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The game of
Chess is old, no one knows for certain how old. Its genesis in the first millennium dates back to an era of which we have only fragmentary knowledge - a rare document or the remnants of some scattered scripts being our only evidence. Some researchers in the field have deduced that the game was invented in India.
A thousand years before this time the Chinese invented a game called ‘Go’ in which dark and light pebbles kill one another by surrounding each other, hence it is called ‘surrounding
Chess’. The Go board was modified sometime during the T’ang dynasty, (AD 618-907). This alteration made play more complex.
The variant of
Chess played in the west is mirrored by the equally playable Xiangqi (Chinese
Chess) and Shogi (Japanese Chess). In the 1920s Capablanca expressed concern that traditional
Chess would be eventually played-out, and - do you know what? - he was right! A malaise in the traditional game of
Chess prompted a number of leading GMs to voice a need for a reform of the game.
Practical suggestions have included:
01.- Abolishing ‘castling’, (0-0 &
0-0-0).
02.- Grade draws.
03.- Ballot openings.
04.- Use RO+KN, BS+KN, QU+KN, QU+BS etc (combined pieces).
05.- Allow the game to commence with the double-move of
Pawn 4 and Pawn 5. See
‘Paso-Doble’.
06.- Allow the pieces to advance up to three cells on the initial move (FMO).
07.- Allow two consecutive moves every ten plays.
08.- Modify the castling rule.
09.- Changing the ISP of the pieces.
10.- Allowing a minor piece to be promoted to a
Bishop or Knight on Rook 7.
11.- In the event of a ++DR (awarding a percentage to each player in accordance with
the value of the pieces remaining.
Queen = 9, Rook = 5, Bishop and Knight = 3 and
Pawn =1 point.)
12.- Allowing minor pieces to move horizontally.
13.- Allowing a Bishop to alter the colour of the cells it controls (moving from the
light
cells to the dark cells) by a single cell move (of which there is good precedent in
Reformation and modern times). See ‘Japanese’
Chess. Japanese Bishop = JB and
JR = Rook.
14.- Allowing Bishops to jump over pieces on their first move (FMO).
15.- Permit the two-cell advance of a Pawn to be exercised at any time on a
Pawn
advance to Rook 8.
16.- Giving equal powers to the King and Queen.
17.- Giving Bishop 1 and/or Bishop 2 the power of a
Knight.
18.- Giving Queen the added power of a Knight.
19.- Replacing Bishop 2 with Queen 2.
20.- Giving Rook 2 the added power of a Knight.
21.- A player who gives +PC (perpetual
check) should score 0.0 and the opponent given
0.5.
22.- Allowing players to begin a game by making two moves apiece.
23.- Giving combined major pieces new names i.e., Squire, Canon, Lord, Archbishop,
Marshall, Chancellor, Duke etc.
The University of Trinity College, Dublin, applauded Capablanca’s game (10 x 10 board with new
pieces). Some were concerned that any alteration to the game would abolish centuries of
Chess literature [this is also partially correct].
Dr. Tarrasch found it difficult to express his opinion of Capablanca’s ideas in parliamentary language! However, the London Times gave Capablanca’s ideas a sympathetic reception. ‘Blanchess’ was suggested for Capablanca’s new form of
Chess.
At the time, his suggestions would have invalidated existing knowledge, introduced unfathomable possibilities and increased the chances of making sacrificial combinations in the game of
Chess.
Chinese Chess
Chinese
Chess is played on a board of 90 points or, cells and has a river separating the two opposing armies. The General (GE) must remain inside his Palace, sometimes called a fortress and each side has been given 16
pieces which have different moving capabilities to their occidental cousins. They are comprised of:
| 5 Foot Soldiers
(FS) |
 |
|
2 Rooks (RO) |
|
2 Knights (KN) |
|
2 Ministers (MR) |
|
2 Cannons (CN) |
|
2 Advisers (AD) |
|
1 General (GE) |
(Total of 16 pieces per side)
Chinese
Chess includes rules peculiar to this variation of the game (please see ‘Chinese Chess’ for further details). The Japanese have a board of 81 cells in their variant of
Chess (Shogi) and the rules are somewhat more exotic than the Chinese game, at least for western players. Please also see ‘Tori-Shogi’.
Other variations of
Chess exist in India, Burma, Thailand and Cambodia.
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