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

This page is written by the game's inventor, Gary Gifford.

Remote Sensing with On & Off-Board Detection

This game is directly related to my 8x8 and my other 9x9 Remote Sensing games. It has its own rules page to minimize the chance of confusion due to a few minor but significant differences in the games. Win by capturing both Kings. Stalemate is not possible. --------------------------------------------------------------------- * In reference to the above illustration, when a R,N,P,B,or K is captured, place it in the off board hold section on the color of square on which it was captured. Captured sensors and a second duplicate capture should not be placed in this holding zone. The reason should become clear when reading the rules.

Setup

As in above diagram.

Pieces

Pieces depicted are as in Fide Chess with exception of the Remote Sensor Pieces, an extra King per side, what happens when 1 King is captured, and noted Pawn Restrictions.

****  R E M O T E   S E N S O R S   (ON-BOARD) Type *****

RS FRIENDLY on – Detects all on-board friendly pieces on its current color of square.  Can move like any of those pieces, including Kings and Pawns, but cannot detect other sensors. Carries a Feather symbol within a rectangular outline.

RS ENEMY on  – Detects all on-board enemy pieces on its current color of square.  Can move like any of those pieces, including Kings and Pawns, but cannot detect other sensors.  Carries a Dagger Symbol within a rectangular outline.

RS Mega on  – Detects all on-board pieces (friend and foe) on its current color of square.  Can move like any of those pieces, including Kings and Pawns, but cannot detect other sensors. Carries both a dagger and a feather within a rectangular outline.


****  R E M O T E   S E N S O R S   (OFF-BOARD) Type ******

RS FRIENDLY off – Detects all captured friendly pieces that were captured on the color square it (the RSFoff) currently resides on.  RSFoff can move like any of those captures pieces, including Kings and Pawns, but cannot detect captured sensors.  Carries a Feather symbol within a star outline.  They are colored yellow and light blue in the setup diagram for ease of reference, as is the King of Off-Board Sensors.

RS ENEMY off – Detects all captured enemy pieces that were captured on the color square it (the RSEoff)currently resides on.  Can move like any of those pieces, including Kings and Pawns, but cannot detect captured sensors.  Carries a Dagger Symbol within a star outline. They are colored yellow and light blue in the setup diagram for ease of reference, as is the King of Off-Board Sensors.

RS Mega off – Detects all captured pieces (friend and foe) that were captured on its (RSMoff) current color of square.  Can move like any captured pieces (friend or foe), including Kings and Pawns, but cannot detect captured sensors.  Carries both a dagger and a feather within a star outline.  They are colored yellow and light blue in the setup diagram for ease of reference, as is the King of Off-Board Sensors.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*****   K I N G S **********

KING I (KING of the ON-Board set of Sensors) – Looks like a standard FIDE diagram King.  Moves as a King, but cannot castle.  It can move into check and can be captured.  If captured its three On-Board Sensor Types leave the board with it.  If it was the second King of yours captured, you lose.

KING II (KING of the OFF-Board set of Sensors) – Looks like a Duke graphic.  Moves as a King, but cannot castle.  It can move into check and can be captured.  If captured its three OFF-Board Sensor Types leave the board with it.  If it was the second King of yours captured, you lose.


******   P A W N S    *******
PAWNS – As western pawns except: No Pawn en passant, no initial 2-step move.  Pawns promote on the 7th rank Pawns can promote to R, N, B, or any Sensor type.  They cannot promote to Queen.

Rules

Win by capturing both of your opponent's Kings.

Other rules are as per western chess and as per suggested by the above piece descriptions.

Remember: No castling, Kings can move into check and can be captured. There is no Pawn en passant, no initial 2-step move.  Pawns promote on the 7th rank Pawns can promote to R, N, B, or any Sensor type.  They cannot promote to Queen.

Remember that all sensors are color sensitive.  Some move like pieces on the board that are on that sensor's color.  Some move like captured pieces [which were captured on the color which that senor currently resides]. 

Note: When a Piece or pawn is captured it must be placed on an off-board color designator so the Remote Sensor off-board type pieces can detect it when they are on that same color square.

Notes

(1) A special thanks to Jeremy G. Good for making the game courier pre-set.

(2) Jeremy and I decided to make all On-Board Sensors uniform, thus replaced the original Dagger/Circle piece with a Dagger/Dipplomat Frame piece.  We also added some color to the Remote Sensor's on-piece graphics.

(3) For information regarding Remote Viewing and Remote Sensing, please refer to the rules for the original 9x9 and 8x8 Remote Sensing games.


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 Gary K. Gifford.
Web page created: 2006-07-27. Web page last updated: 2006-07-27