Cromwell Chess
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Cromwell Chess (or is that Charles Chess?)
Cromwell (or Charles) chess is a history-themed chess variant based on the English Civil War, thus the name Charles (or Cromwell) chess. It is not intended as an exact representation, but to serve as a simulation of Civil War. It has elements of both FIDE chess and Rifle Chess, as in there are both melee and rifle options.
The board
Cromcharles Chess is played on a standard 8 by 8 board, and all notation is kept the same. The arrangement is as follows: second rank of each player: PPPPPPPP, first rank of each player: WH(B/A)(R/Py)K(B/P)AHW.
The pieces
Charles/Cromwell(K)
The 'royal' piece for both sides. Moves and captures like a king, and can shoot in any direction for one or two squares. Can shoot over their own troops' heads, but not over enemy troops's.
Rupert/Pym(R/Py)
The more powerful 'second in command's of both armies. Rupert moves like a Rook or Bishop, and Pym moves like a Knight or Rook. Rupert can shoot any enemy piece one or two squares adjacent, but to shoot the second square, the intervening square must be empty. Pym can shoot any enemy piece Rookwise like Rupert, but can also shoot any piece one Mao move away, assuming the intervening squares are empty. Rupert and Pym are mortal enemies: any move that allows one to capture or shoot the other is illegal.
Bishop/Abbot(B/A)
These pieces move and capture exactly like FIDE bishops, but can also shoot any piece one or two squares diagonally away (to shoot the second square, the intervening one must be empty, as usual.) Since Cromwell's men are Protestant, they have no bishops, but rather abbots.
Horseman(H)
The movement and capturing movement of both is identical to the FIDE Knight, and can leap over pieces. However, the mere fact that they're on horseback messes up their aim, so they can only shoot one square away from them. For the Royalist horseman, it's one orthogonal square, and for the Roundhead horseman, it's one diagonal square away.
War Machine(W)
Moves exactly like a FIDE Rook. However,they cannot capture by displacement, unlike all the other pieces. Their rifle action is also limited: they cannot fire directly next to them. They can shoot orthogonally any other distance, but cannot fire over any unit's heads (i.e. it shoots the nearest object, and that object alone.)
Pawn(P)
The most numerous piece in the game. Moves one step forward, but does not capture diagonally. To compensate for this, it can move one square to the side in order to maximize its capacity. Can shoot any enemy on a square it can move to. Like its FIDE counterpart, it cannot retreat. Once it reaches the third rank, it can promote to anything excluding Rupert/Pym and Charles/Cromwell.
Object of the game
The object of Charmwell Chess is to 'checkmate' the opposing King/Protector. This is achieved by attacking Charles I or Oliver Cromwell (note: attacking him by rifle or sword is identical, except perhaps in the case of Horsemen) and leaving him no escape squares. Stalemate is achieved when either Charles or Cromwell cannot move without being killed, but is not attacked. In such a case, the player giving stalemate wins.
Why isn't capturing the goal? Simple enough: Cromwell CAPTURED Charles and beheaded him in public. End of story.
