My proposal for a chess variant is called Magi.
So why am I proposing a variant to the game of Chess? Visit page two of this write up for an answer. For an analysis of problems associated with creating large variants on the game of Chess, visit pages three and four of this document.
THE RULES FOR MAGI ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Before introducing the rules for my variant, I would like to give full credit to the imaginative people at http://www.chessvariants.com/.
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
| BR |:BN: | BB | :BA:| BQ |:BK:| BW |:BB: | BN |:BR :| 10
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
| :BP: | BP | :BP:| BP | :BP:| BP | :BP: | BP |:BP: | BP | 9
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
| BD | :::: | |:BP: | | :::: | :BP:| :::: | |:BD:| 8
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
| :::: | | :::: | | :::: | | :::: | | :::: | | 7
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
| | :::: | | :::: | | :::: | | :::: | | :::: | 6
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
| :::: | | :::: | | :::: | | :::: | | :::: | | 5
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
| | :::: | | :::: | | :::: | | :::: | | :::: | 4
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
|:WD:| | :::: |:WP:| :::: | |:WP:| | :::: |:WD: | 3
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---- +
| WP |:WP:| WP |:WP:| WP |:WP:| WP |:WP:| WP |:WP:| 2
+----+----+----+----+---- +----+----+----+----+---- +
|:WR:| WN|:WB:|WA|:WQ:|WK |:WW:| WB|:WN:| WR | 1
+----+----+----+----+----+----+---- + ----+----+----+
A B C D E F G H I J
Normal Initial Board Setup: The game is played on a 10x10 board. Each player has a King, 12 Pawns, 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights, 2 Dukes, an Archbishop, a Queen, and a Wizard. The initial piece setup is shown in the picture depicted above. WP = White Pawn, WN = White Knight, WB = White Bishop, WA = White Archbishop, WQ = White Queen, WK = White King, WW = White Wizard, and WD = White Duke. Likewise, B(x) = the corresponding Black pieces. |::::| = a colored square and if the square has :letters:, then it is a square occupied by a piece.
Visit page 4 of this document for further reading as to why I have allocated 24 pieces to each player in this variant.
PIECE MOVEMENTS:
In this game, the King, Queen, Rooks, Knights, and Bishops all move (and capture) as they do in Classic Chess.
Pawns: In general, pawns act much as they do in Classic Chess. Pawns may move only in a forward direction except when capturing. The pawns that are on the third and eighth ranks (located at squares D3, D8, G3, and G8 at the beginning of the game) can move 1 or 2 squares forward on their first move. All other pawns can move 1,2, or 3 squares forward on their first move. Afterwards, pawns are allowed to move only one square forward every time the pawn moves, unless the Pawn performs a capture move. If a player moves his / her pawn one or two squares on the first move, they still may move their pawn only square forward (unless performing a capturing move) from then on. Pawns are not allowed to jump or move over pieces that are in its path on its first move.
Pawns capture opposing pieces in a diagonal move as they normally do in Classic Chess. Pawns can perform a standard Classic Chess En Passant capture move of their opponents' pawns if their opponents move their pawns from their original positions to either the 4th or 5th ranks - if Black, or to the 6th or 7th ranks - if White.
Additional clarifications of En Passant captures are needed in this game. If a player moves his or her Pawn two or three squares forward on that Pawn's initial move, and the opposing player is in possession of 2 Pawns that are "doubled up"on a file that is adjacent to the file of the recently moved Pawn, then the opposing player has the following options regarding how to react to the Pawn move:
If the player playing White moves a Pawn forward to the 5th rank (or 6th rank if playing Black), and the opposing player has Pawns on the 4th and 5th ranks (if White) or the 6th and 7th ranks (if Black) on an adjacent file, then the opposing player can capture the Pawn with either of his/ her Pawn's on the adjacent file in an En Passant manner.
Example #1: White has an unmoved Pawn on the C2 square and Black has doubled Pawns on B4 and B5 :
If White moves his / her Pawn to C4, then the B4 pawn can capture only by En Passant methods only. However, the pawn on B5 can capture as a Pawn normally would in Chess. If White moves the Pawn to C5, then either the B4 or B5 Pawn can capture the White C Pawn, but they can do so only by the En Passant method.
The same moving and capturing principles hold if players has "tripled up" pawns on adjacent files. If White has a Pawn on C2 and Black has Pawns on B4, B5, and B6, then if White moves his / her Pawn to C5, the Black Pawns on B4 and B5 can capture via En Passant, while the B6 Pawn can capture by normal means. If the tripled up pawns are on B3, B4, and B5, then only the B4 and B5 pawns can capture the opposing pawn.
In the case of the D and G pawns, opposing players can make En Passant captures of these pawns if they have pawns on either the 4th or 5th ranks (if Black) or 6th and 7th ranks (if White).
Example #2: White has pawns on the C6 and C7 squares and Black moves her D8 pawn forward one square to D7. White can capture the D pawn with the C7 pawn En passant or can capture normally with the C6 pawn. If Black moves her pawn to D6, either the C6 or C7 pawn can capture via En passant.
Promotion of Pawns: Pawns may promote to pieces when they reach the last rank on the opposing side of the board as in Classic Chess. Pawns may be promoted to a Queen, a Duke, a Rook, a Bishop, a Knight, an Archbishop, or a Wizard.
To read more about the subject of Pawns in large chess variants, read page 3 of this document.
Dukes: Dukes can move 1 - 3 squares in a horizontal or vertical direction. Dukes are line pieces and cannot jump over other pieces.
The Cardinal (formerly named the Archbishop / Iman): Can move either as a King (one square horizontally, vertically, or diagonally), or as a Bishop in Classic Chess.
The Wizard: The Wizard can move (1) one square horizontally or vertically, (2) jump as a Knight in Classic Chess - or (3) jump 2 squares diagonally. Therefore, the Wizard can control 5-16 squares. A Wizard therfore combines the moving powers of a Wazir, an Alfil, and a Classic Chess Knight.
Visit page 4 of this document to read why I created these new pieces and for the reasons I granted them their movement and capturing powers.
Castling: The King can execute a castle move as in Classic Chess, but when the his Majesty castles, he moves 3 squares in the direction in which he is castling instead of two squares. Therefore, if the White King castles "kingside", he moves to to the I - 1 square, while the kingside Rook at J -1 moves to the H - 1 square. If the King castles to the "queenside", he moves to the C - 1 square, while the queenside Rook at A - 1 moves to the D -1 square. For the Black King, castling "kingside" means moving to the I - 10 square, while the kingside Rook moves to H - 10. Similarly, castling "queenside" means moving to the C - 10 square, while the Rook moves to D - 10. All other rules regarding castling are the same as the are in Classic Chess.OBJECT OF THE GAME: Games last to a maximum of 150 moves, but this rule can be discarded at players' discretion. Players play for two types of outcomes. Players can choose which outcomes they will play for at the beginning of the game.
(1) Players can play for the same outcomes as Classic Chess. If they do, then the rules concerning Wins, Losses, Draws, and Stalemate are the same as Classic Chess. 1 point is at stake. If you want an all or nothing battle, then choose this option.
(2) Alternately, players can play a game where 12 points are at stake. If players choose this option, game play ends AUTOMATICALLY at 150 moves, with the following rules in effect below. Players who choose this option may find themselves playing much more interesting games.
There are many types of wars, fights, battles, and struggles in real life. Some poeple engage in real military wars, but all of us end up fighting battles of some form or another. People everywhere eventually recognize that the Victories and Losses that result in life are rarely absolute. The 12 point payoffs that exist in this version of Magi are designed to reflect this.
A) CHECKMATES AND RESIGNATIONS: A checkmate results in a 12 point payoff to the winner and 0 points to the loser.
At the outset of this form of the game, players are playing for a checkmate outcome. A player who is threatened with checkmate may offer to resign the game. Only one resignation offer may be offered per game. Once one player makes an offer to resign to the other player, no more resignation offers may be made by either player for the rest of the game and play resumes with any outcomes still possible. More rules regarding Resignations and resignation payoff matrix are both covered in rules described in section D below.
B) "STALEMATES: A stalemate results in a 7 point payoff to the player who stalemates the other player, while the stalemated player receives 5 points. Playtesting indicates that stalemate outcomes occur in less than 2 percent of games in Magi.
C) DRAWS: Any form of draw results in a 6-6 point payoff for each player. All methods of drawing games and rules regarding draws that exist in Classic Chess are still in effect in Magi. Playtesting indicates that draws are also rare in Magi, occuring in less than 5 percent of games.
Only one draw may be offered per game. Once one player makes a draw offer to the other player, no more draw offers may be made by either player for the rest of the game. Draws by other methods can still arise. If the player who has been offered the draw refuses the offer, then play resumes with any of the other outcomes still possible.
D) RESIGNATIONS: As described in section A above, only one resignation offer may be made per game. Once one player makes a resignation offer to the other player, no more resignation offers may be made by either player. If the resignation offer is accepted, the game outcome is described by the payoff matrix described below. Likewise, if the resignation offer is declined, play resumes until an outcome is reached described by the payoff matrix below.
E) GAMES THAT LAST MORE THAN 150 MOVES: Result in a 0 - 0 outcome! Players may disregard this rule at their discretion.
VICTORY / LOSS PAYOFF PAYOFF MATRIX:
As noted above, players are automatically playing for a checkmate payoff until either a resignation offer is made, a draw offer is made, or if a draw or a stalemate outcome arises. In the payoff matrix band described below, a resignation before move 45 results in a 12 - 0 payoff to reflect the brilliant (or horrible!) play needed to achieve such a result.
A resignation offer by one player to the other which is not accepted causes game play to continue. If the player in the superior position achieves a checkmate within the current game band of moves, then the result is still a 12 - 0 payoff to the victor. For example, if a game has reached move 53 and player B makes a resignation offer to player A but player A refuses the offer, then if player A then proceeds to checkmate player B (say) at move 58, then player A gets a 12 point payoff victory, while player B gets zero.
NOTE: A resignation offer that is not accepted sets the terms of payoff such that if a checkmate is not achieved within the current band of moves, the payoff then becomes whatever the payoff happens to be when the checkmate is actually achieved. For example, if a player offers a resignation on move 68 (which would result in a 10 - 2 outcome), and a checkmate is not achieved by the start of move 76, the payoff outcome immediately becomes 9 - 3. However, if a player still has not achieved a checkmate by the start of move 91, the payoff then becomes a 8 - 4 payoff.
These rules regarding this payoff matrix are not set in stone. Players may experiment with other payoff matrices, but keeping the spirit of this idea. For example, payoffs may be set with different move bands (say moves 40-60, 60-80,etc) or setting the payoff for the first set of bands at 10 - 2. Conceivably, players could play for other stakes, such as 16 points. This can be done at players' discretion.
The general idea is that victories are rarely clean and complete. Sometimes wars are long and drawn out, with either side beating each other to a pulp. Sometimes wars result in so - called "hollow victories". If a game lasts until move 151, then each side has fought each other to exhaustion!
Another idea behind these payoffs is that in Games Like Chess, there frequently is a point in the game where the balance of the game tilts in favor of one of the players. What this payoff matrix introduces is the idea that players who are losing will still have incentives to play to the best of their ability. These ideas make players think hard about the terms regarding the game's outcome. They also help to keep rather lengthy games such as Magi interesting. After all, many chess players might not be too interested in playing a game which will often last 60 or more moves!
Number of Moves Played: Player Offers Resignation / Accepted Player Offers Resignation / Offer Declined / Checkmate Occurs within Current # Range of Moves Player Offers Resignation / Offer Declined / Checkmate does not occur within Current # Range of Moves
0 - 45 12 - 0 (Resignation counts as Checkmate) 12 - 0 (Counts as Checkmate) 11 - 1 ( See NOTE above)
46 - 60
11 - 1
12 - 0
10 - 2 ( See NOTE above)
61 - 75
10 - 2
12 - 0
9 - 3 ( See NOTE above)
76 - 90
9 - 3
12 - 0
8 - 4 ( See NOTE above)
90- 119
8 - 4
12 - 0
7 - 5 ( See NOTE above) 120-150
7 - 5
12 - 0
0 - 0
151
0 - 0
0 - 0
0 - 0
VIEWS ABOUT THE PIECES OF MAGI
Vaule of Pieces: Players who show interest in this game may want to know what relative piece values are when compared to pieces in Classic Chess. I have made my own estimates based on play testing. I have also written code into the Zillons of Games program and have included the evaluated values of each piece according to the ZOG chess engine in parentheses:
Pawns: 1 point (3000 - 4000)
Knights: 2.5 points (8300 - 9500)
Bishops: 3.5 points (10000 - 12000)
Dukes: 4 points (14000 - 15500)
Cardinal: 5 - 6 points (15000 - 18500)
Wizard (Magi): 5 - 6 points (17000 - 19500)
Rooks: 5.5 - 6 points (15250 - 20000)
Queen: 7 - 11 points (24000 - 33000)
At this point, I should include an observation about chess that needs to be digested by all who want to create new chess variants:
"The battle of knight against bishop is a central theme in chess. One of the special features of chess, which makes the game unusually interesting... that the knight and bishop have more or less equal value (on an 8x8 board!). If all chess pieces had significantly different values, then the question as to whether to exchange one piece for another of a different type would arise very rarely, because the outcome would clearly benefit one side." British Grandmaster John Nunn in Secrets of Minor - Piece Endings.
GM Nunn goes on to write that the struggle between Knights and Bishops in one of the central dramas in Chess. Frequently, it is the play and position of the minor pieces that determine the outcomes of games in Chess. The player who has well placed minor pieces often will end up winning the game.
Many people who devise large Chess variants seem to have forgotten these ideas. Frequently, new ideas involve creating pieces that are ultra powerful. Often people will add pieces that combine the powers of a knight and bishop or rook and bishop. By doing so, it seems that players are hell bent on destroying the idea of subtlety as a possible means of winning games.
Observations of Magi
I have programmed this game into my copy of Zillions of Games and have been rather surprised on how the Zillions of Games program (hereafter called ZOG) has played this game. I often try to play this game the way a normal Chess player would - pushing out pawns and pieces in an effort to build up an apparatus that will seize control of the center of the board. This is the way I envisioned that the game would be played if it were taken up by humans.
The ZOG chess engine plays the game very differently. The ZOG engine may push a pawn (or two) towards the center in the beginning of the game, but such tactics are merely employed to get the more powerful line pieces activated. ZOG engine likes to come out with Knights, while playing much of the game with pieces. The program also likes to keep at least part of its pawn structure intact by not moving its center pawns very much. Pawns and pawn structures in the center of the board are often employed by the ZOG chess engine as defensive walls behind which the King will hide behind (and direct his Army!), rather than as pieces that are used to help seize control of the middle of the board. When employing such strategies and tactics, the ZOG program will often decide not to execute Castling manuevers unless the situation becomes difficult for the program. Because of its proclivity for having its King stay in the center and rely on center pawn walls for defense, it is possible to leave the ZOG program vulnerable to checkmates if you manage to destroy one side of its position.
ZOG often plays a good game by playing this way. Intriguingly, the program will often position Knights and the Wizard towards the center of its side of the board. By doing this, the program will set up these pieces as strong defenders of their King. However, the program will at times put pieces such as the Cardinal or even the Queen in difficult situations. The program doesn't always seem to handle trade offs involving two or more different pieces very well.
Magi will feel somewhat like a normal game of Classic Chess to players, with the main difference being that a game will take anywhere from 20 - 150 moves to complete. A typical game will take an average of 60 - 120 moves to come to a conclusion.