No, it cannot. Let me break the move down into steps. First, the Bishop on e8 moves to d7. At this point, movement in the same direction must go through the opposite corner is just passed through. This is the corner that d7 shares with c6. Continuing in the same direction, it can go to b5. At b5, it can move diagonally to A4, because b5 and A4 share a corner but no sides. Also, this is in the same direction that the move from e8 to b5 was in. However, b5 and a4 do share a side, which means that movement from one to the other is not diagonal. So, a move from e8 to a4 would be illegal.
This is a very special consideration. Do you think that such can be communicated to potential players?
Why do we leave out consideration of equal/different corners and sides? Can't we agree that switches can be entered from all sides and a choice must be made between the fields of the switch? Surely that would be much easier for everyone.
In the discussion at the time, I just took your position, but ran into a wall looking for a simple solution. I came to the conclusion that switches have a special status, which must lead to a choice between the fields of a switch from all sides - from above, from below and from the side.
No, that is completely the opposite of how I understand the rules.
A bishop on e8 or d1 can move to A4 or a4 respectively to h5 or H5.
This is unintelligible. If you mean what you said above, it is contrary to my understanding of the rules.
What can I say? I think my position is quite logical. At the beginning of the discussions, I was of the opinion that switches work differently when they are operated from below, from the side, or from above. I have abandoned this opinion and changed it in favor of a pragmatic solution, in that a switch must be handled the same regardless of the direction.
Are you saying that a piece cannot capture a piece in a Switch unless it can move to the space the piece is on? Or are you saying that when a piece can move to either space in a Switch, it can move to the Switch and capture the piece, and then it must occupy the space the piece was on?
This seems to me to be much simpler than you make it out to be.
After all, a piece can only be captured where it is. Why should this be different for a switch?
Why should a piece be able to move to A4, and thereby capture a piece on a4 quasi en passent? That only happens with pawns. But that's where it should stay. The basic principle should be that pieces are captured on the square on which the pieces were placed. Pragmatic solution, isn't it?
They are the same, but I removed the ambiguities in his description and used some technical language. Since the King cannot move into check, and a Knight is not subject to the same restriction, I replaced the reference to two King moves with one to two one-space moves. Since I would normally refer to ranks and files rather than to rows and lines, and since I have been using these words in an algebraic sense rather than a geometric sense, I rewrote it to not use them. To "leap directly" is technical terminology that implies that a move "does not move across squares that lie in between."
This is a very special consideration. Do you think that such can be communicated to potential players?
Why do we leave out consideration of equal/different corners and sides? Can't we agree that switches can be entered from all sides and a choice must be made between the fields of the switch? Surely that would be much easier for everyone.
In the discussion at the time, I just took your position, but ran into a wall looking for a simple solution. I came to the conclusion that switches have a special status, which must lead to a choice between the fields of a switch from all sides - from above, from below and from the side.
What can I say? I think my position is quite logical. At the beginning of the discussions, I was of the opinion that switches work differently when they are operated from below, from the side, or from above. I have abandoned this opinion and changed it in favor of a pragmatic solution, in that a switch must be handled the same regardless of the direction.
This seems to me to be much simpler than you make it out to be.
After all, a piece can only be captured where it is. Why should this be different for a switch?
Why should a piece be able to move to A4, and thereby capture a piece on a4 quasi en passent? That only happens with pawns. But that's where it should stay. The basic principle should be that pieces are captured on the square on which the pieces were placed. Pragmatic solution, isn't it?
I think I have understood that.