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

Kingdom of distorting mirrors

Inspired by my own Reflection teammate and by game with full-range pieces, i don't remember it's name, remind me, please if you know it. It's preferable to play it with two identical Heraldic sets, where each piece differs from all others, or you can somehow mark each piece.

Setup

Game is played on two normal boards, standart setup on both. But one of boards is short-range, other board is max-range.

Pieces

Pieces on short-range board are same, but rook, bishop and queen can move only 1 step and pawns can't make initial double step. On max-range board all pieces must make max number of steps. That is, to move, they must capture and, to move without capturing, they must become blocked by friendly pieces or board's borders. These rules apply not only for rooks, bishops and queen, but also for king, pawns and knights. Knights are max-range nightriders: they may make several knight's leaps in same direction and, as other pieces of max-range board, must make max number of leaps in certain diretion. Pawns are max-range arabic spears: they may move any number of steps vertically forward without capturing and any number of steps diagonally forward to capture. And, of course, they also uses rules of max-range pieces. King is king-battler, identical to queen. It may freely cross check.
Castling is normal on both boards.

Rules

During each turn, player must move one piece on both boards: they must be from same opening positions (remember Heraldic set), and they must be moved in same direction, range depends on board. For example, white moves short-range pawn e2-e3, then pawn on max-range board must be moved e2-e6. If knight on short-range board moves b1-c3, max-range knight must move b1-e7, and if on next turn short-range knight moves c3-a4, correspoding max-range knight moves e7-c8.
When piece is captured, it's twin may move freely, and when player moves it, he/she can't move piece on second board.
Castling also must be made simultaneously and both castlings must be legal.
I have two variants of pawns capturing rules, one must be chosen before playing: 1. Pawns may move diagonally only to capture. 2. If one of pawns captures diagonally, other may move diagonally without capturing.
When max-range pawn is on last rank, but corresponding short-range pawn have not reached last rank yet, short-range pawn moves freely and max-range pawn stays unpromoted. When two corresponding pawns are on last rank, they both promotes to pieces of same kind (but of different range, depending on board).
Win by checkmating or stalemating either king.

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By Daniil Frolov.
Web page created: 2010-09-21. Web page last updated: 2010-09-21