Chiron társasjáték

Angol leírás

Chiron is a chess variant that accomplishes finitude by some very unique but also surprisingly traditional means, instead of strange and obscure mechanics, fairy pieces combine with shogi-style drops to create a finite and drawless experience. this is because all the pieces in Chiron fundamentally progress as the game continues despite having both forward and backward movement. The trick is that each piece in Chiron has all of its basic movement contained by a 180 degree radius, meaning no move or combination of moves nullifies another. Because of this Chiron has a somewhat intimidating feature: a few asymmetric pieces, but it deals with this in several ways that restore symmetry to these pieces and the game as a whole. For one thing these pieces come with lefthanded and righthanded counterparts which reflect each other's movement but the pieces themselves have capture only moves which reflect their basic movement. There is also a piece called the Phoenix which is continually dropped on the board and can capture any piece that is on a rank behind it which ensures that the opposing King will eventually have to pass it and thereby be captured. Chiron has the distinction of being the first true chess variant that mathematically cannot cycle and has no potential to draw. Corey L. Clark designed Chiron in 2018 and thoroughly modified it in 2024.

Materials: You will need a set of checkers (or better yet an othello set) and a set of chess pieces which can sit on top of these. arrange the pieces as seen below.
Chiron opening arrangement

Gameplay: The pieces in Chiron are The King, The Phoenix and Ant which all have basic symmetrical forward movement, along with the asymmetrical movers: The Crab, The Moth and, The Hummingbird. They are listed below with their movement capabilities, with the lefthanded pieces being depicted for the asymmetrical movers. Note, any piece movement which is not ranged like a rook or bishop is able to jump over any pieces regardless of color. green dots indicate regular movement, which may of course capture, while X's represent capture only moves.

King: The King moves to any space 2 spaces away in the forward direction.

Phoenix: The Phoenix may only move one square forward generally but may capture any piece on a rank behind it, even leaping over any number of pieces of either color in the process. The phoenix may only be captured by a regular move (ie not one marked by an X) and is the only piece that may be dropped. During the game, if you capture an opponent's Phoenix, you recruit it to your side and then either player may spend a turn dropping it on the first rank of the player who owns it. Note: use a pawn to represent a second phoenix, if you have one.

Ant: The Ant moves one square forward and captures likewise. You may capture even your own ants to get your pieces out of a jam. An ant which reaches the 7th or 8th rank may promote to any of your pieces that have been captured, whether promoted or not.

Crab: The Crab has the most exotic movement of the pieces, it may move one square diagonally forward, like a wide knight forward, like a rook horizontally to the righthand side, or like a wide camel (1-3 movement) backward to righthand side

Moth: The Moth has relatively simple movement, it may move on one side like a wide knight, move on either side like a long knight and retreats as a bishop to one side.

Hummingbird: The Hummingbird moves as a rook forward, or else retreats as a knight to one side.

Promotion: When any of the 3 symmetric pieces reach the 7th or 8th rank it may "promote" to its vertically reflected counterpart but is not compelled to do so. The piece then also may relocate itself by making an unlimited number of non-capturing moves.

Note: Each Crab, Moth, and Hummingbird has a lefthanded and righthanded version, which are perfect reflections of each-other, at the outset of the game.

Game End: You win a game of Chiron by capturing the opposing King. Note: there is no concept of "checkmate" much less "stalemate" in Chiron and the king must move into danger if that is the only move. Players may say "check" as a common courtesy though, to point out when the King is under immediate threat of capture.

—description from the designer