A is for AMAZON

You may think the QUEEN is the most powerful, but guess what? The AMAZON is the most powerful in these fairy pieces. It can zoom Up, Down, to the Sides and Diagonally! It can also make knight moves - L SHAPED movements (2 forward, 1 to the side), and when it is used as a knight, it jumps over other pieces! It can't if it is used as a queen, though. It looks like a knight in a queen's crown - and it has a whopping exchange of 12!

Direction*: N, S, E, W, NE, SE, SW, NW, NNE, ENE, ESE, SSE, SSW, WSW, WNW, NNW

Range: 1-13 for queen uses, 2-1 for knight uses

Can jump over other pieces: Only on Knight uses

Exchange Value: 12 points

* Note: The compass points are used, to enhance what I am saying. The NORTH is at YELLOW's side, and SOUTH at RED's side.

C is for CAMEL

You can tell it's a CAMEL because... it looks like a Camel. It moves 3 squares forward and 1 to the side. It can jump over other pieces. 3 points of exchange.

Direction: NNNE, NENE, SESE, SSSE, SSSW, SWSW, NWNW, NNNW, ENNE, EENE, EESE, ESSE, WSSW, WWSW, WWNW, WNNW

Range: 3 squares forwards, one to the side (4 total)

Can jump over other pieces: Yes

Exchange Value: 3 points

Fact: These stay on the same square colour!

Note: Many people think that I am wrong with D as a 1-point-queen because it is actually represented by a Q. This is when something gets confusing. If you do not believe me, then you'll see why I used a D.

Figure 2: D or Q for 1-Point Queen?

Figure 3: Custom promotion: D

Figure 4: Move notation: Q

Well, at least I think D stands for DAME, so it does not get TOO confusing... yet.

If you still don't believe me, then D will be vacant. Problem solved.

E is for CHANCELLOR

This Chancellor is highly dangerous. It moves rookways*, moves like a knight, and jumps on knight uses. 7 points worth of exchange.

It is notated "E" because its former name was "Elephant".

Direction: N, S, E, W, NNE, ENE, ESE, SSE, SSW, WSW, WNW, NNW

Range: 1-13 on rook uses, 2-1 on knight uses

Can jump over other pieces: Only on knight uses

Exchange Value: 7 points

*ROOKWAYS is a word I invented myself. It means "In the direction of the rook." Another word for this is orthogonally.

F is for FERZ

This piece is no good. It only moves one square diagonally - and why is it worth 1 point of exchange?!

Direction: NE, SE, SW, NW

Range: 1

Can jump over other pieces: No

Exchange Value: 1 point

Fact: These stay on the same square colour!

G is for GRASSHOPPER

Jumping over other pieces for this 3-point piece is compulsory. When a piece is behind another piece, one square orthogonally/rookways or one square diagonally, with the piece I am talking about in the line of the pin/skewer, and there is no piece in between, then it is attacked.

Direction: N, S, E, W, NE, SE, SW, NW

Range: 2-14

Can jump over other pieces: Always

Exchange Value: 3 points

H is for ARCHBISHOP

The Archbishop is a knight and bishop combined. Be careful when that 7-points-of-exchange piece is on the board.

It is notated "H" because its former name was "Hawk".

Direction: NE, SE, SW, NW, NNE, ENE, ESE, SSE, SSW, WSW, WNW, NNW

Range: 1-10 on bishop uses, 2-1 on knight uses

Can jump over other pieces: Only on knight uses

Exchange Value: 7 points

I is for ALFIL

I know that the piece's name does not begin with an I, but that is what they put in for the notation. Anyway, it jumps two squares diagonally. Just 1 point, like the Ferz.

Direction: NE, SE, SW, NW

Range: 2

Can jump over other pieces: Yes

Exchange Value: 1 point

Fact: These stay on the same square colour!

J is for ALFIL-RIDER

Repeated Alfil moves. 3 points.

Direction: NE, SE, SW, NW

Range: 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10

Can jump over other pieces: Yes, but not over the squares it lands on. Once there is a piece in a square attacked by the ALFIL-RIDER, the way is blocked. The ALFIL-RIDER cannot move further.

Exchange Value: 3 points

Fact: These stay on the same square colour!

Note: Once the royal piece is captured, or in checkmate, that is it. You are out of the game.

Note: The king is not royal in ANTICHESS and the variants with a Custom Royal Piece.

L is for CAMEL-RIDER

It has repeated camel moves and is worth 7 points of exchange

Direction: NNNE, NENE, SESE, SSSE, SSSW, SWSW, NWNW, NNNW, ENNE, EENE, EESE, ESSE, WSSW, WWSW, WWNW, WNNW

Range: Repeated 3-1 moves

Can jump over other pieces: Yes, but not over the squares it lands on. Once there is a piece in a square attacked by the CAMEL-RIDER, the way is blocked. The CAMEL-RIDER cannot move further.

Exchange Value: 7 points

Fact: These stay on the same square colour!

M is for GENERAL

A combined King-Knight (5 points)

Direction: N, S, E, W, NE, SE, SW, NW, NNE, ENE, ESE, SSE, SSW, WSW, WNW, NNW

Range: 1 for king uses, 2-1 for knight uses

Can jump over other pieces: Only on knight uses

Exchange Value: 5 points

O is for KNIGHT-RIDER

This is a strong 7-point piece. It moves very far on those 2-1 moves, as far as it likes, as long as the squares it attacks do not have any other pieces. EEEEERP! CRASH! Like the Camel Rider, when it could land on an enemy piece, the Knight Rider stops in a dead end of its line and you need to wait another turn to continue. It is blocked if it is a piece on its side.

Direction: NNE, ENE, ESE, SSE, SSW, WSW, WNW, NNW

Range: Repeated 2-1 moves

Can jump over other pieces: Yes, but not over the squares it lands on. Once there is a piece in a square attacked by the KNIGHT-RIDER, the way is blocked. The KNIGHT-RIDER cannot move further.

Exchange Value: 7 points

Actually, the pawn does not get represented by a letter, so P will be vacant.

Note: The 1-Point Queen also occupies the Q in notation. The Q is only used in this piece on custom promotion. Unfortunately, the same letter is used to notate two different-point pieces.

S is for DABBABA

These 1-point pieces jump two squares rookways/orthogonally. But if one of its four directions has a friendly piece on its square that it will land on, it will not move in that direction. If one of its four directions has an enemy piece on it, it must capture it. It can jump over a piece that is next to it, as far as I'm concerned...

Direction: N, S, E, W

Range: 2

Can jump over other pieces: Yes

Exchange Value: 1 point

Fact: These stay on the same square colour!

T is for DABBABA-RIDER

Repeated Dabbaba moves. (4 points)

Direction: N, S, E, W

Range: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12

Can jump over other pieces: Yes, but not over the squares it lands on. Once there is a piece in a square attacked by the DABBABA-RIDER, the way is blocked. The DABBABA-RIDER cannot move further.

Exchange Value: 4 points

Fact: These stay on the same square colour!

U is for XIANGQI HORSE

Okay, since the actual 4PC server is unavailable right now (but it will lead to the Variants site now), I thought it is time to show how the Xiangqi Horse will move:

It moves like a knight but cannot jump over a wall or a piece one square orthogonally/rookways next to it.

This is worth two points.

Direction: NNE, ENE, ESE, SSE, SSW, WSW, WNW, NNW

Range: 3

Can jump over other pieces: Yes but not over a wall/piece that is one square orthogonally next to it

Exchange Value: 2 points

V is for WILDEBEEST

Combining the CAMEL and the Knight will make an (almost) unstoppable 5-point piece...

Direction: NNE, ENE, ESE, SSE, SSW, WSW, WNW, NNW, NNNE, NENE, SESE, SSSE, SSSW, SWSW, NWNW, NNNW, ENNE, EENE, EESE, ESSE, WSSW, WWSW, WWNW, WNNW

Range: 2-1 for Knight uses, 3-1 for Camel uses

Can jump over other pieces: Yes

Exchange Value: 5 points

W is for WAZIR

These pieces are weak. They only move one square orthogonally, and would only give you 1 point if you wanted to capture it.

Direction: N, S, E, W

Range: 1

Can jump over other pieces: No

Exchange Value: 1 point

Fact: These change square colours every move.

These walls don't move actually! Why did I put the wall in there? Should X be vacant? Well, on the FEN4, the notation is X...

Y is for ALIBABA

This 3-point piece is a Dabbaba and an Alfil combined together. Its name is a mix between Alfil and Dabbaba.

Direction: N, S, E, W, NE, SE, SW, NW

Range: 2

Can jump over other pieces: Yes

Exchange Value: 3 points

Fact: These stay on the same square colour!

Z is for ALIBABA-RIDER

This is the last Latin-notated piece in the collection. Next we will meet the Greek-notated pieces. Anyway, this 6-points-of-exchange piece makes repeated Alibaba moves.

Direction: N, S, E, W, NE, SE, SW, NW

Range: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 (Diagonal range ends on 10), 12

Can jump over other pieces: Yes, but not over the squares it lands on. Once there is a piece in a square attacked by the ALIBABA-RIDER, the way is blocked. The ALIBABA-RIDER cannot move further.

Exchange Value: 6 points

Fact: These stay on the same square colour!

And there is only one piece with a Latin Lowercase letter as its notation: the TRANSPARENT BRICK (x) (not necessary because it can't move)

PIECES WITH GREEK NOTATIONS

Those pieces we just looked at have Latin notations. The following pieces have Greek characters for their notations.

Let's start with the UPPERCASE pieces:

The DRAGON BISHOP (Δ)

This is a combined Xiangqi Horse and Bishop. 7 points (5+2) of exchange.

Direction: NE, SE, SW, NW, NNE, ENE, ESE, SSE, SSW, WSW, WNW, NNW

Range: 1-10 (diagonally), or 3 (by Xiangqi Horse)

Can jump over other pieces: Yes but not over a wall/piece that is one square orthogonally next to it (on Xiangqi Horse uses); bishop uses can never jump over a piece

Exchange Value: 7 points

Our new piece: The DUCK (Θ)

This was added to the 4PC because people seemed to have made their avatars the duck from The Duck Song.

The duck has the same function as the brick, only a little cuter. Quack, quack!

However, the duck being a motionless wall doesn't apply in games with the rules "Duck Chess".

In Duck Chess, the duck can move to any empty square on the board. Ducks can never be captured. Everybody has to move the duck after they move.

The duck is on j7 in this little edit of the Variant Castle on a Hill. The duck can move to anywhere marked by the yellow circles as soon as red moves.

Direction: Any

Range: 1-14

Can jump over other pieces: Yes

Exchange Value: -

Now for the lowercase-lettered Greek notations.

THE PAWNS

Now it is time to meet the pawns. They always go forward or on the forward diagonal squares and move one square at a time. On the start, it can move two, it can only capture on one square and all 5 types are worth 1 point. Pawns get promoted at a certain rank (for RED and YELLOW sides) and a certain file (for BLUE and GREEN sides). I can only show you the existing fairy pawns.

I'll give you a clue: If you used the Standard, Classic or Alpha designs, their heads tell which way they would go...

The Berolina (α Alpha)

AKA the REVERSED pawn (former head is upside down), because it moves on the forward diagonals and attacks forward. If there are pieces on its forward diagonals and none on its forward square, the poor Berolina can't move past!

The Soldier (β Beta)

AKA the FORWARD pawn (former head points to top), because it can move and capture on the forward squares only. The warm-coloured sides' soldiers stay on the same file while the cool-coloured sides' soldiers stay on the same rank. Those two happen until they get promoted. Fact: These usually change square colours every move.

The Stone General (γ Gamma)

AKA the DIAGONAL pawn (former head divides in two and point to top diagonals), because it can move and capture on the forward diagonal squares only. Fact: These stay on the same square colour!

NOTE: BE CAREFUL NOT TO CONFUSE THIS WITH THE GENERAL, WHICH HAS A TIP AT THE TOP OF ITS HEAD, AND A LINE AT THE BASE LIKE THE OTHER LARGE PIECES!!! AND DON'T CONFUSE THIS WITH THE SOLDIER, WHICH HAS A "RUFF" BELOW ITS HEAD!!!

The Sergeant (δ Delta)

AKA the SUPER pawn (former head divides to three, big one points to top and the other two point in forward diagonals), because it can move and capture on the forward AND forward diagonal squares.

Those are all the pieces and pawns that I need to teach. So, you are ALL great students! Well done! Remember what their notations are and their moves!

NOTE: You can re-read this forum as many times as you like, but the best way to REALLY know these fairy pieces is not by re-reading this forum. The best way is to PRACTISE with these pieces.

NOTE: To not confuse any of you, I'll put all the pieces in their styles. Here is where each piece is going...

FIGURE 5

FIGURE 6: Left to right: Neo, Standard, Classic, Alpha.

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