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IAGO Chess System. http://abstractgamers.org/wiki/iago-chess. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

💡📝Rich Hutnik wrote on Mon, Apr 7, 2008 01:59 PM UTC:

The whole 'Calvinball Chess' question is one that raises the natural boundaries of chess variants.  Is the number of variants to a game finite (bounded) or infinite (unbounded).  If it is finite, unless you add luck element to it, then all variants naturally are solvable.  However, if it is infinite, then that game is not solvable.  Well, perhaps someone can find an underlying core direction that will universally say one side or another is solved or not.

The point is that it is a THEORETICAL question asked.  It, by itself, isn't the best form of chess.  But it is meant to be a test for whether or not variants themselves are deadend.

By the way, as far as a 'sense of accomplishment' goes, it is a game.  You defeat your opponent.  If you end up the top dog by being the best player, and being champion, that is the sense of accomplishment.  One can get a sense of accomplishment from mastering an OPPONENT over mastering a particular set of RULES.

Can I add here that when it comes to war (this is what chess is an abstracted model of), that no battle ever fought is the same?  It is 'Heraclitian' in that the conditions to start the battle are never the same, and they change in the battle, independent of what the troops do.  Yet, great generals are able to be evaluated.