by Cinnabar » Wed Apr 25, 2007 7:30 am
"Very wise. Best to gather information before choosing, hm?" He adjusts a couple of pieces such that they face in the proper direction, or are more neatly aligned within their squares.
"Now, the moves. First: No two pieces may share a square. If a piece moves into a square already occupied by the foe, that foe is slain - or captured, if you prefer. It cannot move into a square occupied by a friend - it is not permitted. Second: Each piece moves in a particular way. The courtiers are simple, as they always move the same way."
He picks up the white king and sets him in the middle of the board. "The king may move one square, in any direction - forward, back, left, right, slantwise like so." The piece is moved to indicate permitted moves. "However! If the king falls, all is lost, so it is not permitted to make a move which places your own king in jeopardy - he may not move to any square where he will be immediately slain by the foe. This includes moving into the square directly next to the opposing king, who will surely leap upon his twin and strike him down." The black king is placed two squares away from the white, and the described sequence of events played out - one king moves next to the other, which immediately moves to take it. "Urk, death, the king is slain, we are defeated." A suitably woeful expression at such abject defeat. "If the king is ever in such a situation where he might be slain on the foe's next turn, he is said to be in check, and you must move to remove him from harm's way at all costs. If you cannot make such a move - if he is beset from every side, and there are no squares which are safe for him, it is checkmate, and you have lost. The king is trapped, and dies like a dog. Such a situation is the ultimate aim for both players - to maneuvre your foe such that his king cannot escape your wrath."
Then the kings are returned to their respective places, and the white queen takes the centre of the board. "Her majesty is more mobile than the king - she may move in a similar manner to her husband, but any number of spaces as long as there is no other piece in the way. This makes her very powerful, and worthy of fear and respect. If she is taken, you lose a valuable piece, but the game continues - only when the king falls is it over."
And so it goes - the pieces' moves explained, with colourful imagery to ensure it sticks in her mind. The bishops with their cunning and slantwise sidling across the board, confined to a single colour each. The knights, the only pieces permitted to bound over intervening chessmen, two squares one way and then one to the side. The rooks, who can charge in a straight line across or along the battlefield, supporting other pieces from across the board. And finally, the pawns.
"The pawn" he explains "is... complicated. Whereas the courtiers move only in one fashion, the pawn has a variety of options depending on his situation. In a normal move, he advances one square, straight ahead. A steady march across the field, directly towards the enemy. There are two exceptions to this: First, if he has not yet moved forward from his starting place, he may dash two squares forward, to draw nearer to the foe. Second, if an enemy piece is in a square on either of his front corners, he may move slantwise to slay them." Pieces laid out to demonstrate such a situation - pawns against pawns for now.
"Imagine he has a broad shield." No need to imagine, for the carven pawns have such things already. "He holds it before him, and can only attack to either side of it, not directly ahead. The best use of this is to set up rows of pawns that protect one another - like so." A diagonal line of pawns in the middle of the board. "This man at the front is protect by his fellow behind him on his left - should he fall, he will certainly be avenged. Likewise, his guardian is protected by the fellow at his left-rear. A nice strong wall, you see? This impedes the foe's advance, and allows the courtiers room to move. Additionally - " he raises a finger to forestall any protest and the complexity of the pawn's allowed moves. "- if a pawn which has not moved tries to cheat death and dash two squares past an enemy pawn, he can be slain for his carelessness - as the pawn moves past, charging across the battlefield, his foe steps into the square behind him and stabs him in the back in passing. Like so."
Another little drama of pieces dancing around one another with a horrible death at the end, then a grin as he sets the board back to its starting layout.
"Clear enough?"
Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis.