Nested Shogi

Having produced Nested Chess, a variant hiding within it a disguised form of the relatively FIDE-like Mongolian Chess, I wondered about nesting more distinctive Oriental variants. Here is one doing the same with Shogi. As with the original Nested Chess, it has both side and corner subvariants. The first has a single forward diagonal between two forward orthogonals, the second vice versa.

I have since added a page for Nested Xiang Qi, and combined concepts from Nested Shogi and Doubly Nested Chess to produce sFhIogEi.

Setup

Variant A

Variant B

Pieces

Pieces fall into three groups, similar to those in Nested Chess:

Royal and semi-royal:

	The KING is the usual royal piece that moves one square in any radial direction and must be kept out of check.
	The FEZBABA moves two squares orthogonally or one diagonally. The name is derived from its components the Ferz and Dabbaba. A player without a Fezbaba cannot move their bound pieces, but unbound pieces are unaffected.
	The WAFFLE moves one square orthogonally or two diagonally. The name is derived from its components the Wazir and Alfil. A player without a Waffle cannot move their unbound pieces (except the King), but bound pieces are unaffected.

Bound pieces, formed from transformed Shogi pieces:

	The BISHOP moves any distance diagonally through empty intermediate squares. It results from transforming the original Rook. The Bishop is promoted to an INQUISITOR by adding the Dabbaba move of a two-square unblockable leap along any orthogonal. Note that it can still be blocked diagonally.
	The DABBARIDER moves an even number of squares orthogonally, and can leap over intervening pieces on odd but not even squares. It results from transforming the original Bishop. The Dabbarider is promoted to a FEZBABANTE by adding the Ferz move of a one-square step along any diagonal. The name comes from "Dabbabante", a piece which has the Dabbarider's destinations but may be totally unblockable. For part-coprime pieces I use the suffix -bante to indicate a rider of only the non-coprime part - Fezbarider would be Bishop+Dabbarider.
	The SILVERDABCHICK moves one step on any orthogonal or leaps two steps on the 2A/1B forward orthogonal(s) (a subset of the Fezbaba moves). The Silverdabchick is not promotable, but the next four pieces are promoted to Silverdabchick.
	The GOLDDABBABA moves one step on the 1A/2B forward diagonal(s) or leaps two steps on any orthogonal (a subset of the Fezbaba moves).
	The HUMP makes the two forwardmost 3:1 leaps, and cannot be blocked. It results from transforming the original Helm.
	The MITRE moves any distance on the 1A/2B forward diagonal(s) through empty intermediate squares. It results from transforming the original Wing.
	The CROSS moves one square on the 1A/2B forward diagonal(s). The piece results from transforming the original Point.

Unbound pieces, formed from doubling length of Shogi diagonal moves:

	The ROOK moves any distance orthogonally through empty intermediate squares. The Rook is promoted to an INFANTA by adding the Elephant move of a two-square unblockable leap along any diagonal. Note that it can still be blocked orthogonally.
	The GOLDTUSK moves one step on any orthogonal or leaps two steps on the 1A/2B forward diagonal(s) (a subset of the Waffle moves). The Goldtusk is not promotable, but the next four pieces are promoted to Goldtusk.
	The SILVERELEPHANT moves one step on the 2A/1B forward orthogonal(s) or leaps two steps on any diagonal (a subset of the Waffle moves).
	The HELM makes the two forwardmost 2:1 leaps, and cannot be blocked.
	The WING moves any distance on the 2A/1B forward orthogonal(s) through empty intermediate squares.
	The POINT moves one step on the 2A/1B forward orthogonal(s).

I have now added another variant using the Golddabbaba, Goldtusk, Silverdabchick, and Silverelephant: Hoo Mitregi. The origin of these pieces is covered in my article Man and Beast 11: Long-Nosed Generals.

Rules

Pieces may not move along an edge diagonal. Helms may not move directly between an edge diagonal and the adjoining diagonal of the opposite binding. This is the one-foot-in-the-grave rule, and the reason why I prevented the original edges being edge diagonals.

There is no initial double-step (or double-leap) move, En Passant, Castling, or Cathedralling, as Shogi has none of these.

Players keep pieces that they capture in a Reserve, whence they can reintroduce any except the Waffle and Fezbaba as their own pieces, unpromoted and able to move in that form. Bound pieces can be reintroduced only on the Bishop's initial binding, and unbound ones only on the opposite binding.

The promotion zone includes all enemy array cells, and all initially empty cells between two such cells. Promotion is allowed at the end of a move starting or ending in the zone, and compulsory if the piece has no further move unpromoted.

A nonroyal piece, promoted or unpromoted, starting or ending a move on a promotion cell in the Bishop's initial binding can be swapped with a Fezbaba in the enemy Reserve if unbound, or a Waffle in the enemy Reserve if bound.

Check, Checkmate, and Stalemate are as in FIDE Chess and Shogi.

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 Charles Gilman.
Web page created: 2006-10-12. Web page last updated: 2016-04-06