Daniel Sleator 	  Sep 1 1993, 7:26 am     show options
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
From: sleat...@cs.cmu.edu (Daniel Sleator) - Find messages by this author
Date: 1 Sep 93 12:20:59 GMT
Local: Wed, Sep 1 1993 5:20 am
Subject: Wild variants on ICS
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In response to an email request, here is a description of all the wild
variants on ICS.  Note wild 5, which has not been posted before.

The variable "wild" controls the how the initial position is
generated.  In all variants (except wild 5), each side has eight
pawns, in their usual positions, and only the ranks 1 and 8 differ
from normal chess.  Here are the meanings of each value:

  0:  This is regular old chess.

  1:  In this variant both sides have the same set of pieces as in
      normal chess.  The white king starts on d1 or e1 and the black
      king starts on d8 or e8, and the rooks are in their usual positions.
      Bishops are always on opposite colors.  Subject to these constraints
      the position is random.  Castling is similar to normal chess:
      o-o-o indicates long castling and o-o short castling.

  2:  Here the usual set of pieces is arranged randomly on the first
      and eighth ranks.  Black's arrangement is always a mirror image
      of White's.  Castling is not allowed.

  3:  Here the set of pieces itself is randomly chosen (subject to the
      constraint that there is one king of each color).  Black's pieces
      mirror White's, and castling is not allowed.

  4:  A random set of pieces is generated.  These are placed randomly for
      white and black, subject to the constraint that the bishops must
      be balanced (number of white bishops is within 1 of number of
      black bishops).

  5:  The following initial arrangement is used:

        ---------------------------------
     8  | R | N | B | K | Q | B | N | R |
        |---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
     7  | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P |
        |---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
     6  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
        |---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
     5  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
        |---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
     4  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
        |---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
     3  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
        |---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
     2  | *P| *P| *P| *P| *P| *P| *P| *P|
        |---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
     1  | *R| *N| *B| *K| *Q| *B| *N| *R|
        ---------------------------------
          a   b   c   d   e   f   g   h

      Note that the *s refer to BLACK pieces.  Pawns move in their usual
      direction (e.g. WHITEs pawn move to increase their rank.)  Think
      about it.  

A sophisticated book for wild 5 has developed.  I believe that Chesser
(who knows (and probably developed much of) the book) could beat
any GM in his/her first wild 5 game (blitz time control, of course).

It's odd that the very existance of wild chess on ICS seems to bother
some people.  I happen to like playing the wild variants more (*GASP*)
than regular chess.

                                Darooha