Musketeer Chess, How to Play

Each player will play with the usual 16 chess pieces + 2 new pieces, the new pieces are identical for both players. The choice of the new pieces is an agreement: white chooses the first piece and then black chooses the second piece.
There are 10 musketeer pieces: Leopard, Hawk, Chancellor, Archbishop, Elephant, Unicorn, Cannon, Dragon, Fortress and Spider.
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musketeerchess
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Musketeer Chess, How to Play

Post by musketeerchess » Sat Sep 15, 2018 7:17 pm

White & Black battle using a classic chess set. We add 2 new pieces.
First white chooses from 10 possible pieces (Unicorn, Hawk, Leopard, Cannon, Archibishop, Chancellor, Fortress, Dragon, Spider, Elephant).
See the rules for those pieces here:
http://musketeerchess.net/games/muskete ... -short.php

Then it's Blacks turn to choose among the remaining 9 pieces.
First he must pick-up the same piece than the one chosen by White (if he agrees), after that it's his turn to choose the second piece (and white has no other choice than to accept this combination).

Black is the only one that has the right to refuse white's choice of the first piece. In this case, a default combination is chosen. This default combination is currently Leopard & Cannon. But the Tournament Director can change this default combination to any possible combination.

Now the game can begin: The first moves determine the squares where the new pieces will enter the game. Then the game begins.

You'll see that Musketeer Chess resembles to Chess, but with more tactics, new strategies and much much more.
A modern game, with less draws, more spectacle, less opening learning etc. Ideal to make the Chess game retrieve his place as the "King of Games".

TomD
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Joined: Thu Mar 12, 2020 6:33 pm

Re: Musketeer Chess, How to Play

Post by TomD » Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:15 pm

Question: why do the variant pieces begin on the board ahead of the pawns, are then removed, and then re-introduced on the back rank? Is this just symbolic, just to denote that the variant pieces have been chosen? Why not just start behind the back rank?

Also, is there anything deterministic about which of the two variant pieces is played first? It seems the answer is no, it is entirely up to the discretion of the players, but I just want to clarify. Are there strategy considerations with this?

musketeerchess
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Re: Musketeer Chess, How to Play

Post by musketeerchess » Thu Apr 02, 2020 6:55 pm

Hi
The pieces are ahead of the Pawns is just symbolic.

We could have opened another wndow then switch back to the 8x8 board.

The most important thing is the Following:

white choses among 10 possible pieces. He is the side that begins to make the choice.

For example let's say that white choses a Unicorn.

Then Black will have a Unicorn in Hand and it's his trun to chose among the 9 remaining pieces.
For example he choses a Leopard

White will then have a Leopard in Hand also.

After defining the piece combination: Unicorn and Leopard, White will begin chosing the gating square where the first chosen piece will gate = enter the game. In our example it's Unicorn.

Then it's Black's turn

Then White's turn with the second piece (Leopard) and then Black's turn.

The Gating manœuvre is as follows: One of the pieces in first rank move for the first time, we have a vacant square where the new Added pieces will gate. The only pieces that can gate are pieces behind the vacated square.

For example, we want white unicorn to gate on b1 square. Meaning that when the Nb1 moves for the first time, the unicorn will be dropped at the same time in the b1 square. So we will place the Unicorn on a virtual b0 square which means that it's waiting there to be gated on b1 square.

It's like a waiting list in the airport, you gate when a Passenger doesn't show. In our case, you gate when the square is left vacant !!

Please feel free to email me at musketeerchess (a) gmail.com

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