Triangular chess (game)
Triangular chess is a chess variant for two players invented by George R. Dekle Sr. in 1986.[1][2] The game is played on a hexagon-shaped gameboard comprising 96 triangular cells. Each player commands a full set of chess pieces in addition to three extra pawns and a unicorn.
Triangular chess and its variation tri-chess were included in World Game Review No. 10 edited by Michael Keller.[3][non-primary source needed]
Game rules
The starting setup is as shown. As in chess, White moves first and the object is checkmate. Other standard conventions apply as well, including castling, a pawn's initial two-step option, en passant, and promotion at the last rank. But the triangular geometry implies special move patterns for the pieces.
Piece moves
- A rook moves in a straight line starting through a cell edge. (Three directions are possible.)
- A bishop moves in a straight line starting through a cell vertex. (Three directions.)
- The queen moves as a rook or bishop. (Six directions.)
- The king moves one step as a queen. When castling, the king slides two cells if castling short (0-0); three cells if castling long (0-0-0).
- A knight moves in the pattern: two steps as a bishop, then one step as a rook in an orthogonal direction. A knight leaps any intervening men.
- The unicorn moves in the pattern: two steps as a rook, then one step as a rook in an orthogonal direction. Like a knight, the unicorn leaps any intervening men.
- A pawn moves straight forward one step at a time, whether crossing a cell edge or vertex. On its first move it may optionally move two steps straight forward. A pawn captures to either cell adjoining the cell immediately in front, in the same rank.
- If a pawn reaches a board edge where no step straight forward exists, the pawn continues to advance toward promotion using its capture move (whether there are men to capture or not).
Tri-chess
Tri-Chess is a variation of triangular chess created by Dekle in the same year.[4][2] The game is for two players and is the same as triangular chess in all respects except the moves of the bishop, rook, queen, and king are increased.
- A bishop moves in six directions constituting board diagonals.
- A rook moves in six directions along horizontal ranks or oblique files.
- The queen moves as a rook or bishop. (Twelve directions.)
- The king moves one step as a bishop or two steps as a rook.
See also
- Also by George Dekle:
- Masonic chess
- Tri-chess—a three-player variant with triangular cells
- Trishogi—a shogi variant with triangular cells
Notes
- ^ The notation system used identifies each cell by its horizontal rank (letter) and the intersection of two oblique files (two numbers).
References
- ^ Pritchard (1994), pp. 321–22
- ^ a b Pritchard (2007), p. 213
- ^ Keller (1991)
- ^ Pritchard (1994), p. 323
Bibliography
- Keller, Michael, ed. (June 1991). "A Panorama of Chess Variants". World Game Review. No. 10. Michael Keller. ISSN 1041-0546.
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(help) - Pritchard, D. B. (1994). The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants. Games & Puzzles Publications. ISBN 0-9524142-0-1.
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(help) - Pritchard, D. B. (2007). Beasley, John (ed.). The Classified Encyclopedia of Chess Variants. John Beasley. ISBN 978-0-9555168-0-1.
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External links
- Triangular Chess Tri-Chess simple programs by Ed Friedlander (Java)