Order of the Rose and Cross: Wild Rose Chess puzzles
What does esotericism have to do with it, you ask? Well, let's see if you can guess...
A little more than two months have passed since the emergence of Wild Rose Chess, but more than a dozen test games have already been played, on the basis of which it can be safely stated that the ways of perceiving the game of chess and chess variants familiar to all of us are strikingly different from the game with Wild Roses.
The paradoxical nature of Winning Conditions in Wild Rose Chess puts many people not so much in a dead end as in a position where making a decision involves an ambiguous perception of winning, which sharply diverges from the usual, generally accepted method.
For example, one of the Winning Conditions, when a player wins by exposing his two main pieces to the enemy’s attack, from the point of view of the opposing sides in the game, is contrary to common sense, however, the players’ interpretation of certain aspects of it is associated primarily with the spiritual and the intellectual level of personal development, a person’s ability to see what is hidden behind the thick curtain of the rough material and selfish world.
I don’t want to say that Wild Rose Chess is so heavily imbued with symbolism and allegories, but it seems to me that Christian Rosenkreuz, about 550 years ago, would have appreciated it.
Well, let's move directly to the game, which opens the way for us not only to the knowledge of esoteric truths, but also represents an incredibly beautiful world, woven from elements of art, science and sports.
As I wrote above, not so many games were played, but nevertheless, even among this meager material, it was possible to achieve indicative positions that give an idea of how the game could end.
The fastest victory in the game, a kind of analogue of Fool's mate in standard chess, can be achieved already on the second move:
1. d3 f6 2. Wb4 Rb5++
Black Raven attacks two white Wild Roses at once, thereby putting an end to the game that had just begun.
Now let's turn to those positions where it was necessary to find a win in one or two moves.
White to move and win in one
After the move Rh8xe2+, Black rightly considered that if White captures on e2, this will lead to their immediate defeat, since one of the White Roses will remain under the attack of Nightrider b8.
For the move Wf1 or Wg1, Black was ready with the winning move Re1++. However, in this position, White wins with the Blossom Roses - exposing their second Wild Rose:
1. ++Wd1-c2
The black Crusader from c8 attacks White's Wild Rose on c2, and the black Raven on e2 attacks White's Wild Rose on e1. After the completion of White's turn, both of their Wild Roses are under attack, giving them immediate victory.
White to move and win in one
Black carelessly played exd4 and immediately loses the game:
1. Ra1-g4++
After White's move, both black Wild Roses are attacked by Raven from g4. The game is over - White has won.
White to move and win in one
White wins by attacking two black Wild Roses at once:
1. dxe5++
Having left the d4 square, the white Pawn opened the way for the Nightrider standing on e2, who attacks Black’s second Wild Rose on c6.
Black to move and win in one
With their last move, White attacked Black's Wild Rose on h5: Rh1-g3+, clearly understanding that Black would not be able to expose their second Wild Rose under attack. However, they overlooked the enemy's deadly response:
1. ...Rc7-a3++
Black Raven on a3 simultaneously attacks two white Wild Roses - Black won, despite the fact that one of their Wild Roses is still under attack, since the Win Conditions always prevail over the only Loss Condition.
Black to move and win in two
1. ...Wh5-g5
After such a move, White has no escape from losing - both of their Wild Roses will be under attack after Black's second move.
Threats 2...Wg5-e3++ or Wg5-d2++.
2. Wd3-b5 is followed by 2...Wd8-a5++, and 2. f3-f4 is followed by the obvious 2. ...Wg5-g3++.
White is unable to save their Wild Roses from a simultaneous attack - Black wins.
White to move and win in two
1. Re3-d5
Both black Wild Roses will be attacked in one turn. Threats: 2. Ce5-c7++ and 2. Rd5-f4++.
If 1. ...Wh5-h6 then 2. Ce5xf6++, and if Black play 1. ...Wd8-e8 or 1. ...Wd8-f8, the Raven on d5 will appear in front of us in all its glory: 2. Rd5xf6++.
Based on the above examples, we can safely say that Wild Rose Chess has colossal potential, in the depths of which lies a nature of incredible beauty, where forces operate that can raise chess creativity to new, hitherto unexplored heights.
I express my sincere gratitude to all those who took part in testing Wild Rose Chess and took a small but confident step into this amazing and paradoxical world of such an unusual but fascinating chess variant.
