RAMBO Walls

In the SAS post, the traditional Cul-de-Sac game (check also Quoridor) gets more movement and some extra powers to improve the game dynamics.

Well, after some experiences, the powers got larger and deadlier, so RAMBO Walls appeared. The rules are the same, but the game needs a larger board (13x13) and have some extra powers (each player, initially, gets one of each):

* Grenade (explodes half a wall which cannot be rebuilt)
* Archway (prevents a wall between two cells)
* Jeep (the piece moves 3 times in a single turn)
* Rope (the piece jumps over an adjacent wall)
* L-wall (drops a L-shape wall with 2 half-walls size)
* Pivot (a wall with a friendly pivot in its middle can rotate 90º)
* Obstacle (a cell with an obstacle needs a full turn to cross over)

As in SAS, every power deployment substitutes the typical wall drop.

Taylor's Ghost

In Scottish Progressive Chess there is a killer tactic called Galvin's Ghost. The idea is to leave a position where the next player must check our king in his first move, and so ending his own sequence.

In the Australian version (posted below) there is another type of ghost (let's call it Taylor's ghost), ie, leave a position where the next player must capture in his first move.

Here is a game where that tactic is applied twice (in moves 4 and 6):

1. d4
2. Nc6 N:d4
3. Nf3 c3 c:d4
4. Nh6,f5,h4:f3+
5. e:f3
6. c5 d5 e5 Qb6b3:d1+
7. K:d1
8. Bf5,d3 Bb4 c432 ++

r . . . k . . r
p p . . . p p p
. . . . . . . .
. . . p p . . .
. b . O . . . .
. . . b . O . .
O O p . . O O O
R N B K . B . R

AUSSIE PROGRESSIVE CHESS

Same as Scottish Progressive Chess but a move series also ends as soon as a piece is captured.

A game sample:

1. e4
2. d4 d:e4
3. Qh5d5:d8+
4. K:d8
5. Ke2 c4 g3 Bh3 B:c8
6. e5 Nf6 h5 Nc6 Ke7 R:c8
7. a4 h4 Nh3 Ra3d3d8:c8
8. Nb4 a5 Ke6 Bc5 Ng4 f5 f4 R:c8
9. b3 d3 Rd1 Ba3 B:b4
10 e3 Rd8 e4 Kf5 B:b4
11 d4 d5 f3 f:g4+
12 Ke5 g6 Bc5 Rf8 f3+
13 Ke1 d6,7,8Q,h8,h6 Rd5++

. . . . . r . .
. p p . . . . .
Q . . . . . p .
p . b R k . . p
O . O . p . O O
. O . . p p O N
. . . . . . . .
. N . . K . . .

This is also a slower chess variant than the traditional progressive ones. One capture per turn maximum, will set the attention on tactical positions that can take advantage of that new restriction.

SAS WALLS

Rules like Cul-de-sac but with two moves/turn and a wall drop.
Each player initially, has two archways and one grenade.
* An archway between two squares prevents a wall there
* A grenade explodes a wall between two squares and prevents a wall there
Playing the power replaces the wall movement.

A Game Sample:
                      Joao
   A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L  
 a +-------------------------------------------+ a
   |                                           |  
 b |   +   +   +   +-------+   +   +   +   +   | b
   |                 B                         |  
 c |   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   | c
   |                                           |
 d |   +   +   +---#   #-------+   +   +   +   | d
   |                                           |
 e |   +   +-------+   +   +   +   +   +   +   | e
   |               |                           |
 f |-------+   +   |   +   +   +   +   +   +   | f
   |               |   |                       |
 g |---#   #-------+   |   +   +   +   +   +   | g
   |       |   |       |                       |
 h |   +   |   |-------+-------+-------+-------| h
   |     J |   |                               |
 i |   +   +   +   +   +-------+------->   <   | i
   |                   |                       |
 j |-------+   +   +   |   +   +   +   +   +   | j
   |                   |                       |
 k |   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   | k
   |                                           |
 l +-------------------------------------------+ l
   A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L
                      Bill

     Joao       Bill      
    --------------------
1.  .S  FHi    NN  FHd      
2.  SW  Fik    EE  DFd      
3.  WW  HJi    EE a@JKi
4.  SS  JLh    NW  CEg
5.  SE  HJh    WW  Eeg
6.  WW  FHh    WW  ACg
7.  EE  DFh    WW  CEe
8.  WW  Cgi    NE  ACf
9.  EW  DGi    EN  Ffh
10  EW g@BCg   NN g@EFd
11. SS  EGb    NN  ACj
12. resign


134* Amazons - Some Notes

Remembering the rules of 134* AMAZONS:

As Amazons but
* Players move 1,3,4,4... friendly Amazons per turn
* Different pieces to move within a turn.
* If 4 different pieces cannot be moved, the player loses.
----------------

Some notes:

It's difficult to know how safe it is to leave holes in the walls of one's territory.

Players should always leave some loose cannons scattered to prevent enemy blitzkrieg construction. Too much friendly pieces together are prone to quick isolation, too few to direct attacks.

There is an interesting strategic tension between going edgewards, where it is easier to make territory but also risks being shut in, or going central where one is safe but has little chance to make territory.  This feature is largely absent from the original game.  It is remarkably similar to Go, though in dynamic form rather than static form.

Initial moves of an actual game (first player is X):

1   a1-b2/m2
2   a5-c5/a3    e1-c3/b3    m1-l2/c2
3   i1-k3/m3    m13-l12/l3  b2-c1/k1    e5-e8/k2
4   c2-d2/d1    c5-e5/b2    a13-c11/l11 i13-j12/k11
5   k3-g3/k3    m5-j8/j11   a9-d6/i11   e13-i13/i12
6   e9-h12/h13  j12-k13/j12 m9-k9/m11   d2-g5/d2
7   i9-h9/h11   j8-g8/g13   e8-e10/g12  d6-c7/g11
8   k9-j8/j9    e5-f6/j10   g5-h5/j7    i5-j5/j6
9   g3-f4/j4    h9-i8/i4    g8-g4/h4    c7-c5/e5
10  j5-k4/j5    j8-h6/j8    f6-c6/g2    h5-d9/i9
11  f4-e3/j3    i8-g6/g5    e10-g7/h7   g4-e6/g5
12  h6-i7/h8    c11-f8/g8   d9-d7/e8    c6-b6/c6

a b c d e f g h i j k l m
. . x # . . . . . . # . .   1
. # # # . . # . . . # o #   2
# # . . x . . . . # # # #   3
. . . . . . . # # # o . .   4
. . x # # . # . . # . . .   5
. o # . x . x . . # . . .   6
. . . o . . x # o # . . .   7
. . . . # o # # . # . . .   8
. . . . . . . . # # . . .   9
. . . . . . . . . # . . .  10
. . . . . . # # # # # # #  11
. . . . . . # o # # . x .  12
. . . . . . # # x . o . .  13
a b c d e f g h i j k l m

Trabsact Sagme Diaries

An attacker searches unseen paths; a defender unseen flaws. [T.Sagme, Proverbs]

Two uncommon progressive variants (2/2)

KIWI PROGRESSIVE CHESS
======================
Same as Scottish Progressive Chess except that mate may be delivered only in a move series with no captures.

Some games:

1. e4
2. d5 Kd7
3. e:d5 Nf3 Bb5+
4. Kd6 Bg4 B:f3 B:d1
5. c4 Nc3 d4 Ne4 #

r n . q . b n r
p p p . p p p p
. . . k . . . .
. B . O . . . .
. . O O N . . .
. . . . . . . .
O O . . . O O O
R . B b K . . R

 1. f3
 2. e5 h5
 3. Bh5 Be6 B:f6+
 4. K:f6 Qh4 Q:h2 Q:h1
 5. d4 d:e Qd5 Q:h1 Qf3 +
 6. Ke6 b5 Bb7 B:f3 Nh6 Bb4 +
 7. c3 c:b4 N:f3 B:h6 B:g7 B:h8 Nc3
 8. a5 a:b4 b:c3 c2 Kd5 Kc4 R:a2 c1Q +
 9. R:c1 +
10. Kd5 R:b2 c6 c5 c4 c3 h4 Rd2 c2 Rd1 +
11. R:d1 +
12. Kc4 Kc3 c1N Nb3 Nd4 Na6 Nc7 Nd5 Nf4 Ng2 #

. . . . . . . .
. . . p . . . .
. . . . . . . .
. p . . O . . .
. . . . . . . p
. . k . . N O .
. . . n O O n .
. . . R K . . .

 1. e4
 2. e5 Ke7
 3. d4 d:e5 Bg5+
 4. f6 e5 Bg4 B:d1
 5. Nc3 R:d1 R:d5 R:d8 R:f8
 6. Ke6 f:g5 Nh6 R:f8 R:f2 R:f1 +
 7. K:f1 h4 h:g5 g:h6 h:g7 Rh5 g8Q +
 8. Ke7 Na6 R:Q:g:b Rh2 R:R
 9. Ne2 Ng3 N:h5 Nb5 N:c7 N:a6 Nc5 N:b7 Kg1
10. K:h4[3] K:e5:e4[4] K:b7[3]
11. K:h7[6] Kc2[5]
12. K:a2...d7[7] a5 a4 a3 a2 a1Q
13. resign

. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
. k . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
. . K . . . . .
q . . . . . . .

This variant is slower than the Scottish one. The mate restriction adds more strategy to the move sequence, since mates are harder positions to get and so, both players may try different approaches without concerning about annoying Fool's mates.

Two uncommon progressive variants (1/2)

PORTUGUESE PROGRESSIVE CHESS
============================
Same as Scottish Progressive Chess except that all moves within a turn are with different pieces, (castling counts both).

Game example:

 1. e4    
 2. e5  Nf6
 3. Nc3 Nf3 Bc4
 4. Bb4 O-O Nc6 d6
 5. O-O d4  a4 Bd2 Qe2
 6. B:c3 Nd4 c5 b5 a6 h5
 7. N:d4 b:c3 Bb3 Bc1 Rb1 Qf3
 8. c:d4 a5 Bg4 Rc8 Qb6 g6 Kg7
 9. Bb2  c:d4 Rfc1 Kh1 Qe2 f3
10. e:d4 Be6 b4 h4 Rh8 g5 Nh5 Kg6 Rc6 Qc7
11. a:b4 B:e6 B:d5 Ra1 c3 Rb1 Qd2
12. a:b4 d5 R:e6 f5 Nf6
13. B:f6 d4 c:b4 Ra2 Qd3 e:f5+
14. K:f6 Re8 Re3 Qf4
15. b5   Rd1 Rb2 Qf1
16. K:f5 Rb8 Re5 h3
17. b6 Rb5 Rdb1 g3 Kg1 Qd3+
18. Kf6 Q:f3 g4
19. b7 R:d5 Rb2 Q:f3+
20. g:f3 Re2 R:b7
21. R:b7 Re5
22. resign

Final Position

. . . . . . . .
. R . . . . . .
. . . . . k . .
. . . . R . . .
. . . O . . . .
. . . . . p O p
. . . . r . . O
. . . . . . K .

This variant provides more 'natural' games that the typical progressive rules. It is more similar to FIDE chess and, in a sense, captures more closely the army metaphor behind the original chess concept (at a given time, every soldier should be able to move).

Neutral Mutator (part IV)

As noted with NeuY, neu-games can be somewhat smaller than their standard counterparts, and maintain the same level of interest.  This is partly because with many more options per turn, (roughly the square of the number!), the game need not be so lengthy for the same total number of options; and partly because the extra move options mean somewhat less space is required to execute the same strategic plan.

For example, we have found that 9-a-side NeuY is fully as interesting as regular 13-a-side Y.

NeuGonnect: Gonnect is already a very intriguing variant of Go, so this game may almost appear to be gilding the lily!  However, as always, the neutral-stone transformer adds intriguing new ideas to the game, while keeping the essential ideas of the parent game largely intact. In Go-like games, we have found the best option is to count neutral stones as liberties for both opponents.  Also, if two replacements are made on a turn, each must be separately legal in the order played; so that living groups in normal Go are still alive. All the other earlier remarks apply here as well. So as explained, Gonnect might also be played on a smaller board. However, as the 13x13 size already seems an ideal balance between the connection and the Go aspects in the parent game, we suggest that Neu-Gonnect not be reduced beyond 11x11, preferably 12x12.

Rules:
"""""
1) Placement styles as for Neu-games generally.
2) If 2 neutrals are flipped, each must be separately legal in the order played.
3) Captures are as in Go, but neutral stones count as liberties for both players.

Play is compulsory; suicide illegal.  The winner is whoever completes an orthgonally connected chain of stones between two opposite sides.

Some moves of a neu-gonnect game:

   --x----?------o----?--
1.  g7   j10    j7   h8
2.  i9   g9    g9h8  j7
3.  i8   g4     h7   i10
4.  i7   i4     h6   h10
5.  i6   k4    g4i4  g9
6. k4i10 g7     j5   j6
7.  k6   g8    j6j7  h8
8.  k7   l9     k8   k9
9.  j8   l8    l8l9  h7

   a b c d e f g h i j k l m  
1  . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1
2  . . . . . . . . . . . . .  2
3  . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3
4  . . . . . . o . o . x . .  4
5  . . . . . . . . . o . . .  5
6  . . . . . . . o x o x . .  6
7  . . . . . . ? ? x o x . .  7
8  . . . . . . ? ? x x o o .  8
9  . . . . . . ? . x . ? o .  9
10 . . . . . . . ? x ? . . . 10
11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
   a b c d e f g h i j k l m

'o' just created a local deadlock using two neutral stones.
'x' must prevent that the upper enemy group reaches the right edge.
Also, a neutral battle is brooding at the board centre.

We end this article with a great position on a NEUMOKU game (make 5 in-a-row):

i j k l m n o p q r s
. . . . . . . . . . .  -2    (declined 3rd swap)
. . . . . . . . . . .  -1  
. . . . . . . x . . .   0  -x----?------o----?--
. . . . . . . o ? . .   1.  n3  m5     o2   n4
. . . . o x x x x o .   2.  l6  q2     o3   p2
. . . . o x o ? o ? .   3.  o4  p5     m2   q1
. . . x . o x o . . .   4.  n2  n6    n4p2  o2
. . ? . ? . . x o . .   5. q1o2 n2     p4   q5
. . . x . ? . . o . .   6. n2q5 n3     p3   m3
. . . . . . . . . . .   7. n3p5 q5     p1   q3
. . . . . . . . . . .   8.  p0  q6    q5q6  p3
                        9.  l4  k5    m3q3  p2
                       10. p2q2 q1     r2   r3