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Shatranj Kamil (64). Modern Shatranj based variant on 8 by 8 board with new pieces. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
💡📝David Paulowich wrote on Sun, Mar 5, 2023 04:51 PM UTC:

diagram

WHITE mates in 8 moves WHITE: King (g3), Elephants (b3,c4), Ferz (c3) BLACK: King (e1)

1.Kf3 Kf1 2.Fd2 Kg1 3. Kg3 Kf1 4.Ed3+ Kg1 5.Fe3 Kh1 6.Ea6 Kg1 7.Ff2+ Kh1 8.Ef3 mate is the fastest line I could find. I rejected both stalemate and Bare King wins in my latest Courier Chess VIII, which renews my interest in chess problems like this one.

More such problems can be found in the article The Courier Game, by FIDE Master Paul Byway in Variant Chess No. 8, July-December, 1992. He uses "Couriers"(AD) for his Elephants, on a 12x8 board that includes Queens and Bishops. He offers the conjecture: "K + 3 minor pieces v. K is a general win" and states the exception that the Black King can draw against E,E,F by reaching a corner accessible to none of them. My unusual opening setups in this game and Shatranj Kamil X ensure that every square on the board is accessible. But Byway may not have considered the case of "same color" Elephants - he certainly was not studying my more feeble (AmD) pieces. Anyway, it looks like his full strength Alibabas can mate in only six moves:

1.Ee4 Kf1 2.Fd2 Kg1 3.Ed3 Kh1 4.Fe3 Kg1 5.Ff2+ Kh1 6. Ef1 mate.


Greg Strong wrote on Sun, Jul 12, 2020 09:37 PM UTC:

Thanks, H.G. I've added your interactive diagram under the Computer Play section.


H. G. Muller wrote on Sun, Jul 12, 2020 07:34 AM UTC:
files=8 ranks=8 promoZone=1 promoChoice=S graphicsDir=/graphics.dir/alfaeriePNG/ squareSize=50 graphicsType=png stalemate=win baring=0 pawn:P:fmWfcF:pawn:a2,b2,g2,h2,c3,d3,e3,f3,,c6,d6,e6,f6,a7,b7,g7,h7 knight:N:N:knight:b1,g1,,b8,g8 rook:R:R:rook:a1,h1,,a8,h8 general:G:F:ferz:d2,,d7 elephant:E:AmD:elephant:d1,e2,,e7,d8 silver:S:FfW:silvergeneral:c1,f1,,c8,f8 king:K:K:king:e1,,e8

Greg Strong wrote on Sun, Jul 12, 2020 12:06 AM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★

I've made several updates to this page. The HTML had a number of issues, (unclosed tags and the like), although they mostly weren't obvious to readers. I also reformatted it to better resemble our typical game descriptions and edited the text to be clearer. The Computer Play and Equipment sections have also been updated to reflect what is (and is not) currently available.

I will try to post a more in-depth review when I have some time to write one, but for now, suffice it to say this game plays very well and I do not hesitate to rate it Excellent.


Abdul-Rahman Sibahi wrote on Sat, Jun 30, 2007 12:28 PM UTC:
Proposed variant : Shatranj Kamil (72) :

I did some piece value experiments on the Templar Chess board, which adds half a rank behind both home ranks. And this game looked like it would suit such a board.

Proposed setup:

9      - e k -
8  r n s f e s n r
7  p p p p p p p p
6  - - - - - - - -
5  - - - - - - - -
4  - - - - - - - -
3  - - - - - - - -
2  P P P P P P P P
1  R N S F E S N R
0      - E K -

   a b c d e f g h

No castling, and all pieces move as they do in Shatranj Kamil (64). Pawns promote to Silver Generals at the eighth rank, regardless of which file they're on. (They start on the second.) All rules are as in the original game: Shatranj Kamil (64).

It's just an idea.

I would think that, instead of the Silver Generals (S) why not use S2 ? The S2 moves like a 2-step Bishop or a 2-step Lance.

💡📝David Paulowich wrote on Thu, Mar 8, 2007 11:17 PM UTC:

Shatranj Kamil Eight will be posted soon, which uses the same initial setup, but has a new definition for the Elephant: makes exactly two diagonal moves in a row, ending up two squares away. See the Padwar (Strict Interpretation) in Jetan (Martian Chess). [EDIT] Bumped the board up to 100 squares and added Cannons to the corners: Shatranj Kamil X.

Checkmate and Stalemate are the only victory conditions - the Bare King Rule has been dropped. Pawns promote on the final rank to War Elephants (moving either like an Elephant or a Ferz) - see the Padwar (Loose Interpretation). This nonleaping piece moves to the same squares as the FAD in Chess with Different Armies.


Christine Bagley-Jones wrote on Fri, Oct 14, 2005 12:59 PM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★
this game plays really well, the elephants moving as alfil and non-capturing dabbaba is great, love it, opening set up interesting too, especially with the elephants on same color square!

💡📝David Paulowich wrote on Sun, May 29, 2005 01:53 AM UTC:
My [Rule 5] Bare King Loss, like the FIDE 50 move rule, is intended as a practical solution that will work for the vast majority of games played. I once used the FIDE rules to achieve a draw with K+R against K+R+N. My opponent having only nine minutes remaining on his clock also helped. Here is a slightly artificial endgame position. White: King (c1), Knight (e1). Black: King (a1), Rook (e2) 5 Pawns (a2, a6, a7, c6, c7). After 1. Nc2+ Rxc2 2.Kxc2 Black has 4 Pawns free to make 3 moves each. White will lose because he needs more than the 10 moves allowed in Shatranj Kamil 64 to achieve stalemate.

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