------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is another chess variant using a normal chessboard: Shantraj: Shantraj is the form of chess that the muslims played during the middle ages. The rules are identical to normal chess, except as follows: 1) Pawns do not get a 2-square leap on their first move. 2) The queen is a lot less powerful, and can only move one square diagonally. 3) The bishop is also less powerful, and can only move precisly two squares diagonally. The bishop, however, can jump over pieces like the knight. 4) There is no castling. 5) Pawns may only promote to queens. The opening setup is the same as our version of chess. -- Sam Trenholme: internet junkie, aspiring UNIX wizard, collector of UNIX accounts set@(ocf,soda).berkeley.edu : set@oryx.llnl.gov : cs61a-eq@danube.berkeley.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Here are some more historical chess variants: In the following three variants, the pieces have the following moves: archbishop: the move of both our bishop and knight giraffe: the move of both our queen and knight soldier: one square "toward the enemey king". Interpret that as you wish. pawn: as our pawn except it has no double-leap, and promotes only to a queen fers: precisly two squares diagonally, able to jump over pieces like our knight. All the other pieces move as in our version of chess. There are three possible opening setups, two 10x10, and one 12x12, as follows: r n b g k q a b n r r n b a g k q b n r p p p p s s p p p p p p p p s s p p p p - - - - n n - - - - - - - - n n - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - N N - - - - - - - - N N - - - - P P P P S S P P P P P P P P S S P P P P R N B A Q K G B N R R N B Q G K A B N R r n b r f k q f r b n r p p p p p p p p p p p p - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - P P P P P P P P P P P P R N B R F Q K F R B N R In the following variant, the pieces have the following moves: pawn: no double-step on the first moves, promotes only to queen zebra: this piece has an unusual move. It moves one square diagonally, then three or more squares in a straight line. It can not move over interposing pieces, and but move at least four squares (one diagonal + three straight) camel: like a knight, but on a 2x4 "L" instead of our knight's 2x3 "L" queen: the queen may only move one square diagonally. It is a lot weaker than our queen. fers: The fers may move only precisely two squares diagonally, but is able to jump over interposing pieces. archbishop: the combined move our our knight and our bishop. The opening setup is as follows: r n f a c z k q c a f n r - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p p p p p p p p p p p p p - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - P P P P P P P P P P P P P - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - R N F A C Z K Q C A F N R -- Sam Trenholme: internet junkie, aspiring UNIX wizard, collector of UNIX accounts set@(ocf,soda).berkeley.edu : set@oryx.llnl.gov : cs61a-eq@danube.berkeley.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: tjt@scn1.Jpl.Nasa.Gov (Tim Thompson) Newsgroups: rec.games.chess Subject: Rules of Chess: Brief History Date: 7 Apr 1993 In response to earlier posts asking about the history of en-passant, and castling, I did some homework on the old rules, and here is a summary of what I found. My source is primarily H.J.R. Murray's monolithic "History of Chess". First, a general observation: remember that chess was originally a gambling game, where dice were used to determine what piece was to be moved, and players played for money. Of course, we still do, but somewhere along the line, fairly early on, the dice were ditched. I suspect that the dice persisted in some places through the mediaeval period. ====================================================================== MUSLIM RULES: These are the earliest know rules for chess in Europe, dating from circa 1100, and are essentially the same as the rules for the arab ancestor of chess, "shatranj" BOARD is unchequered (no colored squares). PIECES are set up as in modern chess, but the K and Q may sit on either d1 or e1, although opposing monarchs must face each other. KING, KNIGHT, ROOK, and PAWN move and capture as in modern chess. EXCEPTIONS: PAWNS have no initial two-square move. QUEEN: moves one square, diagonal only. BISHOP: "leaps" to second square, diagonal only (i.e., "leaps" from b2-d4, over anything on c3). PAWN PROMOTION: Pawn promotes only to a queen STALEMATE and "bare king" both win. Hence, you have 3 ways to win instead of 1. Win by checkmate, win by stalemate, or by taking everything but the king. There is no "king leap", or anything like castling. ===================================================================== SPANISH RULES: From a manuscript dated 1283. BOARD is now chequered. Evidently this became popular quickly. PIECES are set up as in modern chess. KING, KNIGHT, ROOK, and PAWN move and capture as in modern chess. EXCEPTIONS: PAWNS may make the 2-square advance, on their first move, but only until any capture is played. QUEEN: moves one square diagonally only. EXCEPTIONS: On the first move a queen may leap over 1 square, on the rank, file, or diagonal, but cannot make a capture when doing so. BISHOP: "leaps" to second square, diagonally only. PAWN PROMOTION: Pawns promote to queen only, and only if the first queen is gone. The new queen also has the right to make the "special" first move leap. A pawn may advance to the last rank, but it must sit and wait if it cannot promote yet. There is no indication of stalemate, or "bare king" at this time. By circa 1500 the Spanish rules had changed thus: 1. The PAWN could make its first two-square move without any restriction concerning captures. The EN PASSANT rule was in force as we know it today. 2. The PAWN could promote, to a queen only, whether or not there was already a queen on the board. The new queen continues to enjoy the right to make the special first move leap. 3. The KING on its first move could "leap", from e1, to any of these squares: c1,c2,c3,d3,e3,f3,g3,g2, or g1, only if it was not in check, and had never been in check, and did not cross over an enemy controlled square. 4. Win by stalemate, or by "bare king" were considered "inferior" wins, so the winner could claim only 1/2 the stakes for the game. =========================================================================== ITALIAN RULES: circa 14th century, were basically the same as the Spanish rules given above, as circa 1500, but with these notable exceptions: 1. The EN PASSANT capture was not allowed. The phrase "passar bataglia" refers to the ability of pawns to pass one another unmolested. 2. The PAWN promoted likewise, and the new queen continues to enjoy the right of the special first move, but may not check or capture thereby. 3. The KING may make the same first move leap, but add the squares b1 and b2 to the list. 4. Stalemate is a draw. Bare king does not win. 5. The queen and king could move simultaneously, if it was the first move for both. ========================================================================== GERMAN RULES: Circa 1420 were, again, basically the same as the Spanish rules, with these exceptions: 1. Pawns were reistricted in their first 2-square move, as in the 1280 Spanish rules. 2. The KING leap was at least the same as in the Italian rules, and he may even have been allowed to leap farther. 3. Stalemate normally a draw, but a win in some places. 4. Bare king normally a win, but in some areas, he of the bared king actually won. 5. The Italian K and Q combined first move was not "official", but it was allowed in some areas. Also, some allowed a pawn to join in, if it was moving out of the way of the King, making a K+Q+P combined first move possible. FRENCH and ENGLISH rules from the mediaeval period are not given, and may be known only fragmentarily. It seems the Italian and Spanish adjustments to the Muslim rules were slowest in reaching these areas. ======================================================================== CASTLING ======================================================================== The modern rules we know date from convulsive changes to the rules in the 15th century. That's when the queen changed from a 1 square wimp to a monster, and that's when the king's "leap" was replace by castling. I have no documentation for dates and places, however, I can address one question specifically: was castling originally accomplished in one or two moves? The following fragmentary game comes from "The Oxford Encyclopedia of Chess Games". Specifically, observe how Black castles at move 11, using two moves, while the white king "leaps" to g1, but doesn't bother to finish "castling". However, remember that the King could not cross check, even in the 1280 Spanish rules. Scovara-Boi, Madrid, 1575: 1. e4,e5; 2. Bc4,Bc5; 3. Nf3,Nc6; 4. c3,Qe7; 5. d4,exd4; 6. cxd4,Qxe4+; 7. be3,bb4+; 8. Nc3,d5; 9. Bd3,Qe7; 10. h3,Nf6 11. Kg1,Rf8; 12. g4,Kg8; 13. Rh2,Bd6; 14. Rg2 ... In my 1777 edition of "Philidor's Analysis of Chess", the rule for castling is as we know it now, but with this footnote: "The old way of castling in several countries, and which still subsists in some, was to leave to the player's disposal, all the interval between the King and the Rook, inclusively, to place there these two pieces" So, at least as recently as 1777, in many places you could put the King and Rook where ever you darned well chose to. ======================================================================== STALEMATE: The GREAT CURIOSITY ======================================================================== Stalemate has always been a problem, being interpreted in the early days as a win, and later as a draw. However, in 1614, we find this passage in the English work "Saul's Famous Games of Chesse-Play": "He that hath put his adversary's King in a stale, loseth the game, because he hath disturbed the course of the game, which can only end with the grand Check-mate" This interpretation of stalemate, that the one who stalemates his opponents King loses, persisted in England for a very long time. In my edition of Philidor, the rules read "In England, he whose king is stalemated wins the game, but in France, and several other countries, the stalemate is a drawn game". This rule remained in force in the London Chess Club until 1820, and continued to be printed in general chess "handbooks" at least through 1857. I do not know if the rule was widespread in America, but one traveling American student used the rule in a game against von der Lasa, in 1861. --- ALL OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE EXPRESSLY MY OWN. ------------------------------------------------------------ Timothy J. Thompson, Earth and Space Sciences Division, JPL. Assistant Administrator, Division Science Computing Network. Secretary, Los Angeles Astronomical Society. Member, BOD, Mount Wilson Observatory Association. INTERnet/BITnet: tjt@scn1.jpl.nasa.gov NSI/DECnet: jplsc8::tim SCREAMnet: YO!! TIM!! GPSnet: 118:10:22.85 W by 34:11:58.27 N ----------------------------------------------------------------------