Viewing Game
Rollerball by Jean-Louis Cazaux
k-King | R-Rook | b-Bishop | P-Pawn |
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Material
The board in a double ring of 40 squares made from a 7 x 7 with a 3 x 3 hole in the center. There is an inner ring and a outer ring. Also, it is convenient to see 4 zones, South, West, North and East.
Each side has 6 pieces only: 1 King, 1 Bishop, 2 Rooks and 2 Pawns.
White plays first. The play is mostly clockwise.
- King: moves and captures exactly as in Orthochess to any
adjacent square but never to a square where it can be
captured. It is the only piece to have a symmetric move.
- Rook: slides any number of squares forward or sideways
along the row or column. Also, it can move 1 square only
orthogonally backward. It never slides backward. On the
external ring, they have one rebound allowed on the
corners of the board.
One can see the powerful situation of the Rook on b2 (and a6, f7,g2) where it can mate without assistance.
- Bishop: slides diagonally forward any number of squares
with one rebound allowed on the sides, external and
internal, of the board. Also, it can move 1 square
diagonally backward. It never slides diagonally backward.
One may note that the white diagonals are forming another ring joining the mid-points of the external sides. The Bishop is very powerful there.
- Pawn: moves and captures forward straight or diagonally. When reaching the starting square of opposite Pawns it promotes to either a Rook or a Bishop. (Promotion to a Bishop upon dark squares is not recommended)
All captures are by displacement.
End of the Game
There are 2 ways to win the game:
- Ckeckmate the opposite King, or,
- When the King reaches the starting square of the opposite King, but only if had turned clockwise.
Stalemate and three-time repetition are a draw.