ULTIMA CHESS

(from ETEROSCACCO Magazine)

Ultima is a board game of about the same complexity and fascination as chess. In some ways it is fair (though non very clear) to say that it is chess reversed. Part of the 'reverse' is this: In chess, each piece has a different move, but they all capture the same way (with the minor exception of pawn capture en passant). In Ultima the pieces almost all move the same way, but each one caprores differently.
Another reversal, which will only become apparent after one has played for a while, is that control of the chess center is important, while in Ultima the center is hard to occupy successfully, and the pieces tend to gravitate to the edge fo the board.
Ultima pieces are named primarily for their method of capture: P-pawn (also sometimes called bracketer), K-king, W-withdrawer, I-immobilizer, C-coordinator, L-long leaper, X-chameleon (originally designated S, but S is the common European symbol for the chess knight).
In diagrams, the queen symbol is used for the withdrawer, bishop for chameleons, and knights for long leapers. A rook symbol is used for the coordinator, and an inverted rook for the immobilizer. A standard chess set may be used for play, provided the rooks can stand on their heads. The immobilizer is indicated by an upside-down rook.
The initial arrangement is shown in diagram 1. The pieces, unlike those in chess, are arranged in the same order on both ends of the board. For each player, the king and immobilizer are on the left, the withdrawerand coordinator on the right.

Diagram 1

1.Movement

There are three types of movement: The Ultima King moves like the chess king, one square in any direction. The Ultima pawn moves like the chess rook, any number of unobstructed squares horizontally or vertically. All of the remainung pieces move like the chess queen, any number of unobstructed squared horizontally, vertrically, or diagonally.

2.Capture

The King has the chess-type capture (by replacement). An enemy piece sitting next to the king is captured when the king moves to the square the piece occupies. Warning: The king cannot move to a square where he is subject to capture.
If an enemy piece is orthogonally adjacent to a friendly piece of any kind, the enemy piece is captured if a pawn moves to the empty square on the ther side of the enemy piece. In diagram 2, if a pawn arrives at d4 by any of three Bracketer, the piece at c4 is captured. The black pawn does not capture either enemy piece by moving to d4.

Diagram 2

However, the pawn can capture up too three pieces in one move (white pawn in diagram 3 moves c4-f4). A piece moving between an enemy pawn and an enemy piece is not captured. Only when the pawn moves is there a capture.

Diagram 3

The immobilizer does not capture anything, but an enemy piece adjacent to it cannot move for any reason. However, suicide is permitted. If a piece is immobilized it may, as the owning player's move, be removed from the board. This is usually used to open lines of attack upon the immobilizer. The immobilizer affects any enemy pieces next to it, regardless of which piece did the moving. As will appear later, only pawns, leapers, and coordinators may capture immobilizers. If in the capturing process one of these pieces arrives next to the immobilizer, it is not immobilized, because the immobilizer has been captured and is no longer present. If an immobilizer moves adjacent to the enemy immobilizer, both are immobilized.
The coordinator cooperates with the king. If an enemy piece is on the same rank (or file) as the king, it is captured if C moves to any space on the file (rank) of that enemy piece. In diagram 4, any of the three indicated moves captures the enemy piece at c6.

Diagram 4

Fot the mathematically inclined, the coordinator's capture can be described this way: Considering any enemy piece as the center of a coordinate system, when the king is on one axis, the coordinator captures by moving to any point on the other axis. This is the cordinator captures the enemy long leaper by moving to b5 or d5; it captures the enemy withdrawer by moving to f3 or f1; it captures both pieces by moving to f5.

Diagram 5

Coordination is not done by the king. Moving the king to b1, b2, or b3 in diagram 6 d`oes not capture the enemy immobilizer (though it does threaten capture if C can move horizontally). Contrariwise, if the immobilizer moves to a6, it is not captured, either. It does not matter what pieces of either side intervene between the king or the coordinator and the piece being coordinated.

Diagram 6

The long leaper captures a piece by jumping over it, vaguely like a king in checkers, but there may be any number of vacant spaces between the leaper and its victim or between the victim and the space on wich L lands. If there are vacant squares between them, more than one enemy piece (up to three, even) lying in a line with the leaper may be leaped. In diagram 7, the leaper may go to a4, taking the pawn at a5, or to a1 or a2, taking the pawn and the coordinator at a3. It may go to e3, f2 or g1, taking the enemy leaper at d4. It may go to any of c7 through h7, taking the chameleon at b7. The leaper moves like a queen, so it cannot leap over its own pieces. It cannot change direction in mid-leap or leap two adjacent enemy pieces.

Diagramma 7

When the withdrawer is adjacent to an enemy piece, it captures by moving away from that piece to any square along the line determined by the two pieces. In diagram 8, the withdrawer captures the enemy pawn, coordinator, leaper, or chamaleon by moving along paths e7-h4,e7-e1,e7-a3,e7-a7.

Diagram 8

The chameleon is a particularly marvelous conception. In real life, the chameleon is a little lizard which changes its color according to its background. The ultima chameleon captures an enemy piece in the manner in which the enemy piece captures. It brackets a pawn, coordinates a coordinator, leaps a long leaper, withdraws from a withdrawer, and immobilizes an immobilizer. It checks the king by being adjacent to it (and not immobilized). A highly unlikely position can be constructed in wich a chameleon captures seven enemy pieces and immobilizes the enemy immobilizer. The chameleon moves like a queen, but in bracketing an enemy pawn, it must move orthogonally, since that it how a pawn moves. In diagram 9, either chameleon can move to b3, but only the chameleon at e3 would capture the enemy pawn. The chameleon immobilizes the enemy immobilizer, but not other enemy pieces adjacent to it. The chameleon does not capture enemy chameleons, there being no mode of capture to imitate.

Diagram 9

The objective of the game is to checkmate or stalemate the enemy king. The king is checkmated if no legal move can prevent his capture on the opponent's next move. Stalemate results if no legal move of any kind can be made, but the king is not subject to capture on the next move. In chess, stalemate is currently considered a draw, but historically there have been times when the stalemated players lost and other times when he won.
Note that in ultima, unlike in chess, it is possible for one king to checkmate the other by moving next to it while it is immobilized.
Well-played examples of a good, new, complex games are rare, as are truly insightful comments. This score, despite its errors, which might be more helpful than better play, is the best I've seen so far.

John Weight-Paul Yearout

1.b2-b4 f7-f5
2.a2-a5 c7-c5
3.c2-c4 b7-b5
4.Ia1-c3 g7-g5
5.d2-d3 Ih8-f6
6.h2-h4 Lg8-h8
7.Lb1-a1 e7-e5
8.e2-e4 Ke8-f7
Because of the coordinator, the king is more active in ultima than in chess. His objectives are to hide behind the immobilizer, to reach the h-file as a threat against the coordinator at h1, and to hold a central rank against enemy incursion.

9.Kd1-e2 Kf7-g6
10.h4-f4 g5-g4
11.Ke2-f3

This is the reason for white's 10; a coordinator attack against the immobilizer at f6. Getting the immobilizer is worth any piece, but I hesitate most over giving up the coordinator for it.

11. ... h7-h4
12.Xf1-e2

If 12.Kf3:g4 If6-g5, 13.any Kg6-h5 mate.

12. ... If6-g5
13.Kf3-e3 Wd8-b6
14.Xc1-b2 Wb6-c7:a5
15.Lg1-h2 d7-d6
16.Ke3-d4

White's last four moves have been aimed at getting his king to the fifth rank for a coordinator attack on the immobilizer, though a king in the center of the board is more at hazard than along edges.

16. ... Xc8-e6
17.Ch1-g1:g4 Lh8-h5
18.f2-f3

Trading leaper for chameleon is about even, the chameleon being slightly more valuable.

18. ... a7-a6
19.Cg1-h1:h4 Xf8-h6
20.d3-d1 Lb8-a7
21.La1-a5 Wc7-c6
22.La5-d8?

First blunder.
A lone invalider does not stand much of a chance, and a leaper attack rarely works against the immobilizer.

22. ... Ig5-e7
23.f3-f2 Wc6-c7
24.Lh2-g3+ Kg6-h7
25.Ic3-f3 a6-a3
26.If3-g4 c5-d5+

A double check by pawn and leaper to drive the king back.

27.Kd4-e3 Wc7-b6:d8
28.Lg3-h4 Wb6-d4+?

Second blunder.
The expectation was driving the king further back, but...

29.c4-c5! Ie7-g5
30.c5-c4:Wd4 a3-b3:b4

Not pawn-grabbing, but line-opening.

31.c4-b4:b3 La7-a1
32.Ke3-d4

As well as heading for rank 5, this move protects the leaper at h4.
If Ca8-a4:L, Xb2-a2(or a3):C. But the coordinator must be saved to attack the immobilizer.

32. ... La1-c3:Xb2
33.Kd4:Lc3 d6-b6

The idea of this move was to allow the chameleon access to c6 or d6, keeping white's king off rank 5.
However, that king makes an end run instead, and b6 is just in black's way. d6-d7 was preferable.

34.Kc3-b3 d5-d3
35.Xe2-e3 Kh7-g6

Too late! b6-b7, instead.

36.Kb3-a4 d3-a3+
37.Ka4:b5 Ca8-a4:Ig4
38.Ch1-g1:Ig5 Ca4-c2:g2

A gross error! The coordinator is protected by e5 and need not flee from the king.
Lh5-h1:Lh4 gives black material and position. After move 39, the game is even.

39.Cg1-h1:Lh5 Xh6-h3:Lh4
40.Kb5-c5 Xe6-c6+
41.Kc5-c4 Cc2-a4
42.Kc4-b3 Xh3-h8

The chameleon was threatened by the coordinator.

43.Kb3:a3 Ca4-b5
44.Ka3-b3 Cb5-d5
45.Kb3-c4 Cd5-d8
46.Kc4-d4 Kg6-g5
47.Xe3-e2 Cd8-a8
48.b4-a4 Xh8-f8
49.Xe2-g4+ Kg5-f6
50.Kd4-c4 Xf8-h6
51.We1-c3 Ca8-h8

Putting the coordinatoron the opposite side of his king from the opposing king prevents coordinator or chameleon attacks against it.

52.Wc3-d4 e5-a5
53.Kc4-b4 a5-a8
54.d1-d2 Xh6-h3
55.f2-f3 Xh3-f1
56.Kb4-a5 Ch8-h4:f4
57.Xg4-g5+ Kf6-g7
58.Xg5-f4

Unnecessarily fearful. Black will not play Ch4-h5:Xg5 because white's coordinator retakes, a poor trade.
58.Wd4-f6+ would have made life difficult for black's king.

58. ... Kg7-f7
59.Ka5-b4 Ch4-h3:f3
60.e4-e1 Xc6-g2

Coordinators are vulnerable to being bottled up, but this time black can't keep the cork in.

61.Ch1-h2 Xg2-f2
62.Xf4-e5 Kf7-g6
63.Kb4-c3 Ch3-h8
64.Kc3-c2 Xf2-g3
65.Kc2-d3 Kg6-g5

White will not trade coordinator for chameleon.

66.Xe5-e6 Xf1-f4
67.Wd4-f6+ Kg5-g4

Kg5-h6 is a triple fork, but only results in trading chameleon for chameleon or withdrawer.

68.Wf6-f8:f5

Dangerous.
It opens lines for black's coordinator, while wgite's coordinator is constrained by his pawns at e1 and d2.
Black can now drive white's king.

68. ... Xf4-e4+
69.Kd3-c3 Xe4-d4+

A double oversight.
White can capture, but doesn't. Xe4-c4+ was the move.

70.Kc3-b4+ Kg4-h3

Kg4-f3 looks better.
It attacks the withdrawer and threatens a fork at e2.

71.Ch2-e2 Xg3-g3+
72.Kb4-a3+ Kh3-g2

The pawn at b6 protects black's chameleon from coordination.

73.Ce2-e5 Xd4-b4+
74.Ka3-a2+ Kg2-f3

This look bleak for white. Xb4-b3, Ka2-b1, Xc3-c2, Kb1-a1, either X to b2 is mate. And his withdrawer is under attacl, too. The game was now several hours old, so a draw was agreed to, because of 75.Xe6-b3 Ch8-g8:Wf8, 76.d2-d3:Xc3, maintaining material equality. Black can continue Cg8-b8:Xb3, but Ka2-b1 gets the chameleon back. If black chooses to rescue his chameleon at move 75, white's withdrawer also escapes.

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ETEROCHESS (Fabio Forzoni) page

since 24 Gen. 1998; Last Updated: 8 Feb. 1998