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H. G. Muller wrote on Tue, Oct 10, 2017 01:36 PM UTC:

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satellite=betza files=12 ranks=12 graphicsDir=/membergraphics/MSelven-chess/ whitePrefix=w blackPrefix=b graphicsType=png squareSize=34 useMarkers=1 maxPromote=0 symmetry=rotate checker:P:fmFcafmFimfD:pawn:a2-l2 betza1:X:mRpafscRifhN:marshall:h1 betza2:Y:gQ:archbishop:e1 rook::::a1,l1 king::::g1

XBetza sandbox

Type a move definition below, and then click
on the move above you want to replace.

Betza string:

To practice a bit with (X)Betza notation you can use this interactive diagram, which allows you to (re)define the moves for all piece in it, through the text entry below the piece table.

The diagram supports most of the Betza notation as discussed above; the modifiers n and j only work predictably on diagonal and orthogonal atoms, though. It also supports the XBetza extension (but not more than one locust capture per turn). The new atoms are:

  • U Universal Leaper (Kraken), can teleport to every square except the one it is on.
  • O Castling with the piece at the board edge in the given direction. The range specifies the King step.
  • C Camel. Synonymous with L.
  • Z Zebra. Synonymous with J.
  • X Extended. Suffix to other leaper atoms, and boosts those by 1 orthogonal step (G), 2 orthogonal steps (A and J), or 3 such steps (others). (FX = Giraffe)
  • I Imitator. All mc (default) or ekd moves of the last-moved piece. A b modifier flips these.

Multi-leg moves (changing mode, range and/or direction between legs) are defined by joining groups of modifiers for the individual legs by a ('again') modifiers. (More about a...) New modifiers, or modifiers with a slightly different meaning on non-final legs:

  • e ('en passant') new mode: capture a lame leaper on a squares it just passed through. in and nn moves create e.p. rights.
  • d ('destroy') new mode: capture own piece.
  • k ('king') new mode: move can only be used to capture a royal piece (deliver check). (KfkR)
  • x ('excite') activate a piece without moving, that piece making the remaining legs of the specified move. (mNxaN) If no legs follow, it works in reverse, and borrows the moves from the target piece. (xK)
  • u ('unload') puts the piece that the entire move captures on the initial square. (udQ = Swapper)
  • p ('hop') in non-final leg: leg ends on an occupied square, without disturbing the contents. (mRpafscR)
  • g ('grasshop') in non-final leg: as p, but next leg will have different range (leaper <-> rider).
  • y ('fork') in non-final leg: as g, but on an empty square. (FyafsF = Griffon)
  • j on sliding move makes the first step of the slide double the size, skipping one square. (jB = Ski-Bishop)
  • oo ('cylinder') moves wrap in toroidal fashion (left <-> right and top <-> bottom).
  • q ('circular') rider bends 45-degrees in same direction on every step. (qN = Rose)
  • i ('initial') as leading modifier: only virgin pieces have the described move. (KimN)
  • i ('iso') in continuation leg: slider leg has as many steps as a previous slider leg. (aivsQ = Sissa)
  • hr ('chiral'). new direction set: all oblique moves bending right of orthogonals. (hrN)
  • hl mirror image of hr. Do not confuse these with rh/lh, (right and left half ).

The diagram recognizes and asterisk * as a special range indicator, indicating a position-dependent range, namely the number of ranks between the current square and the enemy board half (but at least 1). A move with this range will always create e.p. rights on the squares it passes through.

CX HX CX
ZX NX DX NX ZX
GX AX FX WX FX AX GX
G Z C H C Z G
Z A N D N A Z
C N F W F N C
H D W ## W D H
Extended atoms (only forward moves are shown)

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