3 <title>Courier Chess</title>
4 <link rel=StyleSheet href="./moves.css" type="text/css">
5 <script type="text/javascript" src="spartan.js"></script>
8 <h1>Courier Chess (a medieval precursor of modern Chess)</h1>
9 <table cellpadding="20"><tr><td>
10 <img src="Courier.png">
12 <h3>Initial setup</h3>
18 d1, d8, i1, i8: Courier (Bishop)
20 b1, b8, k1, k8: Knight
24 g1, g8: Ferz (General)
26 h1, h8: Wazir (Grand Visor)
28 c1, c8, j1, j8: Alfil (Elephant)
34 <h3>Moves at a Glance</h3>
36 <p>Click on a piece below to see its moves</p>
38 <table class="board"><tr><td class="n" id="0x9">
40 </td><td class="n" id="1x9">
42 </td><td class="n" id="2x9">
44 </td><td class="n" id="3x9">
46 </td><td class="n" id="4x9">
48 </td><td class="n" id="5x9">
50 </td><td class="n" id="6x9">
52 </td><td class="n" id="7x9">
54 </td><td class="n" id="8x9">
56 </td><td class="n" id="9x9">
59 <img src="sym/yellow.png">
60 </td><td class="w" rowspan="2" valign="top">
61 <p>Sliding capture or non-capture,<br>can be blocked on any square along the ray</p>
62 </td></tr><tr><td class="n" id="0x8">
64 </td><td class="n" id="1x8">
66 </td><td class="n" id="2x8">
68 </td><td class="n" id="3x8">
70 </td><td class="n" id="4x8">
72 </td><td class="n" id="5x8">
74 </td><td class="n" id="6x8">
76 </td><td class="n" id="7x8">
78 </td><td class="n" id="8x8">
80 </td><td class="n" id="9x8">
82 </td></tr><tr><td class="n" id="0x7">
84 </td><td class="n" id="1x7">
86 </td><td class="n" id="2x7">
88 </td><td class="n" id="3x7">
90 </td><td class="n" id="4x7">
92 </td><td class="n" id="5x7">
94 </td><td class="n" id="6x7">
96 </td><td class="n" id="7x7">
98 </td><td class="n" id="8x7">
100 </td><td class="n" id="9x7">
103 <img src="sym/orange.png">
105 Unblockable leap (capture or non-capture)
106 </td></tr><tr><td class="n" id="0x6">
108 </td><td class="n" id="1x6">
110 </td><td class="n" id="2x6">
112 </td><td class="n" id="3x6">
114 </td><td class="n" id="4x6">
116 </td><td class="n" id="5x6">
118 </td><td class="n" id="6x6">
120 </td><td class="n" id="7x6" onmouseDown="down_click(7,-6)" onmouseUp="up_click()">
121 <img src="sym/WhiteCommoner.png">
122 </td><td class="n" id="8x6">
124 </td><td class="n" id="9x6">
127 <img src="sym/green.png">
130 </td></tr><tr><td class="n" id="0x5">
132 </td><td class="n" id="1x5">
134 </td><td class="n" id="2x5">
136 </td><td class="n" id="3x5" onmouseDown="down_click(3,5)" onmouseUp="up_click()">
138 </td><td class="n" id="4x5" onmouseDown="down_click(4,5)" onmouseUp="up_click()">
139 <img src="sym/WhiteAdvisor.png">
140 </td><td class="n" id="5x5" onmouseDown="down_click(5,5)" onmouseUp="up_click()">
141 <img src="sym/WhiteElephant.png">
142 </td><td class="n" id="6x5" onmouseDown="down_click(6,5)" onmouseUp="up_click()">
143 <img src="sym/WhiteGold.png">
144 </td><td class="n" id="7x5">
146 </td><td class="n" id="8x5">
148 </td><td class="n" id="9x5">
151 <img src="sym/red.png">
154 </td></tr><tr><td class="n" id="0x4">
156 </td><td class="n" id="1x4">
158 </td><td class="n" id="2x4">
160 </td><td class="n" id="3x4" onmouseDown="down_click(3,0)" onmouseUp="up_click()">
162 </td><td class="n" id="4x4" onmouseDown="down_click(4,0)" onmouseUp="up_click()">
164 </td><td class="n" id="5x4" onmouseDown="down_click(5,4)" onmouseUp="up_click()">
166 </td><td class="n" id="6x4" onmouseDown="down_click(6,0)" onmouseUp="up_click()">
168 </td><td class="n" id="7x4">
170 </td><td class="n" id="8x4">
172 </td><td class="n" id="9x4">
174 </td></tr><tr><td class="n" id="0x3">
176 </td><td class="n" id="1x3">
178 </td><td class="n" id="2x3" onmouseDown="down_click(2,3)" onmouseUp="up_click()">
179 <img src="sym/WhitePawn.png">
180 </td><td class="n" id="3x3" onmouseDown="down_click(3,3)" onmouseUp="up_click()">
181 <img src="sym/WhiteRook.png">
182 </td><td class="n" id="4x3" onmouseDown="down_click(4,3)" onmouseUp="up_click()">
183 <img src="sym/WhiteKnight.png">
184 </td><td class="n" id="5x3" onmouseDown="down_click(5,0)" onmouseUp="up_click()">
186 </td><td class="n" id="6x3" onmouseDown="down_click(6,3)" onmouseUp="up_click()">
187 <img src="sym/WhiteBishop.png">
188 </td><td class="n" id="7x3" onmouseDown="down_click(7,3)" onmouseUp="up_click()">
189 <img src="sym/WhiteKing.png">
190 </td><td class="n" id="8x3">
192 </td><td class="n" id="9x3">
194 </td></tr><tr><td class="n" id="0x2">
196 </td><td class="n" id="1x2">
198 </td><td class="n" id="2x2">
200 </td><td class="n" id="3x2">
202 </td><td class="n" id="4x2">
204 </td><td class="n" id="5x2">
206 </td><td class="n" id="6x2">
208 </td><td class="n" id="7x2">
210 </td><td class="n" id="8x2">
212 </td><td class="n" id="9x2">
214 </td></tr><tr><td class="n" id="0x1">
216 </td><td class="n" id="1x1">
218 </td><td class="n" id="2x1" onmouseDown="down_click(-2,1)" onmouseUp="up_click()">
220 </td><td class="n" id="3x1">
222 </td><td class="n" id="4x1">
224 </td><td class="n" id="5x1">
226 </td><td class="n" id="6x1">
228 </td><td class="n" id="7x1">
230 </td><td class="n" id="8x1">
232 </td><td class="n" id="9x1">
234 </td></tr><tr><td class="n" id="0x0">
236 </td><td class="n" id="1x0">
238 </td><td class="n" id="2x0">
240 </td><td class="n" id="3x0">
242 </td><td class="n" id="4x0">
244 </td><td class="n" id="5x0">
246 </td><td class="n" id="6x0">
248 </td><td class="n" id="7x0">
250 </td><td class="n" id="8x0">
252 </td><td class="n" id="9x0">
256 <p id="piece" height="20">:<br>:<br>:<br>:</p>
258 <table cellpadding="5" border="1"><tr><td>
265 Moves (<a href="Betza.html">Betza notation</a>)
277 No castling of any kind
357 Promotes to Ferz on reaching last rank
359 <h3>Pawn peculiarities</h3>
361 <li>Pawns capture differently from how they move (straight move, diagonal capture).</li>
362 <li>There is no initial double-push, and thus no en-passant capture.</li>
363 <li>Pawns promote to Ferz when they reach last rank; there is no choice.</li>
365 <h3>General rules</h3>
367 <li>It is not allowed to expose your King to check.</li>
368 <li>The game is won by checkmating the opponent's King.</li>
369 <li>Stalemate (no legal moves, but not in check) also counts as a loss.</li>
371 <h3>Differences with FIDE</h3>
373 The Commoner (Man) replaces the Queen.
374 The Ferz and Alfil (Elephant) from Shatranj are added, and the board width expanded to accomodate them.
375 The Pawns have no double move.
376 There is no castling.
378 <h3>Strategy issues</h3>
380 It is not possible to force checkmate on a bare King with just a single Bishop or Knight, Ferz or Wazir (in addition to your own King).
381 Two Knights, Ferzes or two Wazirs also cannot do this, and F + W only in rare situations.
382 The Commoner can force checkmate against a bare King.
385 Alfils are not only color bound, but also skip over half the files and ranks.
386 So they can only reach 8 squares, making them next to worthless.
389 Bishops are confined to squares of a single color.
390 Having Bishops on both colors compensates this weakness, and is worth an extra 0.5 on top of their added value.