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H. G. Muller
User ID: hgm

Editor, Contributor, Game Inventor, Member

Last Logged on 2025-06-25 00:06:52.

This member's email address is private.

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Comments

@ H. G. Muller — Editor, Contributor, Game Inventor

H. G. Muller wrote on Sun, Jun 15 08:34 PM UTC:

I got an idea for a weird asymmetric variant. Something like:

satellite=main files=9 ranks=8 graphicsDir=/graphics.dir/alfaeriePNG/ promoZone=1 maxPromote=4 promoChoice= symmetry=none squareSize=50 graphicsType=png theme=OS borders=0 firstRank=1 useMarkers=1 holdingsType=0 iron=6 iron=17 baring=2 baring=17 hole::::i1-i8 infantrist::fmWfceF:pawn:a2-h4 morph=///I infantrist::fmWfcF:pawn:h5 drone operator:O:fmW'iifmnD'fcF'fcabF:chinesepawn:,,a7-h7 morph=O/"/"/"/"/"/"/" drone operator:O:vmWfcF':pawn: morph=O/"/"/"/"/"/"/" motor cycle::N:knight:b1,g1 saboteur::mN'cN:knightwazir:,,b8,g8 morph=S/"/"/"/"/"/"/" saboteur::mNcN':knight: morph=S/"/"/"/"/"/"/" cannon::B:bishop:c1,f1 long-range drone::mB'caibB:promotedbishop:,,c8,f8 morph=L/"/"/"/"/"/"/" long-range drone::mBcB':bishop: morph=L/"/"/"/"/"/"/" tank::R:rook:a1,h1 cruise missile::mR'caibR:promotedrook:,,a8,h8 morph=C/"/"/"/"/"/"/" cruise missile::mRcR':rook: morph=C/"/"/"/"/"/"/" bomber::Q:queen:d1 himars::mQ'caibQ:falcon:,,d8 morph=!/!/!/!/H/"/"/" himars::mQcQ':queen: morph=!/!/!/!/H/"/"/" dummy::-::,,i8 president::KisO2:king:e1,,e8

White has the orthodox FIDE pieces, (except that the Pawn has no double move), which are renamed to infantry, motor cycle, cannon, tank and bomber, and has a huge numerical advantage in Pawns. Black, has pieces with stronger move options, but these cannot be exercised every move, but have to recharge. The capture moves of the sliders (long-range drone, cruise missile and himars) have all been changed to rifle captures (i.e. without moving). But when they make a rifle capture, they revert to their normal FIDE counterpart, and only regain the ability to rifle capture after making a non-capturing move. The Himars cannot move to, capture or shoot piece on the enemy half, though.

Drone Operators move as Pawns, but have the choice to execute their capture as rifle capture or normally. When they do make a rifle capture ('used their drone'), they revert to normal Pawns, except that they can also step one square backwards (without capturing). Like with the sliders, a non-capture is then needed to rearm them with a drone.

The Saboteurs always move and capture as Knights, but cannot be captured because they are not recognized as enemies. After making a capture they reveal their true nature, though, and become vulnerable to capture. They only regain their iron status after making a non-capturing move.

The winning condition is also asymmetric: both players can win by checkmating the opponent's president, but black can also win by clearing his own board half of enemy infantrists (determined at the start of his own turn).

🕸Fergus Duniho wrote on Sat, Jun 7 02:44 AM UTC in reply to H. G. Muller from Thu Jun 5 05:38 AM:

Perhaps Fergus knows which license applies to those.

See the Alfaerie page for what David has said on this. Note that the Chess pieces are based on Eric Bentzen's Chess Alpha font. I do not know Eric Bentzen and have never had any contact with him. I do not know if David has. I did find a profile on Chess.com for Eric Bentzen that says he is 70 years old and from Denmark. We have always used these pieces non-commercially, but it looks like Bentzen wants to be paid for commercial uses. See The rights to the Alpha Pieces by Eric Bentzen. All David has said about using the Alfaerie pieces is "You may download and use the Alfaerie graphics if you wish."

Lukas Kollmorgen wrote on Fri, Jun 6 08:49 PM UTC in reply to Lukas Kollmorgen from Thu Jun 5 01:36 PM:

You wouldn't happen to know how I could contact David directly would you? He doesn't seem to have an email listed on his page and hasn't logged in since 2018 according to that. Still waiting on Fergus to get back to me as well, if you have a better way to contact him such as @Fergus or something I would take that as well.

Lukas Kollmorgen wrote on Thu, Jun 5 01:36 PM UTC in reply to H. G. Muller from 05:38 AM:

Thank you for getting back to me. I seemed to be unable to comment on Fergus' page like I did with you for some reason, but I have sent him an email. Regardless, if licensing permits use I'll be sure to credit everyone you have mentioned.

H. G. Muller wrote on Thu, Jun 5 05:38 AM UTC in reply to Lukas Kollmorgen from 03:27 AM:

The alfaerie images on winboard.nl are copies of those on this website (/graphics.dir/svg/alfaerie/*.svg). These are hand-made conversions (mostly by me and Greg Strong) of the gif images here (/graphics.dir/alfaerie*/*.gif, with the first * = 2, 3, 4, 5 or misc). I suppose this makes them inherit the copyrights of the gif pieces, in addition to new copyrights for the conversion. I am not looking for any rights on this, and I suppose others that made conversions neither, so I waive those rights. The gif images were mostly designed by David Howe. Perhaps Fergus knows which license applies to those.

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