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Pillars of Medusa. A variation of Turkish Great Chess plus two additional pieces, the Morph and the Medusa. (11x11, Cells: 121) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

💡📝Gary Gifford wrote on Tue, Jan 17, 2006 05:53 PM UTC:

Larry: Thanks for sharing the idea regarding placing all the Swords[pawns]
on the fourth rank.  Your reasoning, which I quote in part, is good:
'...the player is able to re-position power pieces with ease and
increasing the depth of play with the possible variety of introduction to
the field.'  

In the original POM most can pieces can enter the field quickly by leaping
over the second rank pawns, or moving diagonally when one moves forward. 
As in chess, the rooks are the slow guys.

Pawns on the 4th ranks would be subject to a faster Medusa attack by the
opponent.  Anyway, your idea sounds like it is worth a try.

Another 'try' lies between your idea and the original.  It would be to
place all swords (pawns) on the third rank, put the Medusa and Morph on E2
and G2 (to keep them central), and to put the Pillars at A2 and K2. 
Possible then remove one or two ranks from the board to put the armies
closer.

As a development note: Pillars of Medusa was my very first chess variant,
and at the time it was just for a novel I was working on... in the novel a
mind-reading queen plays POM against the hero.  His pieces have, within
them, the names of his friends (who are prisoners of the queen).  When he
loses a piece the queen reveals the name inside, and has that person
executed.  Not a fun way to have to play a game.