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Asteryx Chess. Hexagonal chess played on an asterisk-shaped board. (Cells: 43) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

💡📝David Jagger wrote on Tue, Apr 8, 2003 10:30 AM UTC:

Nicholas, thanks for the feedback and the rating. To judge from your
comment on a centrally placed queen's ability to always capture if any
two enemy pieces were next to each other - i think you may have
misinterpreted the rule of capture, which perhaps hasn't been stated
clearly or forcefully enough in my rules. The capturing side must occupy
at least two of the EXISTING spaces of the same colour around an opposing
token. (Or just the one if only one EXISTS). I think in this context you
have understood 'existing' to mean 'available' - which would explain
the conclusion you arrive at.  In reality you will find that a player can
actually PROTECT its own token (typically its king) when it is on the
perimeter by having two of its men stand next to it on different colours,
thereby  PRECLUDING enemy capture until at least one of the protecting men
is dislodged. Hope this clarifies things about capture. 

Taking your point about an apparently overpowerful bishop (and hence
queen) I'll admit to having had similar doubts initially, though
playtesting convinced me that they were misplaced. Of course too the given
move means that the bishops are not colourbound, and 3 bishops are not
needed - as would be the case with 'glinka' bishops. I do believe that
with custodian capture, which typically involves 2 capturing tokens, more
powerful pieces than usual are no bad thing. 

One point perhaps worth making about any centrally placed token (queen or
otherwise) - is that it is of course more vulnerable to capture itself -
as then being within the reach of a greater number of opposing forces!
Thanks again for your interest, further feedback appreciated, dtj.