Comments by Nasmichael Farris

How many Alice Chess games have been played at the ChessVariants Courier Play by e-mail system? Any favorites from the players here? I would like to correct myself in terms of the knight tour for Alice--the bishops can move forward and backward past the 'goal square' -- like parallel parking a car- -- and thereby hit any square on both boards. But the knights are a bit more trouble mentally, to hit a square on either board. It seems like the piece, on a tour, having hit every other square in the tour once, could shift the pathway and set about coming back to the target mirror squares. If a note from George Jelliss at the website http://www.borderschess.org/KTfeedback.htm is used in reference to an algorithm for normal 64 square chessboards-- --'It is in fact possible to devise rules that will produce an exact tour, without deviation from the rule at any point, and without backtracking. In Chessics #22 (1985) I gave four examples of such 'Synthetic Tours'. They use Warnsdorff's rule ('Play the knight to a square where it commands the fewest squares not yet used') in conjunction with either the Obtuse rule ('Play the knight at as obtuse an angle as possible to the previous move - straight if possible') or the Acute rule ('Play the knight at as acute an angle as possible to the previous move'). The second rule either takes over when Warnsdorff's rule breaks down (I write these rules WO and WA), or the second rule is applied to the choice of moves suggested by the first rule (I write these rules W/O and W/A). The four combination rules all work if the tour is started a1-b3'-- then perhaps the idea could be extrapolated to the Alice boards. I have not yet done so today, but I aim to try. That would mean that the square is a WHOLE TOUR at most from that mirror square, and so would be useless for most short games, but something to consider. (Most games are so far much shorter than a corresponding 'FIDE Standard' game counterpart.) Or again, now that I am sitting still thinking about it, perhaps you are right. Again, thanks to all for their contributions.

Would a 10x10 board help lessen the cramped space?

Many thanks, gentlemen, for putting attention back onto the Recognized Variants. Good choices, and interesting perspectives.

Thanks for this, chessfriends. I will try to make good use of it here.

Great idea. Is this still going on? If so, I would like to participate.

It is good to see the contributions from a true chessfan and one who is ready to give an honest critique of the games invented and offered here. I enjoy the possibility of the game, and the division of powers given to the pieces in this style of gameplay. Thanks, Charles, for your participation.

Impressive. This seems like it would catch the eye of many a chessfan/historian, and would be a good segway into history of culture, as gameplay is so important to a cultural understanding. (Big bag of chess pieces to carry around, though.) :o)

Thank you for your contributions. It is my hope that many more people discover the playability of your game, and your pieces. It contributes to the decimal board's viability. The dasapada is more navigable with this Wizard and its leaper partner, the Champion.

Are there any gamescores of some particularly interesting games from the tournaments available?

This game makes for great over-the-board play. Thanks, Ed, for placing this game here for experimentation. Great job.

I am very pleased this variant has been exposed here at ChessVariants.org--I wish that other sites were aware of and had provisions to play this very playable and entertaining (and difficult) variant. The possibilities for two players of varying strengths to have a challenging game together are strong, and (having tried the game out with players above, below, and around my strength in reference to our standard games) in any event, it is an exciting proposition. Kudos to John Leslie for the opportunity to create a bridge between eastern and western chess styles. In the 2005 Game Courier tournament, I would be excited to see this game offered as an option to play!

IN the texts of Vernon Rylands Parton, he also mentions a linear chess--it is available onsite; check out 'Curiouser and Curiouser' by Parton, who also invented Alice Chess and Medusa (Demigorgon) Chess. Fun games all.

This game is wild! To play live would take a patient opponent, a few sets, and some scoresheets, but it would make the folks at the local coffeehouse sit up and take notice! They would say I was crazy, but chess history should make the people smile, and open their eyes to something new.

Has anyone had experience playing this game live? Any gamescores of such?

That your mind would allow such flexibility lets me know that you might be a great opponent for any of the variants!

It is good to test myself with this program; I am using it to practice my Shogi gamescore notation, so I am playing through with no time control. Thanks, Ed, for the opportunity.

Similar in play to Chess II, represented onsite, the idea for the non-royal king-movement 'guards' make for nice play. On the 10 x 10 board, it gives the queen to be the powerful piece that it is, and allows a different understanding of the strength of the modified pieces (queen from fers, bishop from alfil) and why the game was sped up during the adolescence in the game during its movement from continent to continent.

Intriguing. How does it play as you have described it? Any gamescores you can share?

Well said, Glenn. This continues to be a fantastic site, a meaningful contribution to chess culture, and a wonderful addition to our history.