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Wildebeest Chess. Variant on an 10 by 11 board with extra jumping pieces. (11x10, Cells: 110) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]I recently sent in a nomination to make this game--a well-established,
widely-disseminated, thoroughly-played design--a 'recognized' variant. If
you agree, send the editors an email. :)
This game is really something! To me the best large variant of chess! WHY is it not a recongnized variant yet???? :-)
Jared wrote on Fri, Apr 19, 2002 11:38 PM UTC:Good ★★★★Hey, how do you nominate a game for those anyway? Email me at [email protected]
Jared wrote on Tue, Apr 23, 2002 12:35 AM UTC:Good ★★★★Hey, I can't edit my own comments!! Oh well... stop sending me information please!! I have already gotten two replies. As for the game itself, I personally do not prefer CVs where non-pawns start next to other identical pieces, like the bishops and camels. Therefore I propose a variant where each player has the option of switching a camel with the bishop on the same color, sort of like the switch rule of Changgi.
Charles Gilman wrote on Sat, Mar 29, 2003 08:44 AM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★It took me a while to realise what this game does. It adds the same pieces relative to the Knight as the standard game has relative to the Rook, befitting the Knight's similar antiquity. After all, a Camel move is simply a Knight move turned through 45° and multiplied by root 2, as a Bishop move is to a corresponding Rook move (consider the triangle b2-a3-c4). Nor is it coincidence that the Camel is colourbound. Thus the Camels are to Bishops, and the Wildebeest to a Queen, as the Knights are to Rooks.
Charles Gilman wrote on Sun, May 25, 2003 06:59 AM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★The second Excellent is for inspiring a further variant, which I term Ecumenical Chess, with every combination of two first-rank pieces. These include a Marshal (M=R+N), a Cardinal (D=B+N), a Canvasser (V=R+C), and for each colour square a Caliph (V=B+C) (the repetitive use of Ca- is intended for substituting Ze- and Gi- in corresponding combinations with the 3:2-5:1 and 4:1-5:3 leaper pairs, starting with Zemel and Gimel for the plain colourbound leapers). I envisage four versions: basic - 10r by 8f, CLVQKWLC, RNBDMBNR, PPPPPPPP; Pawnless - standard board, RBVQKMBR, NCLDWLCN; Uncommon - 4r by 8f, VQKM, LDWL; and Gross - 12 by 12, RNBCVQKWCBNR, RNBCLDMLCBNR, 12 Pawns. Pawnless and Uncommon are inspired by Half Chess (under small variants).
Charles Gilman wrote on Mon, Mar 22, 2004 10:13 AM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★My Ecumenical Chess is now up, as is a variant of mine combining this game's theme and yet another, Bachelor Kamil (which couldn't be called Bachelor Wildebeest because that piece is not in its array although it may turn up through promotion). This excellent is by way of thanks.
The basic idea of the game is that, as there are two simple sliders (B, R) and one combination slider (B+R=Q), so in Wildebeest Chess there are also two simple jumpers (Knight = (1,2) jumper and Camel = (1,3) jumper), and one combined jumper (Wildebeest = N+C). I wonder how well the idea would work instead with Knights and Zebras ((2,3) jumpers), and a combination N+Z piece? There is the idea that, as one of the sliders is color-bound, so perhaps one of the jumpers ought to be also, hence the Camel. But it's not obvious to me that rule makes for the best game. I'd be interesting in knowing whether Wayne Schmittberger or anyone else has tried it. Actually, since the preset to enforce the rules has not been written for this game yet, it would be possible to try playing this way, simply entering Zebra moves for Camels and Knight/Zebra moves for the Wildebeest.
'WXYZ,LargeCV': Schmittberger discusses values of Camel and Zebra, the latter not used here. A board this size makes C and Z very close; three points are useful for each in most comparisons. A nice 'idea' game more than one of highest play-worthiness; and Camel not Z completes its thesis (See other Comments). Low piece density reminds one of 17th-C. Turkish Great Chesses, and Wildebeest plays similarly. 'Gnu' is preferred name now for 'Wildebeest'(N+C).
Cazaux's Zillions implementation of Wildebeest Chess is also missing the stalemate victory rule. See my comment here. There are even more comments on the 'Recognized Chess Variant: Wildebeest Chess' page here. As I stated there, we have very little information about the problems involved in forcing stalemate.
Just wanted to add my 'Excellent' rating. This game is right up there with Grand Chess. I have a question for all you Wildebeesters. Either side can deliver a smothered Fool's Mate on move 2 using the long leap of a Camel or Wildebeest. This can be defended against in a few ways. Does this cause opening variety to be limited, in anyone's experience? Or is it more like Qh5 in OrthoChess, an aggressive move that tends to backfire if the opponent defends well?
Re: 'New Rules For Classic Games' not indexed, see link here. Ist ein sehr gutes Buch. Der Schriftsteller weiss viel ueber Schach. I re-open my copy 'NRfCG' every few months for wording or terms and names of games, especially because single longest Chapter about 40 pp. covers CVs. Schmittberger's 1992 is very good read though detracted from by CVPage trend to expand the universe of CVs indefinitely. ''New twists'' in Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, Risk, Mah-Jongg, Bridge, Poker. Chess always the premier game is last Chapter 13, except for denouement, afterword, Chapter 14 on playing by mail. ''Beyond Chess'' covers own Wildebeest: ''Camels by the way are not as valuable as Knights'' is intelligent assessment. Wildebeest of course = N + Camel, whose previous uses documented in 1994 Pritchard's 'ECV' number twenty or more in serious CVs. Wildebeest is considerably better embodiment than (Whale Shogi or) Omega Chess, which also has Camel compound. Thirty other variants include Pre-Chess (like FRC), Screen Chess (similar to recent Verve), V.R.Parton's Kinglet(nice game), T.R. Dawson's Grasshopper Chess (nice concept), Ralph Betza's Avalanche Chess. These last 3 authors with lately-unheralded Sam Loyd comprise the complete membership of the all-time hall-of-fame, or 'qual'(-ity)-of-fame.
I'm mesmerized by it! But I've noticed that if you change places of the rooks and knights, all leapers and all sliders will be on one side. I can make the game ore interesting. Hugs!
One of my favorite large board games. Playing it gives a kind of breathy feeling, if that makes sense. Like on a wide open field; your limbs seem elongated...it's like playing chess on Pandora... In a way.
A lovely use of the otherwise powerful jumping pieces included, by having them on a rather long board.
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