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Magnetic Chess

"How to attract your opposite!"

 
Magnetic chess has born in my talks with Claude Chaunier about physics metaphors for chess. When we reach magnetic forces, I came with a nice and simple idea. Attraction and repulsion could be implemented very easily in chess. Why not make a game out of it? Well, I did, and the first result was Magnetic Chess. However, there was other stuff (see especially Anti-Magnetic Chess)

Magnetic Chess

  1. All FIDE rules apply except in the following:
  2. There is no notion of check, checkmate or stalemate. The player capturing the opponent's king wins.
  3. Every piece has a charge generating a magnetic field, except the two kings which have a neutral charge. White pieces are positive, and Black are negative (or vice versa, of course :-)
  4. When a piece is moved to a specific square, their closest neighbours at the same rank and column (not diagonal) are repelled if they have the same charge (hence the same colour), and attracted if they have an opposite charge (hence have different colours). A king isn't repelled or attracted, doesn't repel or attract and has a blocking effect on the magnetic field lines (in the example, the bishop Bd8 is not attracted by the queen because of Kd6).
    5.    Eg,

   8 . . . b . . . .       . . . b . . . .
   7 . . . . . . . .       . . . . . . . .
   6 . . . K . . . .  Qd5  . . . K . . . .
   5 q . R . . r P .   =>  q R . Q r . P .
   4 . . . Q . . . .       . . . b . . . .
   3 . . . . . . . .       . . . . . . . .
   2 . . . b . . . .       . . . . . . . .
   1 . . . . . . . .       . . . . . . . .
     a b c d e f g h       a b c d e f g h
  5. There is no en-passant rule.
  6. In castling, the changes are made by the rook movement.
  7. A white pawn in the 1st or 2nd rank, or a black pawn in the 7th or 8th rank, can move 2 squares ahead, even if it has already been played before.

    8. note: To be precise: pawns are also considered to be pieces, and the effects apply to pawns as to the other types of pieces.

     

Sample Games
 
see also: Four other games of Magnetic Chess 

   Magnetic 1: Joao - Claude
    1. d4  Nf6 2. Bg5 Ne4 3. g4  Bxg4 4. Qxg4 f5! 5. Qf3 Nxh1 6. Qxh1 Nc6
    7. Nf3 Qa5+ (* 7. Bxf4? then 7. ...Qd7! promoting pawn at d1 *)
    8. Nd2 Nxd4+ 9. Rb1 Nxf3+ 10. Qh3 Qxa2 11. Rc1 Qxb2 12. cxd8=Q+ Kxd8
   13. Rd1+ Qxe5 14. Rd3 Rg8=Q+ 15. Bg6 Rxg6+ 0-1
   
   r . p k p b . .
   p p . O . . . p
   . . . . . . r O
   . . . . q . . .
   . . . . N . . p
   O . . R n . . Q
   . . . . . . . .
   . . . . K . q .
   
   Magnetic 2: Claude - Joao
    1. Nf3  Nf6 2. Nc3  e5 3. Bxc4 Ng4 4. Qxg4 h5 5. exf5 gxh4 6. Qg6+ Ke7
    7. Qf7+ Kd6 8. Nb5+ Kc6 9. Qd5+ Kd7 10. Qe6+ Kc6 11. Bd5+ Kxb5 12. a4+ Ka6
   13. g2  Qe7 14. Bc4+ Ka7 15. Qxe7+ Bxe7 16. Rg1=Q exd=Q+ 17. Kxd1 Rxg8
   18. Bxg8 Bh4 (better than 18.Rxe7+Nd7 Rxd7+d5 Rxd5Rg1+ Ke2Re8+ Kf2Rxc1 ?)
   19. Rg4  Bg3 (* After the next moves, White position becomes desperate *)
   20. Rg7+ Kb8 (* Then 21. fxg6?? f5=Q++! and 21. Rxg6? b5! *)
   21. c3  Bxf5=Q++ (* What could have played White anyway? *) 0-1
   
   r k . . . n B .
   . . . . . . R .
   . p . p . . . .
   p . . . . b . .
   O p b . . . . .
   . . O . . . . O
   . . . O . . . .
   R O B K . q . .
   
   Magnetic 3: Joao - Claude
    1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 Na6 3. h4 Ng3 (* 3. Bxc4?Bxg1 Rxg1Qh4 Kf1Be7=Q Kg2Qg3 
       Kh1Qgg1 Nxg1Qxd1 -+ *) 4. Ng5 Qe7 5. Qxe2 Qxe2 6. Bxe2 gxf4 
    7. Bxg4 hxg6 8. d3Q+ Kf7 9. Qf6+ Ke8 10. Bd2Q+ Nd4 11. Qdd8++ 1-0
   
    r . b Q k b p r
    p p p n . . . .
    . . . . . Q p . 
    . . . . O p . . 
    p . . . O . . . 
    . . . B . . . .
    . O O . . . . O  
    R . B . K . N R
   
   Magnetic 4: Claude - Joao
    1. Nf3  h5 2. Nd4  e5 3. dxe3 Nf6 4. c3  Rg8 5. Qa4+ Ke7  
       (* 5... Kf7 Qd7+ *) 6. Bd2  gxf2+! 7. Kxf2 Bxd7 8. Qb3  Be6  
       (* 8. Qc2=Q e3+ *) 9. fxe4 dxe3+ 10. Qxe3 Bg3+ 11. Qe3  Bd5 
   12. Bb4+! Ke8 13. Bxb5+ 0-1
   
    r . . q k b r .
    p . . . . . . .
    . n . . O . . n 
    p B b . . . . p 
    . . . . . . . O 
    . B . . Q . . O
    O O . . . K O .
    R N . . . . . R
   
   Magnetic 5: Joao - Claude
    1. e4 Qf6 2. Nf3 Ba3?! 3. bxa3 Ne7 4. c3 Nxf5 5. 0-0 Ne3 6. dxe3 Qxa1 
    7. Qd6 Nc6 8. Nd2 Qxa2 9. Nc4 Qxb3 10. Ne5 Qc3 11. Qxd5 gxh2+ 
   12. Kh1 Qxh3?? 13. Qxf7+ Bf5 14. Qf7++  1-0
   
   r . . . k . . r
   . p O . . Q p p
   . p . p . b . .
   p . . . . . N .
   . . . . . R . B
   . . . . . . O q
   . . B O . . . p
   . . . . O . . K

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Gravity Chess

  1. The Magnetic Chess rules apply, except in the following.
  2. The friendly pieces are attracted like the enemy pieces.

     

Sample Games 

   Gravity 1: Joao - Claude
    1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 Ng4 3. Qd2 Na6 4. fg5 e5 5. Nh4 Nxf2 6. Qxf2 Bb4+
    7. Bd2 Qxg5 8. Nxf3 Qxd5+! 9. Nd2 Rxh1+ 10. Ng1 fxg3+ 11. Qf1 Qxg2 
   12. e3 0-1

    r . b . k . . .
    p . p . . p . .
    n . . . . . . . 
    . . p . . . . . 
    . b O . p . O .
    . O . B O p . .
    . . . N . O q .
    R . . . K Q r .

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Anti-gravity Chess

  1. The Magnetic Chess rules apply, except in the following.
  2. The enemy pieces are repelled like the friend pieces.
  3. KO rule: No position can be repeated.

     

Sample Games 

   Anti-Gravity 1: Joao - Claude
   
    1. h4 Nh6  2. Nc3 c5  3. h4 Nc6  4. e4 Qc7  5. d4 Bxg4  6. g3 Qa5  
    7. Qd2  Nxc2+ (c8=Q)  8. Kd1 Qe1+  9. Kxc2 Rxc8+  10. Kd3 Qd1+  0-1
   
   . . r p k b p r
   p p . . p p b p 
   . . . . . . . n
   . . . . . . . .
   p . . . . . . O
   N . . K . . O .
   O O . . . . Q O
   R B . q . B N R

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Anti-magnetic Chess

  1. The Magnetic Chess rules apply, except in the following.
  2. The friend pieces are attracted while the enemy pieces are repelled.

     

Sample Games 

   Anti-Magnetic 1: Joao - Claude
   
    1. c4 d5  2. cxd5  Qxd5  3. f4    Bh3  4. Nxh3  Qxg2  5. Rg1  Qh4+ 
    6. Nf2 Qh2  7. Bxf7+ Ke7  8. Nxg8+ Rxg8  9. Bf6+  Bh6 10. Rf1  Rxg2
   11. Bxb7 cxb6 12. Bxa8  Bxa8 13. Qb3   Rxf2 14. Qb4+  Kd8 15. 0-0-0 Rf4  
   (* Rf2Qh1+ Rf1Qf1 Kf1h1=Q+ Kf2Qa1 Na1h1=Q seems -+ *) 16. Nd4 a5
   17. Qg8+ Kc7 18. Nf3   b4+ 19. Qxc4+ bxc4 20. Nxh2  bxa3 21. Kc2 Bb7
   22. Re8  h6 23. Rg8  1-0

   n . . . . . R .
   . b k p . . O .
   . . . . . . . p
   . . . . . . . .
   p . p . . . . .
   p . . . . . . O
   . . K . . . . N
   O . . R . . . .
Anti-Magnetic 2:   Joao - Bill Taylor

1.c4 +  c5 +    2. g3 ++  Bxf3 +-  3. exf3 +-  f5 ++   4. b4 +  Nc6 +-
5.Bc4 +- Nf6 +  6. d3 ++  Nb6 +    7. 0-0 +    Bxg2 -- 8. Kxg2  Nxc4 --
9.dxc4 ++ hxg6  10. b5 +-  Ne4   11. Qc2 ++   Rh4+-  12. Rf3 - Rh6
13.Rg3 +- Ne6 + 14. h3 -  Qc7+   15. Nd5 ++--  Qa5+  16. Qg6 +- (ch) f7
17. N:f6 +-- (double ch)  e:f6 ++--    18. Q:f6 +-- (ch)  Kd7
19. Qe6 + (ch)  Kc7  20. Qd6 (ch) Kc8  21. Q:f8 +  Qa1+  22. Q:d8+ (ch)
K:d8  23. f8=Q (ch)  RESIGN  1-0

   . p . k . Q p r
   . p . O . . . .
   . n . . . . . .
   . . O . R . R p
   . . O . . . . .
   . . O . . . . O
   r O . . . . K .
   q . . . . . . .

--
Anti-Magnetic 3:   Bill Taylor - Joao

1. b4+    f5+     2. c4+    B:c3--  3. d:c3++  g6+      4. f4++-   c6++-
5. g4+-   b5+     6. h4+    e5+-    7. e4++-   d:e4+--  8. Bxe4++- d5+-
9. g5+-   d5++-  10. Bd3+   c4+-   11. Be2     f6+-    12. gxf6+-  N:f6+-
13 N:f6+- e:f6+- 14. Bh5    Ke7    15. Rf3+-   f6      16. Rb1-    Rg8+
17 Kf1    Qe5-   18. Re3+-  f5++   19. Bf3     e4++    20. d3+-    Qh2-
21 a4-    d6+    22. B:a8-- Rg8    23. Rxe6++- K:e6    24. Bd5+-   K:d5
25 Ne3+   resign  1-0
. . . . . . r .
. . b . . . . p
p . . . . O . .
p p . k . p . .
O . . O O . . p
. . . . N . . .
. . . Q . O . q
. R O . . K . .

Anti-Magnetic 4:   Ben Good - Joao 

 
1.b4+ f5+ 2.c3+ g5+ 3.Bxf5+-- c6++- 4.Bd3+ Bh6+ 5.e3 e6++-  
6.Ne4++- Nxe4+--- 7.Bxe4+++-  O-O+- 8.Qc2+- Rf6++ 9.f3+- Bxe4+--  
10.Qxe4++- Qg6+ 11.Qxe7+-  Nc6 12.Qc5+ Bxe6+ 13.Qxc7+ Nc4-  
14.Qxb7+ axb7-- 15.Qxa8+ Qb1+ 16.Qc6- Nb3- 17.Ke2 Nc1- 18.resign  

. . Q . . r k .
R . . . . . . p
. . . O b p . .
. . . . . . . p
. . . . . . . O
. . . . . . . O
. p . O K B O O
. q n . . . N R

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Generalization Of Mag, Grav, Anti-grav And Anti-mag

Let's introduce the following notation:

xOy
( x,y belongs to {b,w} and O belongs to {R,A,N} ) means a piece of colour x (b=black, w=white) operates (R=repels, A=attracts or N=don't interfere) with piece of colour y at the same row or column where it moves to (like in the above games)

eg, bRb means a black piece repels a black piece (like in Magnetic)

We can define these 4 games in the following way:

Magnetic:
wRw wAb bAw bRb, or shortly, RAAR
Anti-Mag:
ARRA
Gravity:
AAAA
Anti-Grav:
RRRR
Normal Chess:
NNNN, ...

This leads to other games, in fact, to 3x3x3x3=81 different variants.

Other features may be needed to make these games more playable (like the KO rule in Anti-Grav).

Several variants can be created using this notation:

For each move, the player decides what rule he will apply
For each move, the player decides what rule the opponent will apply
The type of rule is cyclic for each pair of moves. Eg, AAAA -> ARRA -> RRRR -> RAAR -> AAAA -> ... (Hmmm... How many different cicles are possible?)
The rule is decided for each pair of moves in a random way (Ups! A non perfect information game!)

We can extend the notation, giving effect to the square that was left by the piece. So now, a game is defined by 8 values, eg, Magnetic = NNNN/ARRA ARRA/RAAR is a game that is anti-magnetic in the destiny square and it is magnetic in the origin square.

There is also the need to introduce a rule to define where the pieces that are affected by both squares go (eg, player choice).

We can also let the charge of the interacting pieces change in some way. Eg, RAAR if the next left piece has the same color, ARRA otherwise...
 

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