|
atomic
Atomic chess is a chess variant in which pieces explode.
RULES
-----
Atomic chess is like normal chess with the following modifications:
1. The aim of the game is to explode the opponent's king or to bring about a
position where the king is directly attacked and cannot defend (see 4) or
explode the opponent's king safely (see 5).
2. Pieces explode, leaving squares empty. After a capture is completed, the
capturing man explodes. The square that the capture occurs on is 'ground
zero'. All pieces (not pawns) that are on squares adjacent to ground zero
(horizontally, vertically and diagonally) are destroyed in the explosion.
For example:
. +------------------------+
. 8 | *R *B *Q *K *B *R| Move # : 5 (White)
. 7 | *P *P *P *P *P *P| Black Moves : 'g6 (0:00)'
. 6 | *N *N *P |
. 5 | *P N | Black Clock : 0:00
. 4 | P | White Clock : 0:00
. 3 | N | Black Strength : 39
. 2 | P P P P P P P | White Strength : 39
. 1 | R B Q K B R |
. +------------------------+
. a b c d e f g h
White plays Nxd5:
. +------------------------+
. 8 | *R *B *Q *K *B *R| Move # : 5 (Black)
. 7 | *P *P *P *P *P *P| White Moves : 'Nxd5 (0:00)'
. 6 | *N *P |
. 5 | | Black Clock : 0:00
. 4 | P | White Clock : 0:00
. 3 | | Black Strength : 35
. 2 | P P P P P P P | White Strength : 33
. 1 | R B Q K B R |
. +------------------------+
. a b c d e f g h
The pawn is captured, the knight now on d5 explodes. The knights on e5
and c6 are caught in the blast, the pawn on d4 is not affected. (From the
above it should be clear that an en-passant move's 'ground zero' is the
square the capturing pawn moves to. The captured pawn is then removed and
the explosion takes place).
3. There are two types of king attacks: direct and indirect
A direct attack is just like check in chess:
. +------------------------+
. 8 | *R *N *B *K *B *N *R| Move # : 3 (White)
. 7 | *P *P *P *P *P *P *P| Black Moves : 'Qh4+ (0:00)'
. 6 | *P |
. 5 | | Black Clock : 0:00
. 4 | P *Q| White Clock : 0:00
. 3 | N | Black Strength : 39
. 2 | P P P P P P P | White Strength : 39
. 1 | R B Q K B N R |
. +------------------------+
. a b c d e f g h
An indirect attack is attacking a man that will explode the opponent's
king when captured (such as the f7 pawn below):
. +------------------------+
. 8 | *R *B *Q *K *B *N *R| Move # : 3 (Black)
. 7 | *P *P *P *P *P *P *P| White Moves : 'Bc4 (0:00)'
. 6 | *N |
. 5 | *P | Black Clock : 0:00
. 4 | B P | White Clock : 0:00
. 3 | N | Black Strength : 39
. 2 | P P P P P P P | White Strength : 39
. 1 | R N B Q K R |
. +------------------------+
. a b c d e f g h
4. You are not allowed to make a move that causes your king to explode in
the process. This effectively means kings cannot capture other pieces and
it is therefore legal for two kings to touch. When both kings are
touching it is not possible to capture one king without destroying the
other. Thus at this point attacks on the king don't exist and the king is
effectively invincible.
Direct attacks have to be responded to either by capturing/exploding,
blocking or moving the king, or by exploding the opponent's king safely
(see 5). Indirect attacks can be ignored (though this is of course
unwise!).
. +------------------------+
. 8 | | Move # : 1 (Black)
. 7 | |
. 6 | Q *K|
. 5 | | Black Clock : 0:00
. 4 | | White Clock : 0:00
. 3 | | Black Strength : 0
. 2 | | White Strength : 0
. 1 | K |
. +------------------------+
. a b c d e f g h
It is possible to mate with the queen unaided. Black cannot capture the
queen.
5. Exploding the opponent's king takes priority over direct attacks. This
means that in a position which would be checkmate (see below), or when
directly attacked, but you can explode the opponent's king, this move
wins the game, even if a direct attack is left on after the move (unlike
chess where it is not possible to finish a move in check even if it mates
the opponent). This is because the explosion of the king ends the game.
. +------------------------+
. 8 | | Move # : 1 (Black)
. 7 | |
. 6 | Q *K|
. 5 | | Black Clock : 5:00
. 4 | *B | White Clock : 5:00
. 3 | | Black Strength : 3
. 2 | P | White Strength : 10
. 1 | K |
. +------------------------+
. a b c d e f g h
Here Bxa2 wins (and is the only legal move).
TIPS
----
o Beware! There are a lot of patzer traps in atomic. The most common is the
opening move 1. Nf3:
. +------------------------+
. 8 | *R *N *B *Q *K *B *N *R| Move # : 1 (Black)
. 7 | *P *P *P *P *P *P *P *P| White Moves : 'Nf3 (0:00)'
. 6 | |
. 5 | | Black Clock : 0:00
. 4 | | White Clock : 0:00
. 3 | N | Black Strength : 39
. 2 | P P P P P P P P | White Strength : 39
. 1 | R N B Q K B R |
. +------------------------+
. a b c d e f g h
The only replies this move are f6 (and f5 has also been discovered). Any
other move would allow Ne5 or Ng5. 1. ... d6 at first glance appears to
save the game too, but after 2. Ng5 f6 (or f5 it's forced otherwise Nxf7
(Kd7 loses to Ne6)) 3. Nf7 wins the queen, since 3. ... Qd7 4. Nxd6. and
3. ... KxN is illegal.
o Keep an eye on exchanges and avoid overcrowding areas with pieces that can
be attacked easily. What in chess would be a simple piece for piece
exchange can leave you material down. Even what would be an exchange
sacrifice in chess can net much more in atomic.
o Pawns can provide effective shelter, use them carefully.
o Watch the pieces and pawns around the king for indirect attacks. Also
beware kamikazee missions with the rook and especially the queen.
AUTHORS
-------
Created: 15 June 2003 foxbat
Last Modified: 27 February 2008 mhill
|
