Zone X

By Roberto Lavieri

Introduction

Zone X is a variant of FIDE-Chess with a few elements inspired by Achernar. 

Setup

Standard Chess board, pieces, and setup, with the following exception. In Zone X there is a special zone, called X, formed by the squares on 4^th. And 5^th. Rank. 

Pieces

All major pieces are as Chess, with the following exceptions.

• A Pawn or Soldier inside the zone gains an additional non-capturing movement: they can move within Zone X one square horizontally to an empty square. A PAWN can only PROMOTE to WARRIOR when it reaches the last rank. En-Passant movement is as in Chess.
• A WARRIOR is a piece that can move and capture one square in all directions except sideways, and it can go from outside the ZONE X into the zone with a non-capturing movement, as the rest of major pieces. 
• Bishop is substituted by the GENERAL, which moves as a Bishop but it has an additional movement. A GENERAL in this game can move and capture as in Chess, but additionally it is an exactly-two diagonal leaper, i.e., it can move or capture jumping over one piece diagonally and landing in the next square in that diagonal direction. 
• King can make a castling movement with a Rook or any other friendly piece that is on a square that originally was occupied by the Rooks of the same team, whether or not the piece was or was not moved before, but the King must be never moved before the castling movement. The castling movement is as in Chess with this exception. 
• Queen moves as in Chess.
• Rook moves as in Chess.
• Knight moves as in Chess.

Rules

All pieces in this game, except the Pawns and Kings, have a non-capturing movement that allows the piece go from any square outside Zone X into any empty square within Zone X. But once in Zone X, the piece can ONLY move and capture with its normal movement. 

Computer Play

Now you can play ZONE X if you have installed on your Computer a Registered version of ZILLIONS OF GAMES. You can Download the ZONE X ZRF and graphics here at the below link. (Author: Roberto Lavieri) 

Equipment

Standard Chess equipment may be used.

Credits