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(http://www.quadibloc.com/chess/images/5pch.gif)
What notation could describe it?
You hear a lot about intellectual heavyweights playing labyrinthine games of 4D chess. You are not so good, so you think you'll try your hand at 2D chess, and work your way up.
You think so, anyway. Maybe you should make a move.
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PTW. Also, this is a hyperbolic board, I think.
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PTW. Also, this is a hyperbolic board, I think.
You think that this is a "square" board drawn on Gabriel's Horn, a sort of anti-sphere. You aren't sure. You don't have any reference for anything.
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...Huh. I've no idea how the notation for this would even work, so...
Move the King's Pawn two squares forward.
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...Huh. I've no idea how the notation for this would even work, so...
Move the King's Pawn two squares forward.
(https://i.imgur.com/0G5EC95.png)
1a.
You move the pawn in front of the King two squares forward, and ponder notation. You're going to need to become an intellectual who can play chess online without GLORIOUS NOTATION or an intellectual who can make any sort of notation for any sort of situation if you're going to play 4D chess!
(https://i.imgur.com/DhWIB4Y.png)
1b - e.
Black and Red move in concord with you, both making the equivalent of an e4 opener. Blue and Yellow move their kingside knight.
What next?
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Adding the colour as a reference, we should be able to build notation from this. Thus our last move would be 'White e4'. Of course, that means the same square could potentially have four different names, but it's a start.
Anyway, I suggest we move the Queen to 'White g4'.
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Adding the colour as a reference, we should be able to build notation from this. Thus our last move would be 'White e4'. Of course, that means the same square could potentially have four different names, but it's a start.
Anyway, I suggest we move the Queen to 'White g4'.
(https://i.imgur.com/5W529Bv.png)
2a. Q/Wg4
You find a nice notation: just treat the whole thing like a series of seven rank chessboards, with two extra rows. You'll call the leftmost one z, and the rightmost one i. Maybe, just maybe, you could do better. Maybe you can't.
You move your queen to White's g4.
(https://i.imgur.com/gH1tKUU.png)
2b. P/Nd3.
2c. B/Rb5.
2d. N/Yf3.
2e. P/Bb4
Black advances a pawn. Red moves a bishop to what feels like the centre of the world. Yellow moves out a knight, threatening Red -- but that Blue, that Blue threatens you! You and your queen.
Who are these people you're playing against, anyway? And what next?
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QxWh5
Alternative notation: QxBb4
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QxWh5
Alternative notation: QxBb4
+1
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QxWh5
Alternative notation: QxBb4
(https://i.imgur.com/T5zzAx8.png)
3a. QxWh5.
You capture the damned pawn.
(https://i.imgur.com/mgbBNZ1.png)
3b. N/Nc3.
3c. B/Ra6
3d. P/Ye4
3e. P/Bc3
Black opens without opposition. Red has fun with their bishop. Yellow seems like they want to castle. Blue threatens your queen, again.
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It should be noted here that both Black and Blue hold the ability to "snipe" their Queens to either side of our King.
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Okay, question... what pieces does our Queen threaten right now? I need to know more about the way she interacts with the strange shape of the board.
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Hm... Let me see. Looks like we'd swoosh past Red Bishop... wow.
We only threaten three pawns and a knight. Queens are dangerous indeed, but not now. Now, we
BACK IT UP!
Q/Wg4
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Q/Wg4
+1
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PTW. Might participate later.
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It should be noted here that both Black and Blue hold the ability to "snipe" their Queens to either side of our King.
This is true. You wonder what reckless player (or chess intellectual!?) would make such a move, and get their queen captured so quickly? It kind of scares you.
Okay, question... what pieces does our Queen threaten right now? I need to know more about the way she interacts with the strange shape of the board.
(https://i.imgur.com/B5H8i0Y.png)
FIGURE 1.
Your queen. Queens and bishops are unable to travel through the diagonals z3-d7, or i3-e7 to another player's board.
Doing all of this wondering puts you to sleep for a moment. You have a nightmare about one of your nebulous opponents.
(https://i.imgur.com/K3xpHeY.png)
FIGURE 2.
Colours so incoherent, and somebody else dominating the board! It's sickening.
Hm... Let me see. Looks like we'd swoosh past Red Bishop... wow.
We only threaten three pawns and a knight. Queens are dangerous indeed, but not now. Now, we
BACK IT UP!
Q/Wg4
Q/Wg4
+1
(https://i.imgur.com/ykQ4o1q.png)
4a. Q/Wg4.
BACK IT UP BACK IT UP BACK IT UP
You get the hell out of blue hell.
(https://i.imgur.com/KRPKFfw.png)
4b. BxWf1.
4c. P/Rd4.
4d. B/Yg5.
4e. P/Bd4.
You watch in horror as Black curves round the landscape to capture, to consume your bishop. The other players continuing to open feels insignificant.
1 blue disadvantage. 3 white disadvantage.
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P/Wd3
This simultaneously blocks the Black bishop from retreating, gives our Queen side bishop access to move and supports our lone pawn.
That blue bishop can't actually threaten any of our pieces beyond the pawn, which will be protected by the Queen side knight's bishop's pawn.
Edit: Refers to the correct supporting pawn now.
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P/Wd3
This simultaneously blocks the Black bishop from retreating, gives our King side bishop access to move and supports our lone pawn.
That blue bishop can't actually threaten any of our pieces beyond the pawn, which will be protected by the King side knight's pawn.
Clever. +1
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P/Wd3
This simultaneously blocks the Black bishop from retreating, gives our Queen side bishop access to move and supports our lone pawn.
That blue bishop can't actually threaten any of our pieces beyond the pawn, which will be protected by the Queen side knight's bishop's pawn.
Edit: Refers to the correct supporting pawn now.
P/Wd3
This simultaneously blocks the Black bishop from retreating, gives our King side bishop access to move and supports our lone pawn.
That blue bishop can't actually threaten any of our pieces beyond the pawn, which will be protected by the King side knight's pawn.
Clever. +1
That's a stellar move! You're about to do it:
(https://i.imgur.com/LR3wVUD.png)
FIGURE 3.
when the police roll up to the door, and tell you that's illegal. They laugh in your face. "Check yourself before you check yourself." So cruel.
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King captures? If I understand this right.
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It's illegal to make a move that would immediately result in failure? Jeez, what kind of tyrannical hell game is this? I propose that we go play connect 4 instead.
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Yeah, we could just do a King capture. We lose out on castling though. Better than Blavk getting away with it Scot free though
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King captures? If I understand this right.
(https://i.imgur.com/Yj8488Z.png)
5a. KxWf1
You crush the bishop.
It's illegal to make a move that would immediately result in failure? Jeez, what kind of tyrannical hell game is this? I propose that we go play connect 4 instead.
There are no Connect 4D tournaments, sadly.
Yeah, we could just do a King capture. We lose out on castling though. Better than Blavk getting away with it Scot free though
Of course! You can't allow such a slight to blight you without reproach.
(https://i.imgur.com/oZTJIMI.png)
5b. Q/Ng4.
5c. N/Rf3.
5d. P/Yg3.
5e. P/Be3.
Opening, opening, yellow skips a bishop for bishop trade, blue closes it off. Black's queen is out in the open.
What next?
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You're feeling hopeless... maybe you should give up on becoming an excellent 4D chess player? Your aspirations will be spoiled eventually, won't they?
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NWc3
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NWc3
You get tired of chess for a bit. So, you do some work, some exercise. You flitter from cafe to cafe, having conversations. But a Nordic man and an Armenian accost you. "Stop running from chess," they say in unison. You ignore them initially, but really, you want to win at chess. Chess, everywhere and in all dimensions.
(https://i.imgur.com/1m1JHH7.png)
6a. N/Wc3
So, you come back.
(https://i.imgur.com/iGIvJ8n.png)
6b. N/Nd5
6c. Q/Rd3
6d. PxYf4
6e. B/Bd3
You'll always come back.
(also the commie reds play suboptimally but nobody's counting)