💡📝Gary Gifford wrote on Sat, Jul 15, 2006 05:16 PM UTC:
Recently a qustion came up regarding Time Travel Chess and what happens if
there are no legal moves. Also, one player thought that a lone King could
just slip into the future at will... not so (and the rules forbid this).
The following should help clarify:
If a K + Q were against a lone King, that lone King could not
Time Travel as he is required to have a friendly piece or pawn... so in
these cases a King could not just venture off into the past or future.
In general:
(1) When your last piece or pawn is taken, and you have only a King Time
Traveling, then he will be Lost In Time (a game loss).
(2) If you have a piece(s) and or pawn(s) but have no legal moves, then
even if you have a Time Traveling King the game is drawn. Of course, the
King returning to the board on that very turn (if that was his designated
arrival time) would be a legal move and not a draw.
In summary - If you have no material and a Time Traveling King - you can
lose due to a Loss in Time condition. If you have material, but no legal
moves (such as a blocked pawn) you will have a draw.
Could one of the Editors please add this comment to the notes in the rules
page? Thank you.