Longchess
From Games
The game can be played as a Capture the Flag in which you must take the opponent's flag with one of your pieces and bring it back to your Keep, or as a Capture the Map, in which a player wins by either destroying the entire opponent army or by forcing all surviving opponent pieces to retreat off the board on the opponent's own side.
In a CTF environment, the Flag is used; in a CTM it is not used.
Contents |
[edit] Board
-123456 89012345678C87654321098 654321- |++++++ +++++++++++ +++++++++++ ++++++| |++++++=+++++++++++=+++++++++++=++++++| |++++++ +++++++++++ +++++++++++ ++++++| |XXX+++ +++++++++++ +++++++++++ +++XXX| |XXX+++=+++++++++++=+++++++++++=+++XXX| |XXX+++ +++++++++++ +++++++++++ +++XXX| |++++++ +++++++++++ +++++++++++ ++++++| |++++++=+++++++++++=+++++++++++=++++++| |++++++ +++++++++++ +++++++++++ ++++++| -123456 89012345678 87654321098 654321-
The CTF setup is like this:
-123456 89012345678 87654321098 654321- |++++p+ +++++++++++ +++++++++++ +P++++| |r+++p+=+++++++++++=+++++++++++=+P+++R| |n+++p+ +++++++++++ +++++++++++ +P+++N| |XbX+p+ +++++++++++ +++++++++++ +P+XBX| |XfX+++=+++++++++++=+++++++++++=+++XFX| |XbX+p+ +++++++++++ +++++++++++ +P+XBX| |n+++p+ +++++++++++ +++++++++++ +P+++N| |r+++p+=+++++++++++=+++++++++++=+P+++R| |++++p+ +++++++++++ +++++++++++ +P++++| -123456 89012345678 87654321098 654321-
For CTMs, the setup can be decided as follows, but is normally the same as that of the CTF.
The zeroth rank is the rank denoted above with |s. You may move your pieces to your 0th (or further back) ranks in order to retreat. Your piece is not captured, but it is removed from play. In a tournament, your opponent may not claim points for pieces which have retreated in this way. Your opponent may, however, claim a win if all your pieces have retreated in this way.
File numbers are generally not used. When they are used, they have White at the left hand side and counted from top to bottom.
The number of a rank is taken to be the number of squares away from the closest end. For example, it may be described as 4W, i.e. the fourth rank from the White end, or the row behind the White Pawns on a CTF.
[edit] Pieces
Numbers in parathenses show the number of points a piece is worth (meaningful if playing Tournament rules).
[edit] Flag (0)
Unlike other pieces, the Flag cannot be captured and it cannot capture. It cannot move unless it is in the Keep (represented by the Xs) in which case it may move one square orthogonally to another square in the Keep.
A Flag piece can move if it is picked up by other pieces. To pick up a Flag, move a piece onto the Flag. The Flag is temporarily removed from play and the piece which took it is treated as carrying the Flag. If the piece carrying it is later captured, the Flag is either dropped (if attacked from range) or taken by the attacking piece (if attaked closely). To drop the Flag move your piece away and leave the Flag on the starting square.
[edit] Nightrider (3)
A Nightrider can move in knight steps (2,1) infinitely in the same direction, as long as it does not have a (2,1) move that shares a space with another piece (unless it is capturing that piece).
Example:
++++x+++ ++++++++ +++P++++ ++++++++ ++N+++++
The Nightrider here cannot reach the target (x) in one move because the Pawn is in the way. If the Pawn were anywhere else apart from the x, it would be a valid move.
A Nightrider can cross a rank-7 river if one of the knight steps crosses a bridge. The bridge does not have to be on a knight step:
+x ++++ ++=N+++ ++ ++++
Here the Nightrider can access X because a line drawn from a corner of the square on which it starts to a corner of the target square will cross a bridge.
[edit] Rook (5)
A Rook can move infinitely along a rank or a file. It may attack from range, meaning it may captue a piece that is on a square to which the Rook could normally move without having to move. Attacking from range is not allowed if the Rook is adjacent to the target or if they are both in the 1st to 6th rank on the same side (i.e. behind the same home river).
[edit] Bishop (3)
A Bishop is like a Rook except it moves and attacks diagonally. For this reason it is less useful than the Rook, as it can only cover half the field.
++++n+++ r+++++++ +++p++++ ++B+++++ ++++++++
Here the Bishop can attack the Rook from range, but it must attack the Pawn by moving into its square, which allows the Nightrider to take it.
Unlike in conventional chess, in Longchess all four Bishops in play cover the same squares.
[edit] Pawn (1)
A Pawn can move one square orthogonally. It may attack from range if it is 5th rank on its own side and the target is on the eighth rank of the same side, or the 17th rank if the target is on the 18th rank on the other side. This makes up for the fact that the rivers are difficult to cross for Pawns.
As a special move, you may move all Pawns on the same rank forwards or backwards by up to 2 squares (known as a Charge if forwards or Retreat if backwards). This may only be done if there are at least 2 Pawns on that rank. All the Pawns in the Charge or Retreat must move by the same number of squares.
During a Charge or Retreat, the row of Pawns capture all opposing pieces in the end square and any through which they travel:
+++++++ +++b+P+ ++++kP+ +++b+P+ +++++++
If the Pawns above were to Charge or Retreat to the left, then all three enemy pieces would be destroyed.
++++RP+ +++B+P+
The Pawns may not Charge or Retreat to the left here as they are blocked by friendly pieces.
+++B+P+ +++R+P+
The Pawns here may only Charge or Retreat to the left by one square as the second is blocked by friendly pieces.
Pawns that Charge or Retreat may travel through water. They may not end their Charge or Retreat in water.
+++ +++ +++ +P+ +++=+P+ +++ +P+ +++ +++
The pawns here may perform a Charge (or a Retreat) towards the left, except that they could only move one square as not all of them could stop in the second line; some would have to be in the water. If they were to cross this river they would need to take two turns: one to move forwards by one step, then the other to cross the river.
Pieces which have infinite moves may not use this ability when crossing the central river, i.e. they must stop at the bridge. Nightriders may follow this rule; they may not jump over the river.
[edit] Modifications
These mods are optional. In a game you should state clearly the mods with which you wish to play the game.
[edit] No Central River
There is no central river. Pieces may cross the middle freely. Use this with caution especially in a CTF.
[edit] No Pause at Centre
There is no rule which forces you to pause at the centre. The river can still only be crossed by the bridges. Nightriders can cross it as if crossing a rank-7 river.
[edit] No Range Attacks
Rooks, Bishops and Pawns may not attack from range.
[edit] Nonlethal Attack
When a piece is captured, it is not removed from play. Instead, it is sent backwards by a predetermined number of ranks (5 is the best). If the square to which it would go is obstructed (i.e. is off the map, a river or occupied by another piece, friendly or not) it will go to the square behind that, and again, if that square is obstructed.
[edit] Mines
In this variant, Pawns can lay mines in any empty square that is orthogonally next to them, provided that the square has no enemy pieces adjacent to it. (Mines are represented with coins, tokens or Draughts pieces.) The mines are detonated when an enemy piece finishes its movement into a square orthogonally adjacent to a mine, the mine detonates, killing everything within two squares. Pieces cannot end their movement on a square occupied by a mine, except for Pawns, which destroy the mine.
++++++ ++++++ ++P+n+ ++++++
Here, the Pawn can lay a mine to the squares next to it, apart from the one to its right, as there is an enemy Nightrider nearby.
++x+++ +xXx++ xXmXx+ +xXx++ ++x+++
If the enemy enters any square marked with X, all pieces in the squares marked with X or x are killed.
[edit] Artillery
This mod uses similar rules to that of the Mines mod. An Artillery piece (represented by a Queen piece) is brought into play, and starts off in the square behind the Flag in a CTF. The Artillery piece can lay up to four mines per turn, which detonate at the start of your next turn (before you move pieces), in any square that is within 20 squares. (Diagonals count as two squares.) When the shells are detonated, they kill everything within three squares.
The Artillery piece moves like a Pawn. It cannot be attacked from range.
[edit] Four-Team CTF
------- ------- |XXX+++ +++XXX| |XXX+++=+++XXX| |XXX+++ +++XXX| |++++++ ++++++| |+++++++++++++| |+++++++++++++| = +++++ = |+++++++++++++| |+++++++++++++| |++++++ ++++++| |XXX+++ +++XXX| |XXX+++=+++XXX| |XXX+++ +++XXX| ------- -------
Piece setup is as follows:
------- ------- |XBR+++ +++XXX| |BFN+P+=+++XXX| |RNX+P+ +++XXX| |+++PP+ ++++++| |+PPPP++++++++| |+++++++++++++| = +++++ = |+++++++++++++| |+++++++++++++| |++++++ ++++++| |XXX+++ +++XXX| |XXX+++=+++XXX| |XXX+++ +++XXX| ------- -------
Pawn charges/retreats may be made either horizontally or vertically. Pieces need not stop at the rivers. Pawns may attack from range if on the squares marked with Os and may attack the squares marked with os:
------- ------- |XXX+O+ o++XXX| |XXX+O+=o++XXX| |XXX+O+ o++XXX| |++++O+ o+++++| |OOOOO++o+++++| |+++++++++++++| = +++++ = |ooooo++++++++| |+++++++++++++| |++++++ ++++++| |XXX+++ +++XXX| |XXX+++=+++XXX| |XXX+++ +++XXX| ------- -------
[edit] Longchess Tournament
Standard CTM rules, with rivers. No modifications.
During a tournament, you compete against several other players. The player who survives for the longest time is declared the winner. You may challenge any other player at any time during the tournament. When you challenge somebody else, you are termed the attacker, and the one challenged is the defender. When you challenge the enemy you reduce your score by 5 points. The defender can then defend, in which case a battle is fought, or surrender, in which case you gain 10 points (meaning a net increase of +5) and your opponent loses 5 points.
You gain 10 points for a win as an attacker, no points for a win as a defender, but lose 5 points for losing a game with surviving pieces and lose 30 points for losing a game with all pieces captured. You are eliminated from the tournament if your score is lower than 10. Hence, it is better to retreat pieces before the opponent overruns your Keep.
You start off with 30 points. If you go below 30 points you must give up some pieces so that your total army value is equal or less than your points.
In a game, you will probably lose pieces. This means you will lose their value in points as well, and your opponent will gain their value. This happens no matter who turns out victorious.
For example, say A (35) was playing B (23). A would have the full set as he has 30 points or more. B would not have the full set, and would need to give up pieces amounting to 7 points. He chooses to give up both Bishops and a Pawn. During the game A loses both Nightriders and four Pawns, equal to 10 points; B loses a Rook and a Pawn, equal to 6 points. A loses 4 points and B gains 4 points, no matter who wins. Eventually, B manages to push all of A's pieces off the board. B gains 10 points and A loses 5 points. A now has 26 points and B has 37.
Remember, battling is costly (enduring a 5 point cost as an attacker), so avoid attacks unless you are likely to win. However, as the defending player never gains points for victories and loses many points if he or she surrenders, it is unwise to be completely on the defensive.
[edit] Tournament Members
Put your name here to play in the first Longchess tournament.
- User:Jftsang (30 points, joined 18 January 2008)
[edit] Tournament Battles
Please record all battles here like so:
- Challenger (W/B) vs Challenged (W/B), Date, WhiteStr, BlackStr, Result, NewWStr, NewBStr
If the battle is unfinished add it here still, and leave out the last three fields.
