Echidna Chess

invented and implemented by Mats Winther February 2007.

See also my homepage.

The Echidna moves like a king, one step in any direction, but it cannot capture directly. Instead the Echidna has the power to repulse any piece (friend or foe, including pawns) that is being approached, provided that any intervening squares are empty. The piece is repulsed to the square immediately beyond the next piece, thus causing the startled piece to jump beyond a screen in sheer fright. An enemy piece positioned here would be captured. If there is no screen, or the square behind the screen is occupied by a friendly piece, then no repulsion occurs. In case of an enemy pawn, it cannot be pushed back to the first rank, that is, the second rank is the limit. The enemy pawn can be pushed to its promotion square, whereby it is promoted to a queen, as only option. A friendly pawn, pushed to the last rank, can promote as usual. Other rules are the same as in standard chess, except for the possible promotion to Echidna. The Echidna's value is 3, that is, the same as a bishop or knight (preliminary estimate). Despite its low value the Echidna has capacities that borders on the magical.

Echidna Chess can also be played with Kwaggas instead of knights. The Kwagga moves like an extended knight, three squares orthogonally plus one step to the side. It can multiply this jump in the same direction. This means that the Kwagga moves like a Camelrider. However, unlike the Camelrider, the Kwagga can only capture on the first jump, and the next square must be empty. The Kwagga is as valuable as a bishop (my estimate).

Echidna: 1  (Greek: “Snake”), monster of Greek mythology, half-woman, half-serpent. Her parents were either the sea deities Phorcys and Ceto or Chrysaor, the monstrous son of Medusa, and Callirrhoë, the daughter of Oceanus. Among Echidna's progeny, by the 100-headed Typhon, were Ladon (the dragon who protected the Golden Apples of the Hesperides), the dragon who protected the Golden Fleece, the Hydra, the goatlike Chimera, and the infernal hounds Orthus and Cerberus. The Sphinx and the Nemean lion, both sired by Orthus, were also among her offspring.
2   an oviparous spiny-coated toothless burrowing nocturnal monotreme mammal (Tachyglossus aculeatus) of Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea that has a long extensile tongue and long heavy claws and that feeds chiefly on ants.

Kwagga (quagga): a mammal (Equus quagga), now extinct, of southern Africa related to the zebras. In the kwagga, the striping was confined to the head, neck, and forequarters, the back being solid brown. Echidna chess, and the new Echidna piece, were invented by undersigned, February 2007. The Kwagga was invented for my Bodyguard Chess.


Strategy

Try to use the Echidna to dislocate enemy pieces, rendering them useless for the moment, and to transport friendly pieces to better positions. Also try to repulse important enemy pawns from strong positions in the centre. The Echidna can cause a friendly pawn to jump over the enemy pawn chain, thus creating a passed pawn. It can also repair a disrupted pawn chain.

The Kwagga's properties are very special. Like the bishop it always moves on the same square colour. On this board it can maximally make two jumps in the same direction. Thanks to its long leaps it can make threats behind the enemy lines. It can be a very irritating piece. It is much stronger and maneuverable than a Camel, and, since it cannot capture on the second leg, it is less brutal than a Camelrider. These properties make it an accessible piece, and its movement is not overly hard to calculate. It seems like its value is on a par with the bishop, regardless of board size.

To play you must have installed "Zillions of Games". Either double-click on EchidnaChess.zrf or
1. Run "Zillions of Games"
2. Choose "Open Game Rules..." from the File menu
3. Select "EchidnaChess.zrf" in the Open dialog and click "Open"
EchidnaChess.zrf is a rules file used by the Windows program "Zillions of Games". Zillions of Games allows you to play any number of games against the computer or over the Internet. Zillions of Games can be purchased online. For more information please visit the Zillions of Games website www.zillions-of-games.com