LOTUS BOARD CONFIGURATIONS FOR FUTURE CHESS VARIANTS CONTESTS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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1. Year 2000: The 41-Cell Lotus Board
2. Year 2002: 43 Cells
3. Year 2004: 45 Cells
4. Year 2006: 47 Cells
5. In 20 Years (2018): Grand Lotus Chess (59 Cells)
6. In 50 Years (2052): Lotus Chess Extraordinaire (93 Cells)
7. General Information
FOR THE YEAR 2000: 41 SQUARES
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[1] THE 41-CELL LOTUS BOARD
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On this board two triangles abut the ends of the fourth rank,
raising the total number of cells from 39 to 41. The new cells are
denoted as z4 and j4. The initial position and rules are the same as
the 39-cell Lotus Chess game. The pieces are: King (K), Lotussa (L),
Crook (CR), Counselor (S), Wyvern (W), and Pawn (P), with one Knight
(N) in-hand. See diagram below.
______
/\ K /\ Black
7 / S \/ CR \
/\ / \ /\
/_W__\/ \/__L_\
6 | P | P P P | P |
|____| |____|
/\ /\ /\ /\
5 / \/ \ / \/ \
/\ / \ /\ / \ /\
/____\/ \/____\/ \/____\
4 / | | | | | | \
\ |____| |____| |____| /
\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /
3 \/ \ / \/ \ / \/
\ /\ / \ /\ /
\/____\/ \/____\/
2 | P | P P P | P |
|____| |____|
\ L /\ /\ W /
\/ \ / \/
1 \ CR /\ S /
\/_K__\/ WHITE
z a b c d e f g h i j
FOR THE YEAR 2002: 43 SQUARES
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[2] THE 43-CELL LOTUS BOARD
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This board adds four truncated hexagons to the ends of the hypothe-
cated 'b' and 'h' files (or 2nd and 6th ranks) of the 39-cell board to
bring the total to 43 cells. The pieces and rules of Lotus-43 Chess
are the same as the 39-cell game, except that each player starts out
with nine Pawns and two Knights in-hand. The initial position is
shown in the diagram below.
Knights may be entered into the game on any of a player's second-
rank hexagons (but only when that cell is vacant, of course). With
eight hexagons, this board provides more scope for Knight action.
______
/\ K /\ Black
7 / S \/ CR \
/\ / \ /\
/~~~~~~\/_W__\/ \/__L_\/~~~~~~\
6 | P P | P | P P P | P | P P |
| |____| |____| |
\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /
5 \ / \/ \ / \/ \ /
/\ / \ /\ / \ /\
/____\/ \/____\/ \/____\
4 | | | | | |
|____| |____| |____|
\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /
3 \/ \ / \/ \ / \/
/ \ /\ / \ /\ / \
/ \/____\/ \/____\/ \
2 | P P | P | P P P | P | P P |
| |____| |____| |
\______/\ L /\ /\ W /\______/
\/ \ / \/
1 \ CR /\ S /
\/_K__\/ WHITE
a b c d e f g h i
FOR THE YEAR 2004: 45 SQUARES
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[3] THE 45-CELL LOTUS BOARD
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This board adds to the 43-cell board one more first-rank cell
for each player. Left to right, each player has these pieces on the
back rank: Crook (CR), Wyvern (W), Lotussa (L), King (K), Counselor
(S), and a second Wyvern, with two Knights (N) in-hand. The second
rank has nine Pawns (P) as shown below in the diagram of the initial
position. Castling with the Lotussa-side Crook is now possible.
(Whether that's a good or bad move is unknown at this time.) Other-
wise, the rules of Lotus-45 are the same as the 43-cell game.
______
/\ K /\ /\ Black
7 / S \/ L \ / CR \
/\ / \ /\ / \
/~~~~~~\/_W__\/ \/__W_\/ \
6 | P P | P | P P P | P | P P |
| |____| |____| |
\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /
5 \ / \/ \ / \/ \ /
/\ / \ /\ / \ /\
/____\/ \/____\/ \/____\
4 | | | | | |
|____| |____| |____|
\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /
3 \/ \ / \/ \ / \/
/ \ /\ / \ /\ / \
/ \/____\/ \/____\/ \
2 | P P | P | P P P | P | P P |
| |____| |____| |
\ /\ W /\ /\ W /\______/
\ / \/ \ / \/
1 \ CR / \ L /\ S /
\/ \/_K__\/ WHITE
a b c d e f g h i
FOR THE YEAR 2006: 47 SQUARES
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[4] THE 47-CELL LOTUS BOARD
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The 47-cell board completes the back rank, which now consists of
seven cells. Each player now starts the game with a full army of
one King, one Lotussa, one Counselor, two Wyverns, two Crooks, and
nine Pawns, with two Knights in-hand. The initial position is shown
in the diagram below. Castling is now possible on both wings. The
rules of the Lotus-47 game are the same as Lotus-45.
______
/\ /\ K /\ /\ Black
7 / CR \ / S \/ L \ / CR \
/ \ /\ / \ /\ / \
/ \/_W__\/ \/__W_\/ \
6 | P P | P | P P P | P | P P |
| |____| |____| |
\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /
5 \ / \/ \ / \/ \ /
/\ / \ /\ / \ /\
/____\/ \/____\/ \/____\
4 | | | | | |
|____| |____| |____|
\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /
3 \/ \ / \/ \ / \/
/ \ /\ / \ /\ / \
/ \/____\/ \/____\/ \
2 | P P | P | P P P | P | P P |
| |____| |____| |
\ /\ W /\ /\ W /\ /
\ / \/ \ / \/ \ /
1 \ CR / \ L /\ S / \ CR /
\/ \/_K__\/ \/ WHITE
a b c d e f g h i
TWENTY YEARS FROM NOW!! FOR THE YEAR 2018: 59 SQUARES
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[5] THE 59-CELL LOTUS BOARD: GRAND LOTUS CHESS!
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By the year 2028, some ten computer generations from now, the In-
ternet will be obsolete, replaced by vastly more powerful technology
that can't even be imagined today. With regular chess long since
having been played out, the latest edition of "Neue Chess: The Book"
will be a best-seller as chessplayers clamor for new ways to make
chess interesting again. The void will be filled by Grand Lotus
Chess!
This 59-cell board has blossomed out to 9 ranks and 13 files.
Each player now has one King, 3 Lotussas, 2 Crooks, 2 Counselors,
2 Wyverns, 11 Pawns, and 2 Knights in-hand. There is no castling.
The initial position is shown in the diagram below.
______________________
9 | CR | K | CR | Black
| |____| |
/\ /\ L /\ /\
8 / L \ / S \/ S \ / L \
/ \ /\ / \ /\ / \
/ \/_W__\/ \/__W_\/ \
7 | P P P | P | P P P | P | P P P |
| |____| |____| |
/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\
6 / \ / \/ \ / \/ \ / \
/ \ /\ / \ /\ / \ /\ / \
/ \/____\/ \/____\/ \/____\/ \
5 | | | | | | | |
| |____| |____| |____| |
\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /
4 \ / \/ \ / \/ \ / \/ \ /
\ / \ /\ / \ /\ / \ /
\/ \/____\/ \/____\/ \/
3 | P P P | P | P P P | P | P P P |
| |____| |____| |
\ /\ W /\ /\ W /\ /
2 \ / \/ \ / \/ \ /
\ L / \ S /\ S / \ L /
\/ \/_L__\/ \/
| CR | K | CR |
1 |________|____|________| WHITE
a b c d e f g h i j k l m
HALF A CENTURY FROM NOW!! FOR THE YEAR 2052: 93 SQUARES
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[6] THE 93-CELL LOTUS BOARD
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"Lotus Chess Extraordinaire" is played on a 93-cell board with 13
ranks and 13 files. Is this chess, or what?! Be sure to wear pro-
tective glasses when viewing the diagram of the initial position!
______________________
13 | CR | K | CR | Black
| |____| |
/\ /\ L /\ /\
12 / L \ / S \/ S \ / L \
/ \ /\ / \ /\ / \
/ \/_W__\/ \/__W_\/ \
11 | P P P | P | P P P | P | P P P |
| |____| |____| |
/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\
10 / \ / \/ \ / \/ \ / \
/ \ /\ / \ /\ / \ /\ / \
/ \/____\/ \/____\/ \/____\/ \
9 | | | | | | | |
| |____| |____| |____| |
\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /
8 \ / \/ \ / \/ \ / \/ \ /
\ / \ /\ / \ /\ / \ /
\/ \/____\/ \/____\/ \/
7 | | | | | |
| |____| |____| |
/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\
6 / \ / \/ \ / \/ \ / \
/ \ /\ / \ /\ / \ /\ / \
/ \/____\/ \/____\/ \/____\/ \
5 | | | | | | | |
| |____| |____| |____| |
\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /
4 \ / \/ \ / \/ \ / \/ \ /
\ / \ /\ / \ /\ / \ /
\/ \/____\/ \/____\/ \/
3 | P P P | P | P P P | P | P P P |
| |____| |____| |
\ /\ W /\ /\ W /\ /
2 \ / \/ \ / \/ \ /
\ L / \ S /\ S / \ L /
\/ \/_L__\/ \/
| CR | K | CR |
1 |________|____|________| WHITE
a b c d e f g h i j k l m
*****
GENERAL INFORMATION
===================
Lotus-39 Chess was invented by David Moeser of Cincinnati, Ohio,
USA, in June 1998 for submission in the 1998 Chess Variants Contest.
This article is being published as of December 10, 1998, in conjunc-
tion with these other articles detailing additional aspects of Lotus
Chess:
1. LOTUS-39 CHESS.
2. THE LOTUS BOARD: NOTATION & DIRECTIONAL CONCEPTS.
3. CHESS PIECES IN THE LOTUS ENVIRONMENT.
Interested chessplayers may contact the inventor at the internet
e-mail address: erasmus at iglou dot com. NEUE CHESS: THE BOOK, a
compilation of more than 50 pages published in Cincinnati chess
periodicals on the subject of chess variants, is available from the
author for US $5. (U.S.A. addresses only. Correspondents outside
the U.S. should contact the author for shipping cost.)
The world capital of chess variants is located on the web at:
http://www.chessvariants.com/d.chessvar/index.html.
[Version 1.0: Copyright (c) 1998 by david moeser]
Written by David Moeser.
WWW page created: December 18, 1998.