Politically Correct Chess

Politically Correct Chess
by L. Lynn Smith


It is a known fact that the Mad Queen variant is a game from an
un-enlightened time.  It is filled with oppression, class-ism,
sex-ism, etc.  Thus it was essential that this game be brought
into compliance with acceptable modern standards.

The following changes are required:

The name of the King is now the Designated Individual.
The name of the Queen is now the Significant Other.
The name of the Bishop is now the Group Therapist.
The name of the Knight is now the Social Worker.
The name of the Rook is now the Public Housing.
The name of the Pawn is now the Average Individual.

There is also the introduction of a new piece called the Conflict 
Arbitrator.


The playing field is now 10x10, the reason being that the previous
8x8 playing field retains so many bad memories and players should not
be forced to re-live the abuse which they suffered within its domain.

Setup

This is the initial set-up:



[ph][sw][gt][ca][so][di][ca][gt][sw][ph]
[  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ]
[ai][ai][ai][ai][ai][ai][ai][ai][ai][ai]
[  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ]
[  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ]
[  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ]
[  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ]
[AI][AI][AI][AI][AI][AI][AI][AI][AI][AI]
[  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ][  ]
[PH][SW][GT][CA][DI][SO][CA][GT][SW][PH]

The suggested color of the pieces is green and blue.  Order
of play may be determined by coin toss.

There are no actual captures in this games, being a barbaric
form of play.  But there are temporary displacements.  Pieces
which are displaced from the field can be re-introduced to the
field under certain obligations.  These are best known as 
Involuntary Time-Outs.

Pieces

Both the Designated Individual and the Significant Other, being
equal partners, move alike.  Each is able to slide orthogonal
or diagonal through vacant cells.  Neither piece may displace
other pieces.  A displaced Designated Individual must be 
re-introduced to a cell adjacent one of the Significant Others.
A displaced Significant Other can only be re-introduced to a 
cell adjacent a Designated Individual.

The Group Therapist slides diagonal.  But because this form
of move un-fairly obligates it to half of the playing field,
it is allowed to perform a single orthogonal step.  This privilege 
may be noted with a token under the piece which is removed after 
it is exercised.  A piece which is displaced by a Group Therapist 
is returned to its player who may re-introduce it as a move on 
any of that particular piece's initial starting positions, which
must be vacant.  These position may be on either side of the field.
This applies to all pieces which are displaced by the Group Therapist.
This particular obligation is seen as an attempt to give the displaced
piece the opportunity to began anew. A displaced Group Therapist which 
is re-introduced to the playing field is allowed another orthogonal 
step privilege.

The Social Worker leaps to any second cell, but does not
displace pieces from the field.  Instead it pushes any piece 
located in the target cell into an adjacent vacant cell.  If 
there is no vacant cell for such a move, it is not permitted to 
make that leap.  The target piece may be of either players'
Group.  It may not displace a piece if it and the piece are
adjacent the same Conflict Arbitrator.  And such displacement
may result in 'sandwich' displacements by a player's Average 
Individuals. It may not leap to vacant cells.

The Public Housing is allowed to slide orthogonal through vacant
cells. On the first move, it is allowed to slide nine cells. The 
second move, eight cells. The third move, seven cells. The fourth 
move, six cells. The fifth move, five cells. The sixth move, 
four cells.  The seventh move, three cell.  The eight move, two
cells. And the ninth move, one cell. After the ninth move, it is 
not permitted to move.  All pieces which are adjacent the Public 
Housing are not allowed to move, although Average Individuals may 
still participate in 'sandwich' displacements and all 'frozen' 
pieces may be displaced by the Social Worker.  A displaced Public 
Housing which is re-introduced to the playing field begins again 
with the privilege of sliding up to nine cells, then eight, then 
seven, etc.  This ability can be noted with a stack of tokens under 
the piece, one being removed after each move of the piece.

The Conflict Arbitrator may leap to any vacant cell on the field, as
long as it imposes itself between two pieces, regardless of player.  
It cannot be displaced.

The Average Individual steps orthogonal or diagonal to vacant cells.  
When two Average Individuals, regardless of player, are oriented 
with a piece between them(sandwiched), that piece, also regardless 
of player, may be displaced and returned to its player who may swap 
out one of their Average Individual with this piece as a move. And 
this displaced Average Individual is considered 'retired' and 
may be re-introduced as a non-moving piece on any vacant cell of
the playing field on a subsequent turn.  Such can be noted with 
a token.  Retired Average Individuals are still allowed to 
participate in sandwich displacements but they themselves may 
not be displaced.

The 'sandwich' displacement may involve more than one piece.  'Sandwich'
displaced Average Individuals are re-introduced as Retired Average
Individuals to any vacant cell on the field as a turn.  Re-introduced
Retired Average Individuals may perform 'sandwich' displacements.

Rules

Any piece which is allowed to displaced others can do so to
either players' pieces. This is Equal Opportunity

All displacements are voluntary.  No piece is obligated to perform
a move which would force it to make a displacement.  Each player
should feel comfortable to make their own Choice.


Game Resolution:

A player who has not any non-retired Average Individuals on the 
field at any time has deferred their victory of the game.  This is 
known as the Non-Productive Resolution.

If at the end of a turn, a player does not have both their Designated
Individual and Significant Other on the field then their victory is
also deferred.  This is know as the Dissolution Resolution.

If all four Conflict Arbitrators are adjacent each other, all located 
in a 2x2 area, the game is considered amiably ended.  This particular 
pattern is known as the Agreeable Resolution.

Notes

Each player is allowed to pass on their turn.  If both players
consecutively pass their turn, the game is considered over.  This 
is known as the Satisfactory Resolution.

Although players are obligated to move only those pieces which are
initially located on their side of the field, this should not be
construed as ownership.  This is Personal Mentoring.