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This page is written by the game's inventor, M Winther.

External Link: Capablanca Relocation Chess

The Capablanca piece array can in one move be rearranged by the players, creating 144 different board positions. Two new pieces are introduced (1) Archbishop, which slides like a bishop or leaps like a knight (2) Chancellor, which slides like a rook or leaps like a knight. The board used is 8x10. Piece setup: RNABQKBCNR

Capablanca Relocation Chess is like Capablanca Chess except that the players can, before play begins, swap places of the king/queen and another piece except the rooks. Thus, if the king is swapped (relocated), the other piece (the relocatee) ends up on the king's square. If the queen is swapped, the relocatee ends up on the queen's square. One restriction is that the bishops mustn't end up on the same square colour. Note that black begins by making the initial swap. Alternatively he can choose to leave the position as it is (by pressing the king). The white player then has the option to relocate his king or queen, whereupon he starts the game by making the first move. Each player can choose between 12 different setups, which results in 144 different board positions.

Note that the king retains his castling rights even if it has been relocated. The castling rules are simple and derive from Chess960. King and rook end up on their usual squares. The only difference is that the king can make longer (or shorter, or none at all) leaps than usual. All squares between king and rook must be empty and unthreatened and neither of the pieces must have moved before. Castle on the queenside is denoted O-O-O. Castle on the kingside is denoted O-O.

A Zillions implementation plus more information is here.


External Link: http://www.two-paths.com/bg/caparelocation.htm


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By M Winther.
Web page created: 2009-10-09. Web page last updated: 2009-10-09