Check out Janggi (Korean Chess), our featured variant for November, 2024.

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

Passive ultima

This game is based on Ultima. You must be familar with Ultima before reading this.

Pieces

All pices moves as in Ultima (king as orthodox king, pincer pawns as orthodox rook, other pieces as orthodox queen), with one expection, see below. They don't capture with thier usual methods. Instead, they capture as captured piece captures in normal Ultima. Pieces (including chameleons) don't have to move orthogonally when captures pawns or move only one step when captures king, as well as king and pawns don't get special moves, there is only one expection: king may move as queen when captures long leaper (because long leaper can't be captured by moving only 1 step). Pawns, however, can move only orthogonally, even to capture long leapers. Pawns can be captured only with orthogonal custodianship (it's not captured when one of opponent's pieces is diagonally adjecent and another opponent's piece moves to another diagonally adjecent to surround pawn). All pieces captures chameleons with thier own methods, chameleons still can't capture each other. Immobilizer can't be captured, but when it's adjecent to hostile pieces it is immobilized and can 'commit suicide'.

Rules

Same as in Ultima: win by checkmating or stalemating king.

Notes

Game is probably bad: it's even more defensive than original Ultima (Ultima's defence was criticized by it's inventor!). But, however, if aggressive playing starts, checkmating is easier than in Ultima, as king must be captured by replacement. It can be done with other games with pieces with different methods of capturing, for example, Rococo.

This 'user submitted' page is a collaboration between the posting user and the Chess Variant Pages. Registered contributors to the Chess Variant Pages have the ability to post their own works, subject to review and editing by the Chess Variant Pages Editorial Staff.


By Daniil Frolov.
Web page created: 2010-08-27. Web page last updated: 2010-08-27