divergent pieces can mix radial and oblique moves. The DRAGO[O]N is a compound of Knight and Pawn - I offer the option of the second O as Dragoon regiments mix infantry with cavalry and so many other pieces are known as Dragon. More straightforward is a radial piece capturing only as an oblique one, or vice-versa. I start with names of Pawn-like lowliness for FO pieces: CADDIE (a golfer's bag-carrier), LENDER (another looked-down-on financial trade like Broker), and HELOT (one lacking civic rights in ancient Greece) for a Cross capturing as a Helm, Cloak, and Rumtusk respectively. All can be extrapolated to other capturing directions with the same SOLL remainder: ZEDDIE, NUNDER, PELOT et cetera. More can be added by prefixing with other FO divergence: a CADDIED PAWN is a Point capturing as a Helm and a CADDIED ESQUIRE/TWICEPAWN/DABCHICK a Cross/Point/Dabchick capturing as a Hump. Non-forward directions can be included: a CADDIED STEWARD/FERZ capturing as a Knight and a CADDIED TWICESTEWARD/STEVEDORE/DABBABA as a Camel. On rectilinear boards the Caddied Steward is colourswitching because both the Wazir and the Knight are. A TWICE-CADDIED DABBABA captures as a Fiveleaper, a CADDIED GOLDDABBABA as a Caman, and a CADDIED SILVERDABCHICK as a Nitan. Long-range pieces include the CADDIRIDER, LENDERIDER, and HELOTRIDER as well as Caddied forms of the Pawnrider, Dabchrider, Bishop, Stewardess et cetera. Loonybird and Thinktank Chess both feature a CADDIED STEWAPACIFIER (Rook capturing as Knight), CADDIED FERZPACIFIER (Bishop capturing as Knight), YEOMANNED CONTRACADDIED NIGHTSNATCHER (Knight capturing as Rook), and CONTRACADDIED NIGHTSNATCHER (Knight capturing as Bishop). A CADDIED PAWNCROSS is the Frolov Octagonal analogue to the Pawn.

It occurred to me that MAB 02's Stewardess, Waitrees, and Valet and their Contra- pieces might be useful in a cubic variant, especially one with odd numbers of levels and filestacks, as they are all unbound in contrast to the Bishop and Unicorn. I then wondered what names might suit pieces divergent between another obvious trio of cubic pieces - the Knight, Sexton, and Ninja. It later occurred to me that on a square-cell board it might be similarly useful to complent the Challenger and Contrachllenger with divergent pieces involving Zebra moves. I looked to names based on the full compounds - Churchwarden, Samura, Oberon, Gazelle, and Bison. Ultimately I decided to term a Knight capturing as a Sexton CHURL, meaning a person of low birth in pre-Norman England; a Knight capturing as a Ninja SAMARITAN, a word that has come to mean one prepared to come to he aid of strangers; a Sexton capturing as a Ninja OBEYER, simply meaning one who follows orders; a Knight capturing as a Zebra GAZETTEER, a guide book useful to travellers; and a Camel capturing as a Zebra BISTRO, a place serving food and so tying in with Cook and Chef and their offshoots. All five have their Contra- pieces so tha Churl+CONTRACHURL=Churchwarden, Samaritan+CONTRASAMARITAN=Samurai, Obeyer+CONTRAOBEYER=Oberon, Gazetteer+CONTRAGAZETTEER=Gazelle, and Bistro+CONTRABISTRO=Bison.

On the Hex board I add SERF and RAGMAN for a Saltire capturing as a Senhelm and Past respectively. The latter's extrapolations include an equally apt BAGMAN for capturing as an Oven. Rather confusingly capturing as a Student gives Serf's homophone SURF. Brokers can be Serfed, Ragmanned, et cetera, capturing the same way, as can Viceroys and Waiters, capturing as a Sennight, Aurochs, et cetera. These have duals on cubic boards: the SERFED SEXTON and RAGMANNED SEXTON capture as a Fortnight and Arbez respectively. So do Brokered Ferzes similarly prefixed. All these examples are colourbound. Again there are the likes of the SERFRIDER. Contra- reverses the divergence making a Helm capturing as a Cross CONTRACADDIE, a Senhelm capturing as a Saltire CONTRASERF, a Helmrider capturing as a Mitre CONTRACADDIRIDER, et cetera.

Jose Carrillo's AJAX KNIGHT is an Acelander capturing only as a Knight. On the same basis AJAX CAMEL is an Acmelander capturing only as a Camel and an AJAX GNU an Actrelander capturing only as a Gnu. Ajax versions of the Nightrider, Camelrider, Gnurider, Zebra, Giraffe, Sexton, and Ninja are likewise an Acerover, Acmerover, Actrerover, Ezelander, Igelander, Esmelander, and Inelander capturing only as the named oblique component. Relevant geometries also have Teucer, Trambelus, and Telamon versions of their oblique pieces.

Conversely Gianluca Vecchi's BALAKLAVA pieces add a noncapturing Knight move to radial pieces. A BALAKLAVA QUEEN, BALAKLAVA ROOK, and BALAKLAVA BISHOP are an Ace, Marshal, and Cardinal capturing only as their radial component. The game introducing these pieces also substitutes for the standard Knight a BALAKLAVA ALIBABA which is a Squirrel capturing only as an Alibaba. Again there can be Balaklava versions of any radial piece, and BALAKRIDER pieces adding a noncapturing Nightrider move. The latter can also apply to pieces already having a Knight move, so that a BALAKRIDER MARSHAL is a Marshrider capturing only as a Marshal. A corollary comparable to Xaja and Xajarider pieces would be AVALKALAB and AVALKRIDER pieces adding exclusively capturing Knight and Nightrider moves.

There can also be various one-offs of this kind. The KNEADER is a Knave capturing as a Debtor, and he CONTRAKNEADER a Debtor capturing as a Knave. These pieces are notable in that they are unbound pieces that are divergent between two bound, but differently-bound, pieces and so substatially stronger than either bound piece. They can also be seen as a Carpenter restricted in alternate directions to noncapturing and captuing moves. Here are the movement diagrams for the Kneader and Contrakneader, with the number 1 indicating capturing moves and the number 2 captures:

Notes

The most complex hex-specific pieces have their own article, MAB 20: Far From Square.

Use of the suffix -cub has no connection with -scout and -guide, as it is derived from the Pandacub, Bearcub, et cetera.

The Nineleaper's rider and partial riders, on a large enough board, do not conflict with any Curved piece as there is no Curved Nrinerider to take the name Nine on its own. The few pieces starting with Nine not connected with the number include MAB 08's Ninetoad, which is Nimel+Trebuchet, and its rider and partial riders which all retain the T before the suffix.


This 'user submitted' page is a collaboration between the posting user and the Chess Variant Pages. Registered contributors to the Chess Variant Pages have the ability to post their own works, subject to review and editing by the Chess Variant Pages Editorial Staff.


By Charles Gilman.

Last revised by Ben Reiniger.


Web page created: 2008-09-20. Web page last updated: 2024-01-22