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This page is written by the game's inventor, Greg Strong.

Hubbub

This game is a variant of Brouhaha with shorter-range pieces. It was inspired by the Short-Range Project, and the game meets the criteria to be in this category. It is played on an 8x8 chess board, but also has a few extra squares 'hanging' off the edges of the board. Notice that the names of the files and ranks are such that the main chessboard and chessmen are on squares with the usual notation.

Setup

initial setup

White: King e1; Gryphon d1; Rook a1, h1; Knight b1, g1; Lion c1, f1; Scout d0, e0; Bishop x0, z0; Pawn a2, b2, c2, d2, e2, f2, g2, h2.

Black: King e8; Gryphon d8; Rook a8, h8; Knight b8, g8; Lion c8, f8; Scout d9, e9; Bishop x9, z9; Pawn a7, b7, c7, d7, e7, f7, g7, h7.

Pieces

The Rook, Bishop, Knight, and King are as in Orthodox Chess, with one exception. A Bishop that has not moved yet has the additional option of making a single leap as a Camel. The other pieces move as follows:

The Lion

The Lion is a piece invented by Ralph Betza, which he called a Half-Duck. It has been used recently with the name 'Lion' in games by David Paulowich. This piece may leap either 2 or 3 squares horizontally or vertically, or may step a single space digonally. This piece stays on squares of the same color except when it makes the somewhat awkward (0, 3) leap.

The Scout

The scout may step one square horizontally or vertically, or leap exactly three squares horizontally or vertically. Also, a Scout that has not yet moved from its starting square has the added ability to move (once) like a Knight. Like the Knight, this piece is forced to change the color of the square it occupies with each move.

The Gryphon

The Gryphon may move like either a Knight or a Scout. It can jump directly to 16 squares making it the most powerful piece in the game. But, like the Knight, it is forced to change the color of the square it occupies with each move.

The Bishop

The Bishop moves as in orthodox chess with one added ability. A Bishop that has not yet left its starting square may move once as a Camel.

Rules

Extra squares: The extra squares which 'hang' off the corners of the standard 8x8 board are special; once the piece that occupies them moves off, they may never be entered again. It could be viewed as those squares 'disappearing' once the piece moves off. They only way a piece could ever move to one of these squares is if it were capturing a piece which occupies it.

Pawn promotion: A pawn reaching the eighth rank must promote to a Rook, a Bishop, a Lion, or a Gryphon, but not to any lesser piece.

All Orthodox Chess rules apply, unless otherwise noted. The goal of the game is to Checkmate the enemy King. If the King of the player to move cannot make a move to a square where he is safe from capture, but is not attacked on the square he is on, and no other move can be made, than this situation is Stalemate. Stalemate is a draw. Three-time repetition of a position is also a draw, as is fifty full moves without a pawn being moved or a piece being captured.



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By Greg Strong.
Web page created: 2006-12-22. Web page last updated: 2006-12-22