Cylinder chess

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This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.
Cylindrical chessboard
Cylindrical chessboard
Image:chess zhor 22.png
Image:chess zver 22.png a8 b8 xx c8 d8 xx e8 f8 g8 h8 Image:chess zver 22.png
a7 xx b7 c7 d7 e7 xx f7 g7 h7
a6 b6 c6 d6 e6 f6 xx g6 h6 xx
a5 b5 c5 d5 e5 f5 g5 xx h5
a4 xo b4 c4 d4 e4 f4 xx g4 xo h4 xx
a3 xx b3 xo c3 d3 e3 xx f3 xo g3 h3
a2 b2 xx c2 d2 xx e2 f2 g2 h2 nd
a1 b1 xo c1 bl d1 e1 f1 xo g1 h1
Image:chess zhor 22.png
Cylinder chess
The diagram shows possible moves of the bishop on c1 and the knight on h2 on a cylindrical board. Note that the bishop can't move through the upper and lower sides of the board.

Cylinder chess (or cylindrical chess) is a chess variant with an unusual board. The game is played as if the board were a cylinder, with the left side of the board joined to the right side. According to Bill Wall, in 947 in a history of chess in India and Persia, the Arabic historian Ali al-Masudi described six different variants of chess, including astrological chess, circular chess and cylinder chess. [1]

Cylindrical board is also used in chess problems.

[edit] Rules and gameplay

The game is played as if there is no edge on the side of the board. When a piece goes off the right edge of the board in cylinder chess, it reappears on the left edge; when a piece goes off the left edge, it reappears on the right edge.[2]

It is legal to move a rook from a3 to h3, even if there is a piece on b3, since the rook can move left from a3. A bishop on c1 can go to h4, by moving from c1 to a3, and then going up and left from a3 to h4. Moves that do not change the position, like rook a3-a3 (assuming 3rd rank is empty), are usually not allowed, but sometimes they are in some problems. It is allowed to capture en passant over the board edge. For example, if white has a pawn on a5, black on h7 and black plays h7-h5, white can capture it: a5xh6.

Bishops are more valuable in this variant. And, unlike in standard chess, king and rook cannot enforce checkmate against the lone king on the cylindrical board.

Image:chess zhor 26.png
Image:chess zver 26.png a8 b8 bl c8 d8 e8 f8 qd g8 h8 Image:chess zver 26.png
a7 b7 c7 d7 e7 f7 g7 h7
a6 b6 c6 d6 e6 pd f6 rd g6 h6
a5 b5 c5 pl d5 e5 rl f5 g5 h5 bl
a4 b4 ql c4 d4 pl e4 f4 g4 pd h4
a3 b3 c3 d3 e3 f3 kd g3 h3
a2 nl b2 c2 d2 e2 f2 g2 h2
a1 rl b1 c1 d1 e1 kl f1 g1 h1
Image:chess zhor 26.png
Mate in 1
Cylinder chess with castling over board edge (position by C. Rieseneder)

The game is sometimes played with changed rules for castling:

  • Castling is not allowed. Proponents of this convention argue that the purpose of castling is nullified by all files being equivalent, as they are on the cylinder.
  • Additionally to normal castling, castling with the wrong rook (over the board edge) is also allowed. For example, on the diagram at right, white checkmates by playing 1. 0-0. By such castling king e1 moves to g1 and rook a1 moves to f1. This castling is on the queen-side has the rook on h1 moving to d1, king moves to c1.
Image:chess zhor 26.png
Image:chess zver 26.png a8 b8 c8 d8 e8 f8 g8 h8 Image:chess zver 26.png
a7 b7 c7 d7 e7 f7 g7 h7
a6 b6 c6 pd d6 e6 f6 g6 h6 rl
a5 b5 kd c5 pd d5 e5 f5 g5 h5
a4 b4 c4 d4 e4 f4 g4 h4 rl
a3 kl b3 c3 d3 e3 f3 g3 h3
a2 b2 c2 d2 e2 f2 g2 h2
a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1
Image:chess zhor 26.png
Mate in 2
Cylinder chess with the null-move.

Some cylinder chess problems allow moves that don't change the position (null moves) [3]. At the right an example of such a problem is shown. The solution is to put black in a zugzwang by playing 1.Rh4-h4 . Now, after any move by black white has a mate. The move 1.Rg4 doesn't work because of 1....Ka5 threatening to capture the rook.

In horizontal cylinder chess, first and last rank are connected. In toroidal chess the board has the form of a torus. One can get a toroidal board by connecting first and last ranks of the cylindrical board. These two variations are found only in chess problems, being not suitable for play for obvious reasons. On the toroidal board, even king and queen can't checkmate the lone king [4].

Image:chess zhor 26.png
Image:chess zver 26.png a8 rd b8 c8 bd d8 e8 f8 bd g8 h8 rd Image:chess zver 26.png
a7 pd b7 pd c7 d7 e7 f7 g7 pd h7 pd
a6 nd b6 c6 pd d6 qd e6 kd f6 pd g6 h6 nd
a5 b5 c5 d5 pd e5 pd f5 g5 h5
a4 b4 c4 d4 pl e4 pl f4 g4 h4
a3 nl b3 c3 pl d3 ql e3 kl f3 pl g3 h3 nl
a2 pl b2 pl c2 d2 e2 f2 g2 pl h2 pl
a1 rl b1 c1 bl d1 e1 f1 bl g1 h1 rl
Image:chess zhor 26.png
Initial position
Torus chess on a standard board

However, see the Torus Chess link below for a toroidal variant that can be played, with an explanation of moves and strategy. The illustration at left shows the starting position for play on a standard board, using toroidal geometry.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Earliest chess books and references by Bill Wall.
  2. ^ D.B. Pritchard (1994). The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants (p. 79). ISBN 0-9524142-0-1.
  3. ^ From A. W. Mongredien, Bulletin de la FFE, No. 19, 1926.[1]
  4. ^ Е.Я. Гик, Шахматы и математика, Наука, Москва, 1983 (in Russian)

[edit] External links

  • Cylinder chess by George Jelliss, Variant Chess, Volume 3, Issue 22, Winter 1996-7, pages 32-33.
  • Cylindrical chess by Ron Porter and Cliff Lundberg.
  • BrainKing.com - internet server to play Cylinder chess and many other chess variants
  • Torus Chess by Karl Fischer, Torus Chess on a standard board - playable, if bloody.