Ralf
Hansmann, Arnold J. Krasowsky, Andrey Krasowsky
The
statistical
analysis of the results of the world championship games and other
tournaments
shows that - apart from draws, in roughly two thirds of all games the
white party
wins. The two parties have different chances, depending upon the color
of the
figures. The reason is obviously that the right for the first move
gives the
white player an advantage. The desire to balance the chances of the
players has
led A.J. Krasowsky to the idea of removing the source of the unbalance.
For this we
suggest to change the article 1.1 of the FIDE chess rules from: "The
game
of chess is played between two opponents who move their pieces
alternately on a
square board called a 'chessboard'. The player with the white pieces
commences
the game. A player is said to 'have the move', when his opponent's move
has
been made. "
To the
Synchronous
Chess article 1.1: " The game of chess is played between two opponents.
They move their pieces synchronously, and independent of each other
(i.e.
without previous knowledge of the opponent's simultaneous move).
Thus both
opponents make the decision for their move before revealing the own
move to
their opponent. When both players have decided, which move to make, the
moves
are mutually announced and implemented on the chess board.
Thereafter,
the
next turn of synchronous moves only follows directly, if the conditions
for an
intermediate phase as described below are not given, whereas, when the
corresponding conditions are fulfilled, an intermediate phase for
exchanging
blows takes place, in which the figures that have just been moved can
be
captured, and these hits can be revenged, and so on (see below). In
that latter
case, the next turn of synchronous moves begins after the intermediate
phase
has been finalized.
This
alteration of
the article 1.1 achieves that the theoretical chances of the two
opponents are
theoretically absolutely equal. However further modifications of the
conventional chess rules are necessary to define, a playable and
exciting
synchronous chess game. The board, the figures and their starting
positions, as
well as their fundamental possibilities of movement remain unchanged.
However,
the changed rules constitute a new form of chess
which we
named
"Synchronous Chess", considering the timing of the execution of the
moves and "Just Chess" which considers the balanced chances of
winning.
The authors
specified for this play the following changes as compared to
conventional
chess:
In
the FIDE article 3.1 of the chess rules,
one passage, namely:
"If a piece moves to a square occupied by an opponent's piece the
latter
is captured and removed from the chessboard as part of the same move."
Was amended
in the
Synchronous Chess to: "
"If, in the
two synchronous moves of both players ...
a) ... a
figure moves on a field, which is occupied by
a figure of the opposite color that has not been moved synchronously,
then the
latter figure is captured and removed from the board. As a result, the
hitting
figure occupies the field.
b) ... a
figure moves on a field, which was before the
synchronous moves occupied by a figure of the opposite color, that,
however,
has been synchronously moved from this field on another field, then
both
figures safely reach their new position.
Neither of the two figures is removed from the board. Thus, in
some
cases the synchronous moves can result in a mutual exchange of the
positions of
the two figures that have been moved (This is possible, even if the
ways of their
moves overlap with each other).
c) ... both
moving figures move to one and the same
field, then these figures have both been hit and as a result are
removed from
the board.
After the
synchronous moves of both players, an intermediate phase for capturing
the
moved figures and a corresponding exchange of blows on one or both of
the newly
occupied fields takes place, if
d) ... one or
both
of the moved figures have moved to a field, which was already attacked
(or
protected) by at least one figure of the opponent before the two
synchronous
moves took place. In this case, the respective opponent has the right
to make
an additional move in order to capture the figure that has been moved
to the
field, which was previously attacked (protected) by him. There is
however no
obligation to do so. And to capture the figure is only possible, if the
player
is allowed to make the corresponding move according to the conventional
chess
rules, when applied to the situation that resulted from the two
synchronous moves.
In that case, concerning this field an intermediate phase occurs, in
which the
two players are alternately playing "according to the conventional
chess
rules", whereby however only the capturing of figures on the respective
field is possible. The intermediate phase concerning this field is
terminated,
as soon as one of the two players is no longer able - or considers it
inappropriate - to capture the opponent's figure on that field.
If both
partners
have the right to make an additional move to capture the opponent's
figure on
the newly occupied field, then, they have to make their decisions
concerning
the possible moves independent of each other. The corresponding moves
are thus
executed synchronously on the chess board (and/or not executed, if a
player decides
not to capture the respective figure of the opponent). Accordingly, if
the
intermediate phase for exchanging blows takes place on both fields,
then it is
played synchronously on these two fields, until it is terminated on one
of
them. Subsequently it is played on the other field till it is finished
there,
too. When the intermediate phase for exchanging blows is thus finished,
a new
turn of synchronous moves of the two players begins.
Moreover, the
following rules have been defined for the Synchronous Chess:
A. During an
intermediate phase for the exchange of
blows, which takes place between two regular turns of synchronous
moves, a
figure is only allowed to move once.
A figure, which has just been moved in a regular move is however
also
allowed to move one time during the intermediate phase (if the
conditions as
defined above apply !).
B. The "en
passant" rule does not exist
according to our definition of the Synchronous Chess.
C. The king
is not allowed to move on a field, which
is attacked by a figure of the opponent before the synchronous moves
take
place. Neither is a player allowed to make a move, which would lead to
a
position in which the own king is attacked, assuming that the position
of the
opponent would remain unchanged.
D. If the own
king is attacked (i.e., is in a Check !
- position) at the beginning of the synchronous move, then the king is
obliged
to move to a field which is not attacked beforehand of the execution of
both
synchronous moves. If there exists no possibility to perform such a
move, the
player is checkmate as a result of the previous turn of moves.
From these
rules the following consequences arise:
1.) A
synchronous checkmate position of both players
is possible. In this case, the game is terminated with a draw.
2.) It is
also possible, that a draw results from a
stalemate position of a player.
3. !!!)
Nevertheless, and in contrast to the conventional chess, it is
possible
that a king is captured directly as consequence of the two synchronous
moves.
In this case the corresponding party has lost the game.
E. Finally,
the
Synchronous Chess retains all additional rules of the conventional
chess game
that define a draw (threefold repetition of the exactly same position,
50
consecutive pairs of moves without the movement of any pawn and without
the
capture of any piece etc.).
Playing the game
When played
without formal time constraints, the only thing to be considered is
that the
decisions concerning the moves are made independently and
synchronously. Thus,
both players should covertly note their moves on a sheet of paper, and
subsequently, when both moves have been secretly determined and
documented, the
notes can be uncovered and the corresponding movements can be executed
on the
board. Thereafter, if the corresponding conditions are given, the
intermediate
phase for exchanging blows takes place as described above. Then, the
next turn
of synchronous moves follows.
In the case
of a
game with formal time constraints, of course, for each player, the time
till
the own move has been documented on paper is to be counted,
exclusively.
This text as (word.doc).
Discussion ongoing on www.chessvariants.com