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This page is written by the game's inventor, Daniil Frolov.

Classic sum

There are many hybrids of 3 most played chess variants (FIDE chess, 
Xiang-qi and Shogi). Most of them are based on FIDE chess, with cannons 
and palaces from Xiang-qi and/or dropping and promotion from Shogi. But, 
besides simple mixing of different things of these games, there are also 
many ways to play normal variants of all three games (or, at least, two) 
at the same time! They are based on confrontation of related pieces (XQ 
cannons are usually correspond with Shogi flying chariot and angle 
walker; sometimes some piece from variants of FIDE chess added for 
them). These are John Smith's "Chess Dial" and "Magic River", Charles 
Gilman's "Easterhouse", Kuyan Judith's "Classic Average", or simple 
throwing dice to determine, how pieces moves (better with 3 more games 
added, it's usually Shantraj, Makrook and Shatar). Now, i decided to 
make my own game, wich can join this list! If there are "Classic 
Average", so there also must be "Classic Sum", where are pieces are 
compounds of pieces from FIDE chess, Xiangi and Shogi (it's not as 
simple, as it sounds)!

Setup

rnbqkqbnr -f-----a- ppppppppp --------- --------- --------- --------- PPPPPPPPP -A-----F- RNBQKQBNR P - pawn; K - king Q - queen; B - bishop; N - knight; R - rook; A - angle walker; F - flying chariot.

Rules

This game can be played on 9x10 Xiang-qi board (with normal palace and 
river) and with Shogi pieces. Chess pawns promotion zone is last 2 
ranks, but promotion zone of Shogi pieces is last 3 ranks. Shogi 
promotion according to Shogi rules. There are destructive captures, when 
captured piece is removed from game forever, but there are also passive 
captures, captured pieces are moved to capturer's reserve and can be 
dropped as in Shogi, almost all drops with demotion if captured piece is 
promoted. 
Ranks are numbered from 1 to 10, files are lettered from a to i. Rooks 
are chariots and lances. Knights are horses. Bishops are elephants and 
silver generals. Queens are advisors and gold generals. Left cannon is 
flying chariot, right cannon is angle walker (there are no corresponding 
pieces from FIDE chess). Initial setup is same as in Xiang-qi, BUT ranks 
3 and 8 are filled with 9 pawns at each side and cannons are on ranks 2 
and 9 (on same files, as in Xiang-qi), left cannon is angle walker. 
Movement of pieces: 

King: 
as in Chess and Shogi. He may not leave his palace with orthogonal step 
(but MAY with diagonal and with any step when in opponent's palace) and 
without capture. When both king are inside thier own the paleces, they 
cannot make orthogonal step if they are on same file and there is no any 
piece between them or if this move will cause such situation. Can castle 
with either rook by moving 2 steps towards them (rook leaps to next 
square) under normal restriction, HOWEVER it CAN castle under or through 
any check of flying chariot and angle walker and under check of pawn's 
sideways move (see below). Don't promote. All captures are passive. 

Queen (you may prefer call it ferz, as there are 2 of them): 
as in Chess. May not leave friendly palace with single diagonal step 
without passive capture (freely leaves opponent's palace). If in palace 
and not making passive capture, cannot make single diagonal step if both 
kings are inside thier own palaces and on seme file without any pieces 
between them or if this move will cause such situation. Captures 
passively if moves as gold general (single orthogonal step or single 
forward diagonal step). Don't promote. 

Bishop: 
as in chess, plus can make single orthogonal step forward (thus, not 
colorbound). When on friendly half of board, cannot make double diagonal 
step to cross the river. When on friendly half of board, caonnot make 
double diagonal step if both kings are inside thier own palaces and on 
seme file without any pieces between them or if this move will cause 
such situation. Captures passively if moves on step diagonal or 
orthogonal forward. Promotes to queen in Shogi promotion zone when makes 
single diagonal or forward orthogonal step. 

Knight: 
as in chess. Cannot move without leaping over orthogonaly or/and 
promoting or/and passive capture if both kings are inside thier own 
palaces and on seme file without any pieces between them or if this move 
will cause such situation. Promotes (to queen and captures passively 
when moving in direction of Shogi horse (two steps forward and one 
sideways). When reaching last or last but one rank and captures 
passively, promotion is obligatory. 

Rook: 
as in Chess and Xiang-qi. Cannot move at all expect castling and passive 
capture or promotion if both kings are inside thier own palaces and on 
seme file without any pieces between them or if this move will cause 
such situation. Promotes (to queen) and captures passively when moving 
forward (NOT sideways). When reaching last rank and captures passively, 
promotiom is obligatory. 

Flying chariot: 
as rook, but can also leap over 1 piece of either side to capture. 
Cannot move without passive capture or promotion if both kings are 
inside thier own palaces and on seme file without any pieces between 
them or if this move will cause such situation. Promotes and captures 
passively when moving like rook. Promotes to dragon king: same, but can 
also move one step diagonaly (capture is passive). 

Angle waler: 
as bishop (either move or capture) and cannon: without capture as rook 
and captures along rook lines, but must leap over 1 piece. Cannot move 
as cannon if both kings are 
inside thier own palaces and on seme file without any pieces between 
them or if this move will cause such situation. Promotes and captures 
passively when moves as bishop. Promotes to dragon horse: same, but can 
also capture with single orthogonal step (passively). 

Pawn: 
moves and captures with single orthogonal forward step, can also capture 
diagonaly forward. On first move can make non-capturing double 
orthogonal forward step, when can be captured en-passant diagonaly. 
When crosses the river, can also move (capturing or not) one sideways 
(cannot promote with this move at all). Cannot move one step orthogonaly 
forward without capture and/or promotion and any sideways if both kings 
are 
inside thier own palaces and on seme file without any pieces between 
them or if this move will cause such situation. Passive capture is only 
orthogonaly forward. In Shogi promotion zone it promotes to queen only, 
only when moving orthogonaly forward. Shogi promotion is only to queen 
(demotes when captured). If captures orthogonaly forward with capturing 
in Shogi promotion zone, uses only this promotion. In chess pawn 
promotion zone promotes to queen, bishop, knight or rook (can be 
promoted further) if moves orthogonaly forward without capturing or 
diagonaly with capturing (and not demotes to pawn when captured). Chess 
promotion is obligatory if moves diagonaly to last rank rank. Shogi 
promotion is obligatory if moves with capturing to last rank. If moves 
orthogonaly without capture to last rank, 
promotion is optional (but further it can move only sideways). 

Note that when bare facing conditiond apply, player cannot make 
forbidden move even putting piece between kings. 
Checkmate opponent's king to win. 
Dropping restrictions: pawn cannot be dropped to checkmate 
opponent's king ONLY if it check it with orthogonal forward move. Other 
checkmates with pawn drops are allowed. Pawn and rook cannot be dropped 
on last rank, knight cannot be dropped on last and last but one rank. 
Stalemate rules are interesting: is stalemate draw or lose of stalemated 
player, depends on last move. 
For flying chariot and angle walker stalemate is alwys win. 
For knight stalemate is draw when last move was NOT in Shogi knight's 
direction and was made with leap over orthogonally adjecent piece, 
otherewise, it's owner wins. 
For bishop stalemate is win if last move was orthogonaly forward, one 
step diagonaly or two steps diagonally on friendly half of board. 
For queen stalemate is win if it moved like gold general or diagonaly 
backward within friendly palace. 
For pawn stalemate is draw if last move was diagonal capture or double 
step, or chess promotion, otherwise it's win of it's owner. 
For king and rook stalemate is always win, expect when last move was 
castling. 
Stalemate is win after any drop. 

That's all rules! Hope, you liked it. If you found some mistakes (it was 
hard to make game, where are pieces moves only like in these 3 games: 
e.g. not making chess pawns promotion with Shogi moves), please, write 
about it in comments. I am also planning to make a game, wich looks like 
this, but without dull complicated rules.


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By Daniil Frolov.
Web page created: 2010-06-14. Web page last updated: 2010-06-14