Carol Webb's New Chess



Carol Webb who recently instigated the Complexual group has sent through her ideas on a number of possible alternatives for the game. This is the first full schematic for a new game that the project has received.

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Subject: RE: Question to all chess players
Date:Mon, 4 Aug 2003 14:43:56 +0100
From: carol web
Complexual Mailing List

Re:Question to all chess players-
under what conditions could the pawns in this game win?

Hi Ruth

Just thinking out loud here, but as a move towards just one response to your above question… How about the following ideas…:

1)Pawns, while in start position, can take on the attributes of the pieces normally in that place, thus rendering their named status as so-called pawns obsolete.
[this relates to this image]

2)Or, all other pieces on the opposing side have their attributes taken away from them, thus bringing equality to the chessboard and changing the game to
something more like drafts

3)Or, give the pawns rule-creating autonomy, and the ability to think of and create new rules, or to just ignore the rules altogether

4)Or, change the squares on the board to something like a target practice board with a bulls eye and circles around it, so that all pieces intermingle on the outer
edge and cannot proceed towards the target (the next inner circle and ultimately the middle) until every pawn stands next to another type of piece, of another
colour

5)Or, as with number 4, have all pieces start in the centre four circles and move outwards to stand eventually next to each other in ranks of diversity at the edge
of the board.

I like number 5 best so have jotted it down in more detail on attached document – any comments welcome. I will post this to the Complexual games folder as well.

Cheers, C.