Below, you find the text of the booklet, coming with
Heraldic Chess, as
written by Modest Solans.
Heraldic Chess Games
with
Cards and Dices
To chess lovers,
especially for all who,
although liking chess, never dare play it.
Modest Solans
In bilingual Spanish-English version,
these pages directions for use are a summary of
Chess games with cards and dice,
of various articles published in the magazine Wadi-as
and especially of Battler King and other chess games... (ISBN
84-604-7017-2)
Translation to English: Theresa Liddle
Illustration: Alphonso I the Battler,
statue by Jose Bueno, in Zaragoza.
Printed in Spain
Graficas Zaidin (Granada)
Deposito Legal GR-7-1994
Copyright 1993, by Modest Solans
9, Dr. Oliva Street - 18500 Guadix, Granada, Spain
Under Berne and Universal Copyright Conventions
This
infinite game,
which crosses the history
of humanity illuminating it,
has covered its same path,
from the mists of the myth
to the calculated
loneliness
of computers,
and like Man,
has enjoyed and suffered
reductions and developments,
and also successive rules.
God moves the player, and the player, the piece.
Which god behind God begins the weave?
Jorge Luis Borges
Chess
Right from the start there is a game of possibilities
and probabilities, of good and bad luck,
which appears in every thread of the weave,
thus of all the branches of human activity
War is that which most resembles a card game.
Carl von Clausewitz
Of war (Book I)
Breiskol says that chess and card games correlate.
In his view, the card game retained not more than half
the pieces of the chess game: King, General, Elephant,
Horse, Dromedary, Pawn, converting the Pawns
into single cards consecutively numbered.
Cesare Cantu
Universal History
In favour of
Reunited Chess Games
It is by accident that within
the development of normal chess
our attention has been distracted
by a thousand years,
rather more that sufficient,
away from other varieties of chess.
In times to come, Ordinary Chess
will settle back naturally to its logical place
as a particular kind of chess
in the midst of an infinite number of others.
Thomas Rayner Dawson
The Chess Amateur
Chess, the king of games and, in earlier times, the game of kings, has
gradually, by sheer intellectual prestige, stopped being a game,
especially in the Western world, to be converted into, lets' call it,
something else.
Which, if correctly viewed, deprives de facto the great majority of
people from enjoying one of the great creations of the spirit.
But the question `Shall we have a game of chess?' has hundreds of
replies if one has available all the necessary components.
A few of these replies allow one to enjoy games which are as
entertaining as any other, and of a singular beauty.
In these games and without strategic intelligence having to renounce
from standing solidly on the board the fact that chance, adjustable,
intervenes, endows risk and boldness with wings, two qualities which
are inseparable from any worthwhile game.
Applied Heraldry
Scuta lectissimis coloribus distinguunt
Tacitus
De moribus Germanorum
Heraldry has occasionally been associated with chess, although always
in an ornamental sense, for historical reference or evocation. Here we
propose its use and claim its original functional character a system
of signs in, of insignia; a language, in fact , which is applied to
the individualization, with a new effect, of the pieces of those games
so¸called table games, which simulate or reproduce a strategic combat,
and especially of the most illustrious and most widely¸divulged of
them all, chess, in any of its variant forms, known or yet to be
known, so that the system of signs of the pieces is referred back to
cards (or dice), of which the possession (or position in which they
fall) determines to a greater or lesser degree the way the pieces are
played and their luck on the field.
How to play using cards
All games go by rules which are commonly accepted, rules which may be
varied at any time before beginning the game of course in
accordance with the players.
Moreover, the joining of these two games, cards and chess, both of
which have a great deal of history and variations behind them, allows
such an amount of game modalities that the variations here announced
are merely indicative and are open to changes, as well as any other
possibilities preferred and agreed on.
The standard pack of cards consists of sixty-four playing cards (each
piece is depicted on four cards) and eight jokers for optional use. It
is left to players' decision whether or not to add a second pack. On
the one hand, the increase in the number of cards widens the
uncertainty; on the other hand, it avoids having to shuffle again if
the game is prolonged.
Playing by drawing cards
This is the simplest way to play using cards, and although it may seem
rather uninteresting, it may be useful for learning, for patience, and
also for some games where the player is obliged to move according to
the card drawn.
In each turn, the player draws a card from the pile and has to move
the piece which is represented on it. If he cannot move it or no
longer has that piece, the turn goes to the next player. Castling is
done by the King.
The main inconvenience of this system lies in the fact that in the
first few movements of the game, if it is played starting in the usual
established positions, there are many pieces which remain immobile.
The beginning can be speeded up by agreeing on freedom to position
each piece, or placing all the pawns, or some of them, on the third
line, before starting.
Cards in hand
At the start of the game, the cards are dealt out (a minimum of six
and a maximum of sixteen is recommended per player) and the remaining
cards are left on the table for drawing or, when appropriate, for
replacing the discarded ones.
Having seen which cards he has, the player whose turn it is to start,
decides which piece, of those displayed in the cards he possesses, he
wishes to move. He places the card face upwards on the table, moves
the corresponding piece, draws a card and the turn passes on to the
other player. The latter goes through the same procedure, and so on,
until one of the players manages to achieve the capture or surrender
of the opposing King.
If one of the players does not have in his hand a card which allows
him to move a piece at any point in the game or as a result of
successively losing pieces, he will then put down any card without
moving any piece, draw a card and the turn goes to the other player.
If this happens, and it may do so frequently if the game carries on
for a certain length of time, it is suggested that specific rules be
agreed upon before the game is started, such as discarding and
replacing various cards with or without losing a turn or other rules
which may be agreed upon.
If the cards for drawing run out, they should be shuffled again and
the game continued.
Two moves for each card
Another interesting way of playing chess with cards is exactly the
same as previously explained, except that each card allows the piece
it represents to move twice.
For the first move, the player must place the card of the piece to
move face upward in a predetermined place on the table for each
player, and to make the second move which may by delayed to the
convenience of each player the card must be placed in the area where
both players put their discarded cards. In this variation of the game,
a card would only be drawn when the one previously put down had been
definitely got rid of, that is, after the second movement.
Two other ways of playing are possible and we do not want to be
lengthy stating the possibilities if the game is played as
previously stated but instead of drawing a card when one is discarded,
the cards are only replaced once all of them have been used up.
Other ways of playing are establishing multiple discarding of cards at
any time during the game, by mutual agreement, at the request of one
of the players, with or without losing a turn, etc.
Free strategies
If the players agree to place the pieces on the board after dealing
out the cards, each player can lay out his pieces according to a
strategy based on the cards dealt out to him and every game will be a
different battle even before the first move. Placing the pieces on the
board should be done in turn, if observed by both players, otherwise a
separating board can be placed in between to prevent the players from
seeing each other's deployment (secret movilization).
Compulsory moves and mixed forms
All the mentioned ways of playing, and other possible ones, can be
played establishing every x moves one or various rounds of free play
that is, thinking and playing without needing to have or draw the
card. Also vice versa, playing basically the ordinary way.
It is even more interesting, due to its unforeseeableness, when it is
hazard which, by some means, imposes said obligation; or when it is
the opponent to this end both players have available a quota of
orders per game who compels his adversary to move using a card or
throwing the dice, when appropriate.
A quaint mixed form is one we could call progressive release or
detaching mode. It consists in each piece being played freely from the
moment in which a player possesses one representative card, two or a
number established prior to starting the game. The piece in question
should be marked (or unmarked, if detachable insignia) with for
example unstickable labels or badges of office, in order to show that
it is being played freely.
Another way of playing is the so-called with a combat card. The
chessmen moves freely, but the player has to have the representative
card of that piece in order to be able to take piece. To do this, the
player has to put down the card face¸upwards and take another card
from the pack.
Non-heraldic games with cards or dice
Using ordinary chess sets without individualising we can also be
played with cards or dice: any Pawn card represents any one of the
eight Pawns, a Knight card either of the two Knights, etc. Chess has
been played with dice in a similar way in India from time immemorial.
How to play using dice
Playing with dice implies that chance intervenes to a greater extent
in the game.
The ancient Hindus played a game called Chaturanga (a primitive
variation, or perhaps the original chess) for four players, using
elongated dice to move the pieces.
In the illuminated codex Book of the Chess¹ Games, Dice and Boards
(Seville, 1283), edited by Alphonso X the Wise, the author relates the
use of dice with eight and seven sides to play Grand Chess, similar to
that known as, The Tamburlaine' Chess and Chess of the ten squares,
respectively, so that the play is `amas ayna', which means quicker and
easier.
Now in this game we are not taking about dice with numbers or marks in
the various sides represented in unequal proportion of dice to pieces,
like in the abovementioned game, but instead, we mean dice on whose
sides all the pieces in the game are represented in exact proportion,
individually.
The individualization of the pieces especially by heraldic fields of
one colour, like in this edition and their representation on the
cards, is applicable to the dice, substituting the cards for the faces
of the die, although the limited number of existing regular polyhedron
shapes, five, will condition the possibilities for the ordinary chess
set of sixteen chessmen per side.
We consider that four-sided or tetrahedron dice are of no use here,
since their excessively-angled sides and virtual incapability of
rolling over makes them impractical, as well as the fact that four of
them would be needed.
The complete game of dice is composed therefore of one icosahedron,
two dodecahedrons, three hexahedrons and two octahedrons, thus
enabling the players to practise numerous variations by using
different combinations, as well as mixed forms with or without cards,
with a combat die, intercalating compulsory moves or turns, etc.
(In this second edition: only the three cubic dice).
Some ways of playing
If we decide on the regular icosahedron (twenty-sided solid), we
dispose of twenty triangular faces, which means that once all sixteen
pieces are represented, there are four faces left over which could be
used as jokers which allow the player to move any piece he wishes.
Another possibility consists in using two regular octahedrons, one for
example, for the eight main pieces, and the other for the pawns. Once
the dice have been thrown, the player chooses which one of the two
pieces represented on the dice he wishes to move. Or, if it is agreed
to play two pieces per turn, and both pieces are on the board, then to
move both of them.
The use of two dodecahedrons allows the game to be played as with the
octahedrons, but moreover each dice has four free faces left over,
which can be occupied with jokers, allowing free moves if one or two
jokers turn up on the dice.
On the eighteen faces of the three cubic dice, or hexahedrons, there
is room for the sixteen pieces and two jokers. The way to play is
obviously similar to that mentioned for the octahedrons and
dodecahedrons.
Variations into pieces' way
At midday the King put on is armour
and placed his men in four corps or squadrons,
which contributed to the victory.
Jose Maria Lacarra
Alphonso I the Battler
King Battler
The King Battler moves and takes pieces at any distance diagonally,
vertically or horizontally, that is, in the same way as that of the
Queen from the latter part of the 15th century (until then named
Alfferza: Ancient, Ensign, Standard-bearer, which moved only one
square diagonally).
Obviously, some limitation have to be imposed on this King, so quick
and strong, otherwise he would be practically invulnerable upon the
board.
When checked, the King Battler, on fleeing, he can only move one step
or square in any direction, the same as the Classic King, unless he
decides to take a piece, whether it be the one threatening him or
another one.
In any case, in his following turn in the game, all his strength for
moving and taking is recuperated, unless of course he is checked
again.
Said limitation is unnecessary, optional, playing with cards or dice.
Note also that, when playing chess with cards, the player whose King,
Classic or Battler, has received check, can risking a great deal,
and more so if jokers are being used, or turning his necessity into
boldness sustain the threat speculating on the possibility that it
is a bluff, and that his opposer does not have the card necessary to
carry out the checkmate. It is even possible to win and of course to
lose King against King, face to face.
Manoeuvring Bishops and Rooks
In 1948, Ejnar Kristensen proposed a variation in the Bishop's move,
which consisted in the Bishop being able to move, without taking any
piece, to an adjacent square perpendicularly; this manoeuvre
constitutes the player's move and allows the Bishop to play over all
the diagonals on the board.
We have tested this variation, which is interesting in itself, in
chess with cards and dice, and do not doubt about recommending it,
since the Bishop's game is made much more agile in this way and at the
same time is more powerful.
This manoeuvre without taking can be extended to the Rook, in relation
to the contiguous diagonal squares.
The Pawn's mobility
As for the Pawn, and in order to avoid its being immobilised, we think
it should be allowed to move and take pieces as it does normally and
moreover to move freely to the two squares which at present it can
only occupy by taking a piece. Going a little further, we propose that
the Pawn should move a square in any direction and take pieces
diagonally. If this variation is chosen, its queening on reaching the
8th horizontal line can be left out, since its moves in any direction
allow it to continue playing as such. In the same way, the Pawn's way
two steeps forward in the column is optional at any time from any
square of the first and second lines of his camp, even though he has
been moved previously; likewise it is consequently possible to be
taken en passant by an enemy Pawn in the immediately following move.
Light cavalry
The ever dangerous Knight is converted into a fearsome piece quite
fearsome! if it is agreed to add to its peculiar move that of moving
to any distance, both perpendicularly and diagonally, without taking
or jumping pieces: a true light horse.
And always and always and again
like those heroes of Walhalla
to the board return the chessmen
to revive anew into the battle
Printed in Spain
Graficas Zaidin (Granada)
Deposito Legal GR-7-1994
Copyright 1993, by Modest Solans
9, Dr. Oliva Street - 18500 Guadix, Granada, Spain
Under Berne and Universal Copyright Conventions
Text by Modest Solans. Some errors may be introduced during the conversion
to html-format by Hans Bodlaender.
WWW page created: June 17, 1996.