DaveC-Westminster wrote:
An additional benefit of Chess15 is that it avoids the situation in Chess960 where with some opening setups white can attack an undefended black pawn with her first move.
Are you sure in all 15 variations that's true?
Chess15
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Jun 4, 2013
0
#3
Yes. I thought it was true, but I did verify it to be sure. BTW, here are the 15 opening positions:
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B |
B |
N |
N |
Q |
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B |
B |
N |
Q |
N |
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B |
B |
Q |
N |
N |
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B |
N |
N |
Q |
B |
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B |
N |
Q |
N |
B |
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B |
Q |
N |
N |
B |
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N |
B |
B |
N |
Q |
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N |
B |
B |
Q |
N |
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Q |
B |
B |
N |
N |
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N |
B |
N |
B |
Q |
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N |
B |
Q |
B |
N |
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Q |
B |
N |
B |
N |
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N |
N |
B |
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B |
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N |
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B |
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B |
What is against having both Bishops on the K-side (f- and g-file)?
Jun 5, 2013
0
#5
HGMuller wrote:
What is against having both Bishops on the K-side (f- and g-file)?
You are correct Mr. Muller! Good catch. What I thought was Chess15 is really Chess18! When I have a chance I'll update the diagram of positions. Thank you.
Note that a game very similar from your Chess18 can be played live on a server (the mention of its name invariably leading to censoring of your posts here) under the name 'wildcastle'. The only difference is that it also allows positions with the King on the d-file, (which then castles to b- of f-file), but these are merely mirror images of the 18 essential positions, and don't add anything new.
WinBoard / XBoard also supports 'wildcastle' in local mode (i.e. against engine). In that case it always starts the King on the e-file, so it is really exactly what you describe here.
Jul 12, 2013
0
#7
DaveC-Westminster wrote:
I propose a variant which achieves the goal of eliminating memorization of openings while avoiding the failings of both Chess960 and Chess480. This variant, which I have dubbed Chess15, has a randomized opening setup just like its “predecessors”. The difference is that the rooks and the king start on the same squares that they do now so that castling remains exactly the same as it is now – problem solved!
Note that it's not necessary to enumerate the positions to determine their number. It can be done using logic. If three pieces are fixed -- Ra1, Ke1, Rh1 -- then there are five squares for the other pieces. Three of those squares are available for one Bishop and two are available for the other Bishop. That leaves three squares for the Queen. The Knights must be placed on the last two squares. Since 3 x 2 x 3 = 18, there are 18 possible positions with the conditions you specify.
I don't believe that anyone capable of learning traditional chess would have a problem with Fischer's castling rules. As Fischer said himself, an experienced chess player can learn the new rules in five minutes. It's only a matter of realizing that when castling to either side, the King and Rook finish on the same squares as traditional chess.
Limiting the number of start positions to 18 looks like an attempt to allow opening preparation. There's nothing wrong with this, of course; it's one of the attractions of traditional chess, but it's not in the spirit of chess960.
There is nothing to stop any group of players from limiting themselves to your 18 positions. Nor is there anything to stop players who understand the rules from enjoying the complete set of 960 positions. The choice is a personal one. - Mark
Hi DaveC-Westminster. I find your proposal very creative. I think it could be used in competitions to create a kind of transition state towards the full practice of Chess960. There are certainly some "complicated" starting positions in Chess960 in the sense that it might be more difficult to design a development plan in the opening. I am currently conducting research with those "complicated" starting positions. Thank you for contributing an interesting topic to discuss.
Here's a letter I sent to Chess Life about 6 weeks ago. I haven't received any response from them so I'm posting it here also.
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Chess960 is a noble, but flawed attempt to force players to start thinking from the very first move of the game. The biggest problem with Chess960 are the bizarre castling rules. For anyone not familiar with Chess960, consider the following, which is just one bizarre aspect of “castling”. Depending on the opening setup, when castling, the king can move anywhere from 5 squares to 0 squares to -1 squares (yes, the king can actually move in the opposite direction than it normally would). It would be difficult to teach this maneuver to anyone not familiar with standard chess. A variant called Chess480 seeks to simplify these castling rules, but in doing so creates some of its own issues.
I propose a variant which achieves the goal of eliminating memorization of openings while avoiding the failings of both Chess960 and Chess480. This variant, which I have dubbed Chess15, has a randomized opening setup just like its “predecessors”. The difference is that the rooks and the king start on the same squares that they do now so that castling remains exactly the same as it is now – problem solved!
An additional benefit of Chess15 is that it avoids the situation in Chess960 where with some opening setups white can attack an undefended black pawn with her first move.
When Bobby Fischer met with former FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov to propose the switch to Chess960, Ilyumzhinov advocated "step by step" changes mindful of the heritage of chess. Well, here is such a step.