Deneb

By Roberto Lavieri

Introduction

DENEB is the name of a bright star. Also is a game played on a 7x9 board. There are three types of special pieces in the game: The P32, the P43 and the STAR. These pieces are special because they are interchangeable. A stationary move allows a special piece to change its type to another type of special piece. This is an important move in this game, because you can win the game if you reduce to zero the number of a special type piece. All pieces (except the King) in this game are cannibals; they can take friendly pieces. This characteristic may be used in some situations, but it should be of great importance when a Soldier captures a friendly piece, because there is a rule that allows the cannibal Soldier to PROMOTE by COMPENSATION; the Soldier can promote to a SPECIAL PIECE in this way. You can win the game also if you CHECKMATE the opposite King.

There is a piece in this game that can't capture, this piece appears in DENEB and other astronomical games like ACHERNAR and ALTAIR: THE REDUCER. This is a piece that can REDUCE the abilities of adjacent pieces to only ONE-STEP movement according to the piece movement or method of capture. In this game, if the friendly Reducer is adjacent to a reduced piece, this piece recovers its abilities. A REDUCER CAN'T be CAPTURED by an enemy piece other than the King. There is no castling or en-passant movement. A SOLDIER promotes to a SPECIAL PIECE when it reaches the last file.

WIN CONDITIONS: Checkmate the opposite King, or reduce the number of a special type of pieces -- STAR, P32 or P43 -- to zero.

Board and Set Up

The Board is 7x9, there are seven SOLDIERS, three STARS, two P43, two P32, one QUEEN, one REDUCER and a KING per side.

Pieces

A Soldier moves without capturing one square Orthogonally forward, one square Diagonally forward or with the HORIZONTAL movement of a ROOK. It captures one square diagonally forward. If Reduced, it loses every movement of two or more squares. If the friendly Reducer is adjacent, it recovers its abilities. If in the THIRD (White) or SIXTH (Black) RANK, it can move two squares forward. In the last rank, it can promote to a SPECIAL PIECE: STAR, P32 or P43. When a Soldier captures a friend piece, it can promote by COMPENSATION to a SPECIAL PIECE.

The Star moves orthogonally without capturing to any unoccupied square at a distance of four squares or less, or as a King without capturing. It takes by jumping (like piece of draughts, but in all directions). When jumping orthogonally, it can take successive pieces, enemies and/or friends, with successive orthogonal jumps. After the last orthogonal jump, it can make another and final STAR move or diagonal capturing jump. When reduced, it moves as a King without capture. A Star can be changed to P43 or P32 with a stationary move. If an enemy Reducer is adjacent, it can move only one square. If a friendly Reducer is adjacent, it recovers its abilities. If the number of Stars in your side is zero, you lose.

Queen: orthodox move. When reduced, it retains one-step capabilities. If the friendly Reducer is adjacent, the Queen recovers its abilities. It can't take the Reducer.

P43: This piece with robotic name is a SPECIAL TYPE of piece. The other SPECIAL TYPE pieces are the P32 and the STAR. The P43 slides 4, leaps 3, or leaps 1 orthogonally. If reduced, it only leaps 1 orthogonally. Stationary movement: it can change to another type of special pieces: P32 or a STAR. If Reduced, it can move only one square. If a friendly Reducer is adjacent, it recovers its abilities. If the number of your P43s remaining is zero, you lose.

P32: This is another special piece. The P32 slides 3, leaps 2, or leaps 1 orthogonally. If reduced, it only leaps 1 orthogonally. If the friendly Reducer is adjacent, it recovers its abilities. Stationary movement: It can CHANGE to a P43 or a STAR. If the number of your P32s remaining is zero, you lose.

A REDUCER moves as a FIDE Queen. It can't capture any piece. Instead of this, it has the ability of REDUCE the movement and capture abilities of adjacent enemy pieces. An enemy piece adjacent to the Reducer can only move or capture with ONE-STEP movement according to the piece capabilities. A Reducer can only be captured by the King. It can't be captured by another piece. If the Reducer is adjacent to a reduced piece of the same side, the piece recovers its abilities. It is a nice piece, and it is an important piece in the game.

King is the royal piece. King moves and capture with a single step in all eight directions with FIDE-KING movement. The King can capture and it is immune to the REDUCER.

Rules

Win condition: Checkmate the opposite King, or reduce the enemy number of a SPECIAL TYPE piece (P32, P43 or STAR) to zero.

Playing Tips

Use the Reducer well. It is a great piece although it can't capture. Special pieces have approximately the same value, but it depends strongly on position. The value of a Special piece is almost the same value of TWO Soldiers, so there is not an immediately great advantage to promoting by compensation. If you take a friendly Soldier, it should be made according to your position and purposes, because Soldiers are defensive pieces too. It would be healthy if you maintain a balanced number of special type pieces, but it is not necessarily the best strategy in every case. Nevertheless, evaluate the risk if you decide to break the balance. Be careful with the number of remaining pieces of each SPECIAL TYPE. Tricks and threats in this game are really cool in the end game. Enjoy.

Computer Play

Now you can play DENEB if you have installed on your computer a registered version of ZILLIONS OF GAMES. You can download the DENEB ZRF and graphics at the link below. (Author: Roberto Lavieri)

Comments

Deneb. Special pieces and winning conditions. (7x9, Cells: 63)

Tony Quintanilla wrote on Sat, Aug 30, 2003 04:32 PM EDT:Excellent ★★★★★

Very nice game. The piece capabilities are very interesting, powerful, yet
seem clear. The game aesthetics are very nice too.

💡📝Roberto Lavieri wrote on Fri, Aug 1, 2003 08:25 AM EDT:

Again with the rule that allows capture the own King: I am NOT goig to correct the ZRF, I have observed after some playtesting that Zillions captures its own King in some situations of FORCED MATE in two or three moves!, the best move that Zillions is capable to do is resign, and it do that capturing its own king!. I have to do the observation that it was not easy to me see that, Zillions seems to be a strong player of this game (or I am not!), and it was not easy to me to put Zillions in a forced mate situation, I have had to abuse of 'taking back'...

💡📝Roberto Lavieri wrote on Thu, Jul 31, 2003 09:16 AM EDT:

John, I don`t like that I can take my own King, it is an error on the ZRF, but if you don´t take your own King, no problem. In the next version I´ll revise the code, and correct this fact. (I think I have to revise other games where there are cannibal pieces, too)

John Lawson wrote on Thu, Jul 31, 2003 03:07 AM EDT:

The ZRF answers all:

1 - Soldiers can indeed capture other Soldiers.

2 - Reducers do not restrict the stationary move.

3 - You can capture your own King, but you lose.

John Lawson wrote on Wed, Jul 30, 2003 05:46 PM EDT:Good ★★★★

I have a few questions:

1 - 'When a Soldier captures a friend piece, it can promote by
COMPENSATION to a SPECIAL PIECE.'  Does that include another soldier? 
That is, can my soldiers capture each other to create three more special
pieces?

2 - When a Special Piece is adjacent to a Reducer, can it still make a
stationary move to transmute into a different Special Piece?

3 - A 'rules lawyer' would notice that there is no prohibition against
capturing your own King with a Soldier.  You'd get another Special Piece,
and you can't lose by checkmate!  Is this what you meant?

Number of ratings: 2, Average rating: Excellent, Number of comments: 5