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This page is written by the game's inventor, Patrik Hedman.

Noli Me Tangere Chess

Inspired by Great Chess, for the most part. The "general" piece is a crooked bishop, known as "boyscout" in the piececlopedia, and it moves in a zigzag diagonal way (and is colorbound). 

"Noli Me Tangere" is because of the rule that you (sometimes) can't move certain pieces right after the opponent has moved his/her counterparts.

All captures are made by displacement.

The kings may have more power than in orthodox (in some cases).

Setup

Starting position: R R <> A G K Q G A <> $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ <> A G K Q G A <> R R The rooks are in the 4 corner squares - each player's first rank. Sergeants fill the 3rd and 8th ranks. Pieces are also on the 2nd and 9th ranks. (The starting position is mostly based on "Great Chess".)

Pieces

$=Sergeant Sergeants move and capture either 1 step diagonally forward or 1 step orthogonally forward. For a first move they may also move (but not take out enemies) either 2 steps diagonally forwards or 2 steps orthogonally forwards. It's allowed to change direction when moving diagonally forwards. When taking out enemies, it's only allowed to move 1 step at a time. <>=Chancellor (rook + knight compound) A=Archbishop (bishop + knight compound) G=General The general is known as "boyscout" in the piececlopedia on this site. Colorbound. Zigzag way of movement. Diagonal movement, moving direction is turning 90 degrees in a regular way for each square passed. K=King, of course. The king moves differently from orthodox chess - see rules. (R=Rook and Q=Queen)

Rules

Change of rules from orthodox chess:
¤ The game is played on a checkered 10x10 board instead of an 8x8 board. The a1 square is black.
¤ There is no castling.
¤ There is no en passant.
¤ If a player has moved (with or without taking out any agent) a piece other than the king, queen (the two royal ones), and the sergeants, then the other player can’t move the same type of piece right after that, unless he/she takes out an enemy with it. Note that his does NOT apply to the king, queen or the sergeants. So, regardless of whether a capture was made, only capturing moves are allowed with the counterparts. 
¤ The kings are subject to checks and mates. Unlike in orthodox chess, they can normally move and take out enemies like knight + rook + bishop compounds. They can pass squares that would have resulted in check, though, as long as it doesn’t end the move on such a square. When in check, it can only move in a restricted way. Then they can either switch places with the other king (unless it results in check for the player who switched), or they can move like a king in orthodox chess. If one player just switched places for the kings, then the other player can't switch back, even if he/she is in check. Being mated means loss of the game.
¤ A king is normally not allowed to give check to the other king, not even with discovered check, unless it's with discovered + double check. If another man gives check simultanously, then it's allowed to give check with a king. In such a case, the king in check may not switch places with the other king. In other words, no player is allowed to move the king in such a way that the two kings are within the reach of a "knight + bishop + rook compound" from each other.
¤ Instead of pawns there are sergeants (move and capture one step forward in all 3 directions). They all have a double step option (each of them) the first time they’re moved. Double step option goes for all three directions, and it’s allowed to switch direction during a diagonal move. It’s not allowed to first take a diagonal step and then an orthogonal, or the other way around. There is no double-step option when taking out enemy agents, only when just moving the sergeant for the first time.
¤ Sergeants promote to rooks, chancellors, generals, or archbishops (option is open every promotion). This happens on the player’s 9th rank.


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By Patrik Hedman.
Web page created: 2014-03-18. Web page last updated: 2014-03-18