There exists a fantastic yet virtually unknown chess variant called "cylindrical chess", invented (supposedly) by Mikhail Tal. It works just like it sounds: imagine the board being a cylinder instead of a flat square, with "a" and "h" files connected along the seam, so that, for instance, after 1.d4 black can play ..g6+ (with check from the f8 bishop). No chess site features this variant, yet I find it to be superior to many popular quasi chess games. What would it take to introduce it on lichess? Can this site perhaps be the pioneer of Tal's invention?
I play it often in OTB and i really like it :)
wow interesting
castling wont make sense as it was before
castling wont make sense as it was before
Yes, neither will finachetto, since every diagonal is a long diagonal :)
You mean like this?
http://uploads.neatorama.com/images/posts/211/58/58211/1360518475-0.jpg
Or like this?
http://www.chessvariants.org/historic.dir/byzantine.html
http://uploads.neatorama.com/images/posts/211/58/58211/1360518475-0.jpg
Or like this?
http://www.chessvariants.org/historic.dir/byzantine.html
No, the cylinder goes the other way around -- back ranks remain back ranks, h and a files are connected instead. The whole idea is to play it on regular board, all along keeping in mind that the board is a cylinder. Just like HSDSamalama, I play it often OTB with friends. No fancy board required.
In other words, the board (in one's imagination) looks the same as in the first link you posted, but the pieces are set along the edges of the cylinder instead. Get it?
Honestly, no, I don't get it. :P I was thinking it's totally impossible but if you can play it on a regular board (maybe even one of different size), it is a far-off prospect, perhaps.
But I'm still baffled how you play. I think it would be great if you could make, say, a YouTube video explaining how it's played, just as you'd explain to your friends new to the game.
But I'm still baffled how you play. I think it would be great if you could make, say, a YouTube video explaining how it's played, just as you'd explain to your friends new to the game.
Interesting idea. I'll have to find a camera :)
It's really not that complex though -- you play regular chess on a "tubular" board, except that the "cylinder" is not really there -- you simply keep in mind that the board is not flat. So if, for example, you have a knight on h5, it can go not only to f6, g7, f4, and g3, but a3, b4, b6 and a6 as well. That's the only difference between cylindrical and regular chess. The play proceeds as usual.
It's really not that complex though -- you play regular chess on a "tubular" board, except that the "cylinder" is not really there -- you simply keep in mind that the board is not flat. So if, for example, you have a knight on h5, it can go not only to f6, g7, f4, and g3, but a3, b4, b6 and a6 as well. That's the only difference between cylindrical and regular chess. The play proceeds as usual.
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