Pawn Blackhole Chess
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(similar variants listed) |
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== Origin and concept == |
== Origin and concept == |
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| − | Game invented by Adam Corbally and others |
+ | The original concept was to rotate all movement rules by 45° relative to tradition. In practice this meant royalty is unchanged, and rooks would move like bishops and vice versa, so for simplicity those retain their original movement, and only pawns and knights have new movement rules. |
| − | This chess variant is played by two players on a standard board and pieces, but the board is treated as a four-way battleground towards the center - with natural movement of pawns to always be towards the center battle - hence black hole. |
+ | Like traditional chess, this variant is played by two players, and uses a standard board and pieces, but with a new starting layout, the pawns on the board are all drawn towards the center (hence "pawn blackhole") where they skirmish, leaving the outer ring open for stronger pieces |
== Setup == |
== Setup == |
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Pieces are setup in corner groups |
Pieces are setup in corner groups |
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| − | Royalty in the corners with queens diagonal to each other on white and kings diagonal on black. The queen should in the right corner from a players perspective. Each royal faces towards the center of the board, making "in front" be along the diagonal. |
+ | |
| + | Royal pieces start in the corners with queens diagonal to each other on white and kings diagonal on black. The queen should in the right corner from a players perspective. Each royal faces towards the center of the board, making "in front" be along the diagonal. |
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In front of each royal is the rook (on the same colour as the royal), then to the royal's right is a bishop, and left is a knight. |
In front of each royal is the rook (on the same colour as the royal), then to the royal's right is a bishop, and left is a knight. |
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== Movement == |
== Movement == |
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| − | Royalty, rooks and bishops move as per traditional chess (royalty doesn't move any different when rotated 45, and rooks/bishops simply adopt each other's style when rotated, so for simplicity they maintain their original) |
+ | Pawns move forward on the diagonal (two for opening), and always move towards the center according to the quadrant they are in. As they cross into an enemy quadrant, their "forward" diagonal alters to continue their march to the center. Pawns are also colour-locked except when they attack, which is now on traditional grid, and valid in all FOUR directions. This is the only way a pawn can move away from the center. A pawn that reaches ANY edge of an opponents quadrant (14 total target squares in two player) may be promoted. Note that it has to battle every outward step of the way to earn it! Each player has two pawns which can theoretically be promoted in as little as two moves (pawns on the players own edge, taking sideways twice towards the enemy). Other pawns have a longer fastest-theoretical path to promotion, depending on their starting position. |
| − | Knights still move "forward two and across one" but now along the diagonal, meaning each knight is now colour-locked, and can move much further - three moves from corner to corner (five in traditional chess). I note that "forward two and one across" on the diagonal is equivalent to an on-grid move of "three and one" (compared to regular chess being "two and one") |
+ | Knights still move "forward two and across one" but now along the diagonal, meaning each knight is now colour-locked, and can move much further - three moves from corner to corner (five in traditional chess). I note that "forward two and one across" on the diagonal is equivalent to an on-grid move of "three and one" (compared to regular chess being "two and one"). Within the chess variants community, pieces that move this way are known as "camels". |
| − | Pawns also move forward on the diagonal (two for opening), and always move towards the center according to the quadrant they are in. This is the "black hole" part of blackhole chess, and are also colour-locked except when they attack, which are on traditional grid, and valid in all FOUR directions. This is also the only way a pawn can move away from the center. A pawn that reaches ANY edge on the opponent side of the board (14 total target squares) may be promoted - but it has to battle every damn step of the way to earn it! |
+ | Royalty, rooks and bishops move as per traditional chess |
| − | There is no "castling" move. |
+ | There is no castling or en passant move. |
| + | |||
| + | == Four player variant == |
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| + | |||
| + | With suitable colour distinction, this game easily expands to four players - one per corner with all players having a king only on their royal corner, and no queen. Pawn promotion now available on 21 enemy backlines. |
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| + | Players are eliminated when their king is checkmated, and their pieces disposed of by prior agreement in one of three ways: |
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| + | * all players pieces removed from the board immediately |
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| + | * players pieces (except the checkmated kind) remain on the board as motionless obstacles that may be "taken" by other players to be cleared, but pose no threat. |
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| + | * the pieces of the first player to be checkmated remain till a second checkmate occurs, and are then removed (leaving only one "dead" players pieces at a time) |
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| + | |||
| + | Winning is last player standing. |
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== Trivia == |
== Trivia == |
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| − | Each royal is flanked by a piece that is colour-locked opposite to the starting piece of that colour. |
+ | * Each royal is flanked by a piece that is colour-locked opposite to the starting piece of that colour. |
| + | * Originally titled simply "Blackhole Chess", it was renamed to avoid a clash with Blackhole Chess on chessvariants.com, in preparation for submission to that site. |
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== Gameplay style == |
== Gameplay style == |
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| − | Pawns gravitate towards the center, leaving stronger pieces to circle as best they can at the edges |
+ | Pawns gravitate towards the center skirmish, leaving stronger pieces to circle as best they can at the edges |
| + | |||
| + | == Links == |
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| + | * Pawn Blackhole Chess is also written up on The Chess Variant Pages: https://www.chessvariants.com/invention/pawn-blackhole-chess |
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| + | * Many many other chess variants: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chess_variants |
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| + | |||
| + | == Credits == |
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| + | Adam Corbally (and others?) came up with the core idea of splitting the two sides into the four corners, and rotating all movement rules by 45°. Nemo refined this (eg: returning rooks and bishops to their original behaviour since they only swapped, developed promotion rules, and kept the idea alive - resulting in this page) |
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| + | |||
| + | == Similar variants == |
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| + | Neither Nemo nor Adam (as far as Nemo knows) were familiar with any of these |
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| + | * Legan chess - two sides rotated 45: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legan_chess |
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| + | * Chaturaji - four player, starting in corners: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaturaji |
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| + | * Chess45 - two sides rotate 45 with smaller piece count: https://www.reddit.com/r/chessvariants/comments/1abv2oc/introducing_chess_45/ (newer than PBC) |
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[[Category:Games]] |
[[Category:Games]] |
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Latest revision as of 16:05, 27 January 2024
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[edit] Origin and concept
The original concept was to rotate all movement rules by 45° relative to tradition. In practice this meant royalty is unchanged, and rooks would move like bishops and vice versa, so for simplicity those retain their original movement, and only pawns and knights have new movement rules.
Like traditional chess, this variant is played by two players, and uses a standard board and pieces, but with a new starting layout, the pawns on the board are all drawn towards the center (hence "pawn blackhole") where they skirmish, leaving the outer ring open for stronger pieces
[edit] Setup
Pieces are setup in corner groups
Royal pieces start in the corners with queens diagonal to each other on white and kings diagonal on black. The queen should in the right corner from a players perspective. Each royal faces towards the center of the board, making "in front" be along the diagonal.
In front of each royal is the rook (on the same colour as the royal), then to the royal's right is a bishop, and left is a knight.
Then on each grid edge of that corner 4x4, are pawns.
[edit] Movement
Pawns move forward on the diagonal (two for opening), and always move towards the center according to the quadrant they are in. As they cross into an enemy quadrant, their "forward" diagonal alters to continue their march to the center. Pawns are also colour-locked except when they attack, which is now on traditional grid, and valid in all FOUR directions. This is the only way a pawn can move away from the center. A pawn that reaches ANY edge of an opponents quadrant (14 total target squares in two player) may be promoted. Note that it has to battle every outward step of the way to earn it! Each player has two pawns which can theoretically be promoted in as little as two moves (pawns on the players own edge, taking sideways twice towards the enemy). Other pawns have a longer fastest-theoretical path to promotion, depending on their starting position.
Knights still move "forward two and across one" but now along the diagonal, meaning each knight is now colour-locked, and can move much further - three moves from corner to corner (five in traditional chess). I note that "forward two and one across" on the diagonal is equivalent to an on-grid move of "three and one" (compared to regular chess being "two and one"). Within the chess variants community, pieces that move this way are known as "camels".
Royalty, rooks and bishops move as per traditional chess
There is no castling or en passant move.
[edit] Four player variant
With suitable colour distinction, this game easily expands to four players - one per corner with all players having a king only on their royal corner, and no queen. Pawn promotion now available on 21 enemy backlines.
Players are eliminated when their king is checkmated, and their pieces disposed of by prior agreement in one of three ways:
- all players pieces removed from the board immediately
- players pieces (except the checkmated kind) remain on the board as motionless obstacles that may be "taken" by other players to be cleared, but pose no threat.
- the pieces of the first player to be checkmated remain till a second checkmate occurs, and are then removed (leaving only one "dead" players pieces at a time)
Winning is last player standing.
[edit] Trivia
- Each royal is flanked by a piece that is colour-locked opposite to the starting piece of that colour.
- Originally titled simply "Blackhole Chess", it was renamed to avoid a clash with Blackhole Chess on chessvariants.com, in preparation for submission to that site.
[edit] Gameplay style
Pawns gravitate towards the center skirmish, leaving stronger pieces to circle as best they can at the edges
[edit] Links
- Pawn Blackhole Chess is also written up on The Chess Variant Pages: https://www.chessvariants.com/invention/pawn-blackhole-chess
- Many many other chess variants: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chess_variants
[edit] Credits
Adam Corbally (and others?) came up with the core idea of splitting the two sides into the four corners, and rotating all movement rules by 45°. Nemo refined this (eg: returning rooks and bishops to their original behaviour since they only swapped, developed promotion rules, and kept the idea alive - resulting in this page)
[edit] Similar variants
Neither Nemo nor Adam (as far as Nemo knows) were familiar with any of these
- Legan chess - two sides rotated 45: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legan_chess
- Chaturaji - four player, starting in corners: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaturaji
- Chess45 - two sides rotate 45 with smaller piece count: https://www.reddit.com/r/chessvariants/comments/1abv2oc/introducing_chess_45/ (newer than PBC)
