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This page is written by the game's inventor, Charles Gilman.

Dai Mitregi

This variant combines two ideas that had been in my mind. One was finding a use for the more complex pieces in what is now Man and Beast 11: Long-nosed Generals. Another was making better use of the longer range of the Camel and its forward-only (FO) version the Hump highlighted in comments on Mitregi.

It then struck me that as a board gets bigger generals get weaker and might usefully be replaced by pieces mixing one- and two-step moves depending on direction. Enhanced Pig/Raj pieces have that property, and on a 2d board always have all forward moves in one range and at least one backward move. There are eight types, two colourbound and one bound to half the files, so allowing 2 of those to cover all cells, plus the King, gives 5+(2x3)+1=12 central pieces. I also fill "Pawn ranks" with pieces that can move one or two steps forward, in accordance with the giant board.

There are two subvariants, Leaping and Stepping, depending on whether the central and Pawn-rank pieces can leap over the halfway piece when moving two cells. Comments suggest that Leaping is much to be preferred!

Setup

Pieces

Original Mitregi pieces:
The KING (Japanese name varies between armies) is the one piece surviving entirely unchanged from Chaturanga. It occupies the end of the other middle file.
It can move one square in any orthogonal and diagonal direction, is unpromotable, and must be kept out of check.
The ROOK (Hisha=Flying Chariot) and its FO form the WING (Kyoosha=Fragrant Chariot) move any distance orthogonally, and are blocked by intervening pieces.
The BISHOP (Kakugyo=Angle Mover) and its FO form the MITRE (Yohei=Ramshead Soldier) move any distance diagonally, and are blocked by intervening pieces.
The KNIGHT (Choma=Jumping Horse) and its FO form the HELM (Keima=Honourable Horse) are 2:1 leapers, and cannot be blocked.
Forward for the Helm is taken to mean only the two forwardmost leaps.
The CAMEL (N/A) and its FO form the HUMP (N/A) are 3:1 leapers, and cannot be blocked.
Forward for the Hump is taken to mean only the two forwardmost leaps.
Enhanced Pigs, described in terms of which Wazir/Ferz/Dabbaba/Elephant moves they have and explained more fully in my article Man and Beast 11: Long-Nosed Generals:

In the above diagram, the White pieces can capture the Black Knights 1 or 2 cells away but not move to any empty cell.
The GOLDSOW, all/forward/forward/none, is a slightly enhanced Goldgeneral. Its only double move is orthogonally forward.
The SILVERSOW, all/none/forward/all, is a slightly enhanced Waffle. It has a balance of moves over the two ranges.
The GOLDBOAR, none/all/all/forward, is a slightly enhanced Fezbaba. Its lack of Wazir moves renders it colourbound. It has a balance of moves over the two ranges.
The SILVERBOAR, forward/all/none/forward, is a slightly enhanced Boar. Its only double moves are diagonally forward.
Enhanced Raj pieces, described in terms of which Wazir/Ferz/Dabbaba/Elephant moves they have and explained more fully in my article Man and Beast 11: Long-Nosed Generals:
The GOLDMEMSAHIB, forward/none/all/forward, is a slightly enhanced Goldthief. With no single steps sideways it is bound not as Bishops are, but to the whole of alternate files. Its only single move is orthogonally forward.
The SILVERMEMSAHIB, forward/all/all/none, is a slightly enhanced Fezbaba. It has a balance of moves over the two ranges.
The GOLDSAHIB, all/forward/none/all, is a slightly enhanced Waffle. It has a balance of moves over the two ranges.
The SILVERSAHIB, none/forward/forward/all, is a slightly enhanced Sahib. Its lack of Wazir moves renders it colourbound. Its only single moves are diagonally forward.
Front Ranks:
The WAZCHICK moves one or two cells orthogonally forward. The name derives from being the FO form of the Wazbaba, which in turn is the compound of Wazir and Dabbaba.
The FEARLESS moves one or two cells diagonally forward. It cannot change direction in mid-move. The name derives from being the FO version of the Fearful, which in turn is the compound of Ferz and Elephant.
Promotees:
Rooks, Wings, Knights, Helms, Wazchicks, and everything Gold is promotable to GOLDRIDER - the compound of Rook and Mitre. This reflects the advantage of long-range moves on so large a board. Like its components the Goldrider is blocked by intervening pieces.
Bishops, Mitres, Camels, Humps, Fearlesses, and everything Silver is promotable to SILVERIDER - the compound of Bishop and Wing. This again reflects the advantage of long-range moves on so large a board. Like its components the Silverider is blocked by intervening pieces.
The King is promotable to a GRANDPASHA, which can move two cells as well as one in every radial direction, inheriting the blockability rule for whichever subvariant is being played.

Rules

Castling and En Passant are not used in this game.

Promotion is allowed on entering, moving within, or leaving the four ranks of the enemy camp. A piece with no further move in unpromoted form must be promoted. Captured pieces may be reintroduced in the capturing army in unpromoted form, on any rank where promotion would not be automatic.

A player cannot deploy more than two Wazchicks and two Wings on any file or more than two Goldmemsahibs on each alternating group of files. On each Bishop binding they may not deploy more than sixteen Fearlesses or more than two each of Bishop, Mitre, Camel, Hump, Goldboar, and Silversahib. These restrictions apply only to unpromoted pieces: for example, a player promoting one of two Wazchicks on a file can reintroduce another Wazchick on the same file in the next move.

Check, Checkmate, and Stalemate are standard.


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By Charles Gilman.
Web page created: 2006-03-21. Web page last updated: 2016-06-17