The game is played on a checkered board is shown in ASCII below. ::: represents dark squares, ### represents some other color that is distinguishable from the light and dark squares.
+---+---+---+---+ |###|:::| |:::| +---+---+---+---+---+ |:::| |:::| |:::| +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ |:::| |:::| |:::| |:::| +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | |:::| |:::| |:::| | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ |:::| |:::| |:::| |:::| +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ |:::| |:::| |:::| +---+---+---+---+---+ |:::| |:::|###| +---+---+---+---+
Play is on both the squares, like in chess, and on the intersections of the lines that make the squares, like in xiangqi. Thus, the notation system must accommodate this as shown below:
15 +---+---+---+---+ 14 |###|:::| |:::| 13 +---+---+---+---+---+ 12 |:::| |:::| |:::| 11 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 10 |:::| |:::| |:::| |:::| 9 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 8 | |:::| |:::| |:::| | 7 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 6 |:::| |:::| |:::| |:::| 5 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 4 |:::| |:::| |:::| 3 +---+---+---+---+---+ 2 |:::| |:::|###| 1 +---+---+---+---+ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o
Each player begins with the following army:
5 Chad Rooks (X)
The K, R, B, N, G, S, and P's play on the squares. They can never move
off the squares onto the lines. The R moves like its counterpart in
chess (there is no castling). The B does also, but it additionally it
can move a single orthogonal square, provided it is a non-capturing
move. The P's move like chess pawns except w/o the initial double-step
(thereby eliminating en passant as well). Pawns moved to the last rank
promote to Queen, which moves like a chess Queen. The knightrider moves
like the well-known fairy-chess piece. The G and S move like their
counterparts in shogi.
The K moves like a chess king, but will have
additional restrictions on it described below.
Ben39 is played with drops like shogi.
If any of the pieces on the
squares (other than the K) is captured, it becomes a piece-in-hand for
the capturing player. Dropping a piece counts as a turn. Captured Q's
are dropped on the board as P's. A piece can not be dropped on a square
where it can not move. Dropping a P on a file where there is already an
unpromoted P is legal, as is giving checkmate with a dropped P and
dropping a P on the first rank.
The starting setup is shown below. The remaining pieces are held in
reserve, and will be entered during the course of the game.
The remaining pieces are played on the intersections of the lines
forming the squares. The can never move onto the squares, they can
never capture other pieces, and they can never be captured.
Each player gets 5 Chad Rooks. The X's move along the lines like
xiangqi rooks, but like the rooks in Chad,
can not capture or be
captured - they simply block each other and other pieces.
Each player gets 1 Immobilizer. The I moves like a Q, orthogonally or
diagonally across the intersections of the lines. The I can not capture
or move to occupied squares. Instead, the I immobilizes enemy pieces on
the squares that form the intersection that the I is on.
In the diagram above, black is in check from the G on f2. Black can
remove check by moving his I from m3 to either g3 or e3, immobilizing
the G.
Like all line pieces, the I starts off the board and reserve and is
entered by drop. It is illegal for a player to drop his I such that it
immobilizes an enemy piece immediately upon being placed.
Each player gets 2 Wizards. The W moves like a chess K, to any adjacent
intersection. Like all line pieces, the W can not capture or move to
occupied squares.
The W can be used to teleport pieces on the squares. Specifically, a W
on an intersection can teleport any friendly piece on one of the squares
that form the intersection that the W is located on. The piece is then
teleported to the corresponding square relative to the player's other W.
If a piece is teleported to a square occupied by a friendly piece, then
that piece moves to the square just vacated by the teleporting piece.
If the destination square is occupied by an enemy piece, then that piece
is captured. If teleportation would result in the piece being
teleported being off the board, the then that piece becomes a
piece-in-hand for the teleporting player. A King in check may be
teleported, but a K can never be teleported off the board. Enemy pieces
can not be teleported. Players with only one W on the board can not use
it to teleport.
In the diagram above, the W on e5 can teleport the P on d6 to l6. It
can NOT teleport the P to l4 or n6, because it must teleport to the same
relative position to the other W. The on f6 can be teleported to the
n6, which would put the N on f6. The R on d4 could be teleported to l4,
capturing the black G. The S on f4 could teleported off the board, and
would become a piece-in-hand for white.
Each player gets 2 Spiders. The Z moves like a
xiangqi knight, except
that it is not blocked by intervening pieces. Like all line pieces, the
Z can not capture or move to occupied squares.
The Z can be used to move the pieces on the squares. Specifically, a Z
on an intersection picks up all friendly pieces on the squares that form
the intersection that the Z is located on. It then rotates them all
exactly one square in either the clockwise or counterclockwise
direction. Enemy pieces are not moved. If a friendly piece lands on a
square occupied by an enemy piece, then that piece is captured. Thus it
is possible to capture two pieces in one turn using the Z. If a
friendly piece is moved off the board, it becomes a piece-in-hand for
that player. A player is not allowed to 'selectively rotate' - that is,
the Z must pick up all friendly pieces, it can not move some and not
move others that are within its zone of influence. A King in check can
be rotated out of check.
In the diagram above, the Z on g3 can rotate the B and K. If it rotates
CW, then the B if moved to h4 and the K to f2. If it rotates CCW, then
the B is moved to f2 and the K to h4. Note that the Z only rotates 90
degrees, not 180, so that it is illegal for the B and K to be moved from
their current positions to h2 and f4 respectively, in one turn. Also,
it is illegal to rotate the K to h4 or f2 without also rotating the B to
the corresponding square.
The Z on k3 can rotate CW, moving the R to l4, capturing the G. The Z
on k3 can also rotate CCW, moving the S off the board, so that it
becomes a piece-in-hand for that player.
Each player gets 2 castles. A castle moves either a single intersection
orthogonally or a single intersection diagonally, depending on what it
did its previous move. If it moved orthogonally on its last move, then
it must move diagonally on its next, and vice-versa. I recommend using
some kind of marker that can be flipped over to indicate which kind of
move the castle will make next. When the castle is first placed on the
board, the player placing it must decide which way it will move first.
The castle does not capture or move pieces. It is important because of
the King rule: The King can only move or be moved to or from a square
that has a friendly castle on one of its corners.
In the diagram above, the K move to f2, f4, g4, or j4. It can not move
to j2, because there is no castle on any of that squares corners. The
King can also be teleported to l4.
In the diagram above, the K is immobilized. Since there are no C's on
any of the corners of the square on which the K is currently located,
the K can not move, even tho direct movement or Z-rotation could
otherwise take it to squares with C's on their corners.
Note that altho the K can not move away from the C's, the C's can move
away from the K (altho this is not recommended).
Besides the 37 checkered squares, there are two special squares which
are movable. In the diagram at the beginning of the instructions, they
are marked ### and start in the position shown in the opening setup
diagram. So on a player's turn, he can do any of the following:
There only 8 possible locations for the movable squares, as shown in the
diagram below:
When moving a square, the following rules apply:
In the diagram above, the square on b4 can not be moved because neither
player controls it. White's piece total is only two, since the G is
immobilized by the I on c5.
White controls the square on l2, by a count of two to three. White can
move the square to n4, the next location. In doing so, Black's C on m1
will automatically travel with the square, ending on o3, but the X on k1
will stay put. The White X can either stay on me or travel to o5,
depending on White's preference. The C on k3 must travel to m5, because
otherwise White will be moving his K to a square w/o a C. Likewise,
White can not move the square to d2, because c3 is occupied by Black's
Z, which block's White's C from travelling along.
Object of the game is to capture the opponent's K.
This game has not yet been playtested and may contain flaws.
3 Pawns (P)
2 Spiders
2 Wizards (W)
2 Castles (C)
1 Immobilizer (I)
1 King (K)
1 Rook (R)
1 Bishop (B)
1 Knightrider (N)
1 Gold General (G)
1 Silver General (S)
15 +---+---+---+---+
14 |###|*S*|*K*|*G*|
13 +---+---+---+---+---+
12 |:::|*R*|*N*|*B*|:::|
11 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
10 |:::| |*P*|*P*|*P*| |:::|
9 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
8 | |:::| |:::| |:::| |
7 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
6 |:::| |:P:| P |:P:| |:::|
5 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
4 |:::| B |:N:| R |:::|
3 +---+---+---+---+---+
2 |:G:| K |:S:|###|
1 +---+---+---+---+
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o
5 +---+---+---+---+---+---+
4 |:::|*N*|*K*| N |:::|
3 +---+---+---+---+--*I
2 |:G:| B |:::|
1 +---+---+---+
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n
7 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
6 |:::| P |:B:| |:::| |:N:|
5 +---+---W---+---+---+---W---+
4 |:R:| S |:::| |*G*|
3 +---+---+---+---+---+
2 |:::| |:::|
1 +---+---+---+
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o
5 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
4 |:::| B |:::| R |*G*|
3 +---+---Z---+---Z---+
2 |:::| K |:S:|
1 +---+---+---+
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o
5 +---+---+---+---+---C---W---+
4 |:::| |:::| |:::|
3 +---+---C---W---+---+
2 |:::| K |:::|
1 +---+---+---+
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o
5 +---+---+---C---+---+---+---+
4 |:::| |:::| |:::|
3 +---+---+---Z---C---+
2 |:::| K |:::|
1 +---+---+---+
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o
15 +---+---+---+---+---+
14 |###|*S*|*K*|*G*|###|
13 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
12 |###|:::|*R*|*N*|*B*|:::|###|
11 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
10 |:::| |*P*|*P*|*P*| |:::|
9 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
8 | |:::| |:::| |:::| |
7 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
6 |:::| |:P:| P |:P:| |:::|
5 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
4 |###|:::| B |:N:| R |:::|###|
3 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
2 |###|:G:| K |:S:|###|
1 +---+---+---+---+---+
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o
The only exception to this rule is if one of the two locations is
occupied by the other movable square, in which case the square moved can
'skip over' the other to the next nearest location. For example, if the
two movable squares were at l2 and n4, the one on l4 could be moved
directly to n12, and the one at n4 could be moved to d2.
5 X---*I--+---+---+---+---+---+
4 |#G#|:::| |:::| |:::|
3 X---*Z--+---+---+---C---X
2 |:::| |:::|#K#|
1 +---+---+---*X--*C
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o
Written by Ben Good, (c) 1998. Converted to HTML by Hans Bodlaender.
This is a submission to the contest to design a chess
variant on a board with 39 squares.
WWW page created: December 7, 1998.
On the Chess Variant Pages
Home page of Hans Bodlaender
Feedback: hansb@cs.uu.nl
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