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Comments by nuno

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Omega Chess. Rules for commercial chess variant on board with 104 squares. (12x12, Cells: 104) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Nuno wrote on Fri, Feb 20, 2009 11:27 PM UTC:
This game adds in an ingenious way the movements of several pieces of
Tamerlane chess, which is the 'grandfather' variant of all these XX and
XXI century 'chess variants boom': We have the camels, dabbaba, ferz,
alfil and wazir.

What if they were mixed on the other form? Substitute wazir by ferz (so
the champion is now colorbound) and the ferz by wazir (so now the wizard
is not colorbound). Anyone can try this at home without breaking
copyright. I think... But my idea is not that. Just to say that is is
interesting to try to see if the game becomes more complex or not, more
interesting or not.

Wazir. Moves one square orthogonally.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Nuno Cruz wrote on Sun, Jan 25, 2009 11:45 PM UTC:
'The Wazir, or Generalissimo. He moved straight, only one square (...). It is evident, however, that he could, 'slowly, but surely' cover all the squares of the board, hence is value was greater than that of the Farz which could cover no more than one half of the board.

(Forbes, page 141)

Is this true? I had the idea that, even colorbound, the Ferz was slightly more valuable..


Mideast chess. Variant on 10 by 10 board, inspired by ancient Tamerlane chess. (10x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Nuno Cruz wrote on Sun, Dec 28, 2008 04:04 PM UTC:
I was just browsing the pdf of Falkener Book (available on line for download) and I noticed that for Tamerlane chess he modified some piece names for people of the west (Americans in this case but also true for Europeans) to better understand them. Some names that he gave to pieces were precisely the ones given in this variant.
Most probably the inventor was familiarized with Falkere's book.

Alpha Variant Font. More Alfaerie graphics, plus a preview of the new Alpha Variant font.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Nuno Cruz wrote on Fri, Dec 26, 2008 07:33 PM UTC:Good ★★★★
This project has stopped or is already concluded?

Tamerlane chess. A well-known historic large variant of Shatranj. (11x10, Cells: 112) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Nuno Cruz wrote on Wed, Dec 24, 2008 02:59 PM UTC:
There is a free on line font that has the pieces of chess as well as of shogi.. but also of Tamerlane chess(!). I made a screenshot that you can see below.

the link for this site is: en.grinningbit.com


[Subject Thread] [Add Response]
Nuno Cruz wrote on Sun, Dec 21, 2008 01:03 PM UTC:
The last one.. The set was black and (ugly) bege. I painted the black pieces dark brown - they are the ones pictured here - but unfortunaly in some of them the paint attacked the plastic and created many ugly scars like strips :(

The paint cane said it was good for ALMOST all plastics..


Nuno Cruz wrote on Sun, Dec 21, 2008 12:57 PM UTC:
This one has the hole 'familiy' together. This set for MODERN KAMIL was made from two plastic chess sets. The Camels are Bishops with a resin Camel head that was bought on Toys are us. They sell resin made animals. They hade the complete body, but of course that I went 'French Revolution' on them! :D

The book they are standing on is the 'Classified Encyclopedia of chess variants'


Nuno Cruz wrote on Sun, Dec 21, 2008 12:47 PM UTC:
Here it is some pictures of the set for my variant MODERN KAMIL (variant which I pretend to rename and modify the exit squares for the Camels).

The camel is like my piece 'fetiche'. OK OK.. it is lame.. awkward, weak.. it doesn't even worth two pawns(?!).. etc, but it still feels like one of the most logical fairy pieces to add to a game, and in this particular, to a decimal game.

Hope you like the pics. they are poor quality because were made with a cheep mobile phone.

In this picture we can see the Camel compared to the Bishop and a pawn.


[Subject Thread] [Add Response]
Nuno Cruz wrote on Sun, Dec 21, 2008 01:37 AM UTC:
I took a look at his post. I can see that it is an http link. That requires
me to upload the pictures to a site first. I do not have one, only blogs
:(

I was hoping I could upload directly to the comment.

Thanks
Nuno Cruz

Nuno Cruz wrote on Sat, Dec 20, 2008 10:34 PM UTC:
Can you please help... I would like to post some pics on a comment. How can
I do that?

Many thanks!
Nuno

[Subject Thread] [Add Response]
Nuno Cruz wrote on Sat, Dec 20, 2008 06:58 PM UTC:
about the size of the elephants... make sure their ears are small. We are
talking about Indian elephants (Chaturanga) not African ones! : D

[Subject Thread] [Add Response]
Nuno Cruz wrote on Sat, Dec 20, 2008 03:41 PM UTC:
thanks! :)

Nuno Cruz wrote on Fri, Dec 19, 2008 11:07 PM UTC:
(Note: This commment those not belong to a page?)

Very interesting because it really seems that that was the purpose of the
'inventor' of chess. Rook, Alfil and Knight to be like the three types
of pieces that complemented each other... Historically the first record we
have of this (0,2) piece is the Camel in a Decimal chess of Baghdad
supremacie era... and also comes convergent to John Ayer theories!

It seems logical. We are just missing the proofs. :)

Shatranj. The widely played Arabian predecessor of modern chess. (8x8, Cells: 64) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Nuno Cruz wrote on Fri, Dec 19, 2008 10:41 PM UTC:
Take a look at this: 
http://www.mobygames.com/game/amiga/distant-armies/screenshots
Nice. And old.... (1988)

:)

Ninth Century Indian Chess. Differs from Shatranj in the setup and the Elephant's move. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Nuno Cruz wrote on Mon, Dec 15, 2008 11:05 PM UTC:
It seems that in India there was a bit of differences from one region to another. That is not surprising. Today we are living in a world that always want to 'standardize' things... but when there where now papers, TV, telephone or any means of communication but the spreaded word or the occasional manuscript, things tended to get local 'colors'. Chess was not different. Only with Islam it first appeared a standard version of chess (in the west of course..)

On the same page of Murray where this account is given it also appears the movement of the Burmese (or silver general) piece but referig to the Punjab in India. There is now doubt that it was the ancestor of the moves on this local varieties.

The quest for the discovery of the first version of chess is becoming so much more intriguing... and fascinating. :-)

Modern Kamil. Two variants that add the Camel to the standard Orthochess array on enlarged boards. (10x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Nuno wrote on Mon, Nov 10, 2008 08:15 PM UTC:
Of course that what I said below about stalemate only makes sense if the rule for the possible 76 square board (64+3x4) was to be maintained the same as usual chess. Which some find illogical but others say it is part of the beauty of chess. So opinions very. And this was the only reason for the possible 3 square citadels. So that, for example a rook - a piece that usually reaches the endgame- could penetrate on this extra squares.

Caliph. compound of Bishop and Camel.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Nuno wrote on Thu, Nov 6, 2008 03:06 PM UTC:
For example, a variant like Grand chess, that has a great impact and good acceptance, could 'impose' as regular the names for the combined R+N and B+N. It is a good criteria, I believe.

Modern Kamil. Two variants that add the Camel to the standard Orthochess array on enlarged boards. (10x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Nuno wrote on Wed, Nov 5, 2008 07:37 PM UTC:
Thanks for your feedback! Your comments are very useful.

Speaking of the 68 squared board with camel 'citadels', I've got one
more thing I would like to be discussed: Wouldn't be an improvement if
those citadels had 3 squares? One behind and another on the side of the
rook? I saw somewhere on the net a board like that and it could maybe be a
good idea for avoiding stalemates. For example for endgames with rooks..
Because in this game the extra piece Camel doesent add any value to the
endgame (most probably it 'goes down' in the middle game..) Which means
in the endgame it would be pretty much be normal chess, but with citadels
the risk of draw would be bigger!!! Unless the stalemate rules were
changed..

Thanks once again! :)

Omega ChessA link to an external site
. Commercial chess variant on board with 104 squares.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Nuno wrote on Sun, Nov 2, 2008 01:52 PM UTC:
Mr. Duke, can you please tell me the link to the page about triples of Mr.
Betza? I wanted to see the other no knight triples.. I' trying to find
the page but failed.

Many thanks

Alfil. Jumps two diagonally (see Alfil).[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Nuno wrote on Thu, Oct 16, 2008 11:19 PM UTC:
But I'm confused.. What is the name for Elephant in Arabic? since the
piece represented just that! 'Al' is the article ok.. ist it Fil? Or did
the name just made sense in Persian (Pil?)and the Arabs did the same thing
Spanish did in keeping the name without any mining? (well.. in reality
Alfil IS the Spanish word for Bishop, so it has a mining).
Any native Arabic please want's to comment?

Curious.. if my country (Portugal) and Spain have a lot in common on it's
evolution, why do We call also Bishop to the bishop? :P

Champion. Moves one orthogonally or jumps two orthogonally or diagonally.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Nuno wrote on Thu, Oct 16, 2008 10:20 PM UTC:Good ★★★★
In Ralph Betza funny notation this would be a WAD?  :D
Or we could name it Alibazir (Wazir+Alibaba) :P

War of the Worlds. Chess army from planet Earth against the Martian forces of Jetan. (10x10, Cells: 100) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Nuno wrote on Wed, Oct 15, 2008 04:00 PM UTC:Good ★★★★
I prefer this set up for Omega chess than the official one.
It is a regular board without odd citadels - althoug I myself created a
'citaldeled' chess variant (Shutur) - and on the more than natural
'Great Chess' board, the 10x10. With this setup you have exactly the
same opening lines of chess, because the pieces of FIDE chess are as if on
their usual 8x8 positions and distancies; so Knights don't have minor
powers and it wouldnt be needed the 'Templar Knigt' patch..

But don't get me wrong. I like Omega chess and even have one of the
'first' boards they produced (nr. 816 I believe). It is a good game
(probably the finest way to put and combine Tamerlane weak pieces on a
functional, atractive and facinating good game.

Carpenter. compound of Knight and Dabbaba.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Nuno wrote on Sun, Oct 12, 2008 09:27 PM UTC:
I forgot to give the link for the page where I saw this names. It is:
http://www.ktn.freeuk.com/9a.htm

Phoenix / Waffle. A piece which has the combined movements of the Wazir and the Alfil.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Nuno wrote on Sun, Oct 12, 2008 12:37 PM UTC:
I like this combination pieces! :)

This one is also known as a 'Phoenix' in Chu Sogi and Caliph (as I
mentioned some years ago on the first comment of this page).

Carpenter. compound of Knight and Dabbaba.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Nuno wrote on Sun, Oct 12, 2008 12:27 PM UTC:
Well I believe there are some. I'm making a file to myself in Open Office
format with the annotations of Ralph Betza about the atoms of pieces
(wazir, ferz, etc) and their combinations. And as I go along with this
file I'am replacing its funny notation for some names I found on the
'All the King's men' page, as well as here on some variants.
And these are may sources basically.

For example, The FD (ferz+dabbaba) is called a Duke and also a Diamond by
chess problemists. But, and here is the fun part(?), it is called a Kylin
(mythological creature) by japonese playeres since the middle ages on its
Chu Shogi!

Another example is the famous Waffle of Ralph Betza, also appears in Chu
Shogi, under the name Phoenix (another mythological creature)! In the west
it is called also a Caliph (a very appropriate name I believe..).

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