Fairyranga
Suddenly created variant of Makruk/Chaturanga with augmented (not more) weak pieces and strong (double) promotions. Inspired by earlier variants of other inventors and cultural basis of my childhood.
Setup
Like Chess and Chaturanga but Bishops/Elephants are replaced by Silver Elephants, and Queen/Ferz by Frog.
Pieces
Rook and Knight are normal, Pawn is also though it hasn’t double step, but King can make…
Initial knightwise move: from start King can leap sidemost-knightwise as in Ouk Chatrang (Cambodian variation of Thai Chess), ignoring anything on its path, even from check. Therefore there's no casting.
Other pieces are buffed.
Silver Elephant (E)
This is a powerful piece based on weak ones: it combines Elephants from Chaturanga and Makruk. So, it jumps two spaces or steps one diagonally, or steps one straight forward.
(Thank the heaven that not white one;))
Frog (F)
Augmented Ferz: it moves one space diagonally or leaps three straight.
Pawns promote to Frogs on 6th (white) and 3rd (black) rows, and then Frogs (both promoted Pawns and genuine Frogs) on 8th (white) and 1st (black) rows promote to Tsarevnas.
Tsarevna (H)
She moves as King and Rook combined: one space in arbitrary directions, or any number of spaces along unobstructed orthogonal paths. Exactly as Queen in Shatar (Mongolian form of Chess).
There can be just one Tsarevna standing on the board per player. So if he/she has one already, his/her Frogs cannot promote;).
Rules
- Checkmate the opposite King to win.
- Stalemate (unlike Chaturanga, but like Chess and Makruk) is a draw.
- Threefold repetition of position, 50 moves without capture/promotion are draw also.
- All King vs King + piece endgames can be won except for with 1 or 2 Knights.
Notes
"Tsarevna" is Russian word for princess. Why she's mentioned? there's a Russian version of fairytale about enchanted bride where she was turned into frog but, fortunately, had become woman again.
You're probably familiar with concept of white elephant (which is, however, English idiom which means something which is very expensive but very useless). Silver Elephant isn't it, right?
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By Lev Grigoriev.
Last revised by Lev Grigoriev.
Web page created: 2023-12-23. Web page last updated: 2023-02-16