Mathematichess
Mathematichess is a new chess variant created for both chess lovers and mathematicians. It is played on a normal chess board and involves unique rules that incorporate mathematical concepts.
This game is a combination of Chess, Go, Rummy, and maths. The objective of the game is to control the empty squares that give value points to the owner. The value of a square depends on the number and type of pieces surrounding it.
Setup
The initial setup is an empty board.
Each player has 5 Kings, 5 Queens, 5 Rooks, 5 Bishops, 5 Knights, and 5 Pawns, with values ranging from 10 to 1.
The game has two stages:
- In the first stage players take turns placing their pieces anywhere on the board until all pieces are on the board.
- In the second stage players battle for controlling the empty squares.
Each player has 30 pieces. When all pieces are on the board four empty squares should remain. The empty squares are the focus of the game.
Here is an example diagram for the game.
Pieces
Each piece has a certain numerical value.
- The King has a value of 10.
- The Queen has a value of 9.
- The Rook has a value of 5.
- The Knight has a value of 4.
- The Bishop has a value of 3.
- The Pawn has a value of 1.
These values are relative the position of a piece on the chessboard.
Pieces have to move differently from classic chess due to the crowded board.
All piece movements are only allowed towards an empty square.
- Pawns move by jumping over a piece (of the same or different color) in any direction. They cannot jump over a Royal figure: King or Queen.
- Bishops move one square diagonally..
- Knights move like in the classical chess.
- Rooks move one square orthogonally.
- Queens move one square in any direction.
- Kings move one square in any direction.
- Kings and Queens can also push a lower piece, of the same or different color, towards an empty square in order to take its place and to move the empty square nearby.
Rules
There is no castling, no en passant, no promotions, no check, and no check mate. Also, there is no capturing of pieces. The battle is arround the empty squares. Each empty square represents a territory whose value is given by the value of the pieces (Settlers) around it. The objective of the game is to control as many territories as possible.
Pieces surrounding a territory (one square away orthogonally or diagonally) are called Settlers. The value of a teritory is given by the value of its Settlers.
Each teritory can have 8 Settlers in the centre of the board, 5 Settlers on a side, and 3 on a corner. Players are allowed to join territories (two or three, or more empty squares) if they can control them.
The value of a territory is calculated as following:
- Pieces controlling the sides have their value doubled.
- Pieces controlling the corners retain their original value.
- The values of all pieces controlling a territory are added together giving the overall value of that territory.
Pieces controlling the sides of a territory (First Class Settlers) are more important than the pieces controlling its corners (Second Class Settlers).
Kings and Queens represent the Royals.
A game cannot end in the first stage.
In the second stage players take turns moving one piece at the time around the empty squares, attempting to make as many points as possible.
If a player refuses to play a turn because, by doing so, he might lose points, the game ends.
The game also ends when a player has no more legal moves.
At the end of the game each player calculates the value of his own territories.
Players may also decide the winning conditions and the value of the additional (bonus) points for different pieces combinations in their own territories.
If a player has at least 50% + 1 points in a territorry, he also takes away the points of his opponent.
The quality and posittion of the Settlers is more important than the numerical advantage.
Additional points are given to players with three or more Settlers of the same kind controlling a territory. In this case, if a player has at least three Pawns, or Bishops, or Knights etc in the same territory, the bonus points will be calculated by adding the value of these pieces, and then their value gets tripled, and added to the overal value of that territory. This is only true for territories with eight Settlers.
For territories with five or three Settlers, bonus points are only given for at least three, or two settlers of the same kind respectively.
If a territory is also entirely composed of pieces of the same color, the overall value of that territory will be doubled.
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 Florin Lupusoru.
Last revised by Florin Lupusoru.
Web page created: 2023-05-07. Web page last updated: 2024-01-04