Elkrider Chess
This page contains one or more presets for playing a game online with Game Courier, an online server for playing Chess variants by correspondence.
The elk (amer. "moose") has actually been trained for battle service, in the cavalry of Charles XII of Sweden (1682-1718). Elks are much faster and more powerful than horses. However, it proved a time-consuming and costly task to train elks so the project was abandoned.
The Elkrider is a very interesting piece for the tactician. Positionally, too, it could be quite dangerous because one can sometimes sacrifice an Elk for a light piece (knight or bishop) to achieve positional ends.

square, can jump like a knight, but
also has the continuous knight jumps.
On a black square it moves like a
rook.
As the Elkrider alters between Rook moves and Nightrider moves the piece image in the preset will be different depending on square colour. This will make it easier. If the Elkrider stands on a black square, it is denoted by ER (that is, Elk-Rook). If the Elkrider stands on a white square, it is denoted by EN (that is, Elk-Knight). Use small characters for black.
The following preset makes a reasonably good validity check of Elkrider moves, etc. Moves are automated, including castling and the 'en passant' move. Pieces can be moved by pointing and clicking. When promoting a pawn, it will automatically turn into a Queen. Should you prefer another piece then you must type it manually (e.g., add N a8; capture a7). (In case you want to promote to an Elkrider you must use the internal syntax R.N and N.R.) Use small piece-letters for black. E-mails to your opponent are generated, but you can play online by intermittently pressing the browser's update button.
Elkrider Chess
You can also download a Zillions implementation

See also my other Game Courier presets.
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 M Winther.
Web page created: 2006-07-16. Web page last updated: 2006-07-16