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Separate Realms. Pieces capture like normal FIDE pieces, but have limited moves that only take them to part of the board when not capturing. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

Mike Nelson wrote on Fri, Sep 13, 2002 12:31 AM UTC:

Some observations from extensive playtesting vs Zillions and Z vs Z. (I'm
dying to play this against humans!).  

Zillions plays Separate Realms better than it plays FIDE chess--with fewer
possible moves in a given position, it sees further down the strategy
tree. Its primary flaw--it rates rates Knights slightly higher than
Bishops and tries too hard to avoid the exchange.

Though I am soley responsible for it, I have come to dislike the alternate
setup and only play the main variant.

A 'typical' game goes something like this:  in the opening, the minor
pieces come out and jockey for position.  In the late opening the Queen
joins in.  Both sides attempt to trade pieces in ways that gain positional
advantage, especially weakening the enemy pawn structure.  Usually pawns
move only to capture in this phase. 

The most common opening blunder--capturing a minor piece on the fourth
rank with the Queen. Now the Queen can't jump the pawn line to retreat and
is in mortal peril.

In the middlegame, the pawns start getting pushed to strong positions. 
The weaker pieces are less useful in protecting pawns that their FIDE
counterparts, so the pawns must protect each other more.  

The late middle game involves a lot of Rook moves, looking for a
positional advantage. The endgame begins by whichever player has won the
positional battle using his Rooks and surviving minor piece to destroy the
enemy pawn structure and win by promoting a pawn or forcing loss of
material.  

I have observed games where Zillions estimates one side's advantage at
7000-8000 with equal material (Pawn=1850).

Separate Realms doesn't 'feel' like a weak piece game--it feels like a
strong pawn game. Probably the weak King makes the pieces seem
stronger--an SR Queen is rather more dangerous to an SR King's survival
than an FIDE Queen to an FIDE King.

My previous estimates of piece values seem accurate:

Minor piece = 2 pawns
Rook =  3 pawns
Queen = a bit less than 6 pawns

Use with caution, however.  Getting two pawns for a minor piece is fine,
and getting a minor piece and a Pawn for a Rook is OK, but getting three
pawns for a Rook and especially getting four pawns for two minor pieces
tend to lose--it's harder to protect the extra pawns than in FIDE chess.

The Kings have little impact on the pawn structure--the SR King can't
approach pawns from in front easily.

Because of stalemate as a win and limited King mobility, virtually all
King + one unit vs King ending are forced wins--the one exeception is
Kings on opposite colors and Bishop on the strong side's King's color.

In 50 Z vs. Z sample games there were three draws (by the 50-move rule).
Two were King and Rook vs King and Rook.  One was King and Queen vs King
and Rook with the Queen and Rook on different colors.