Chess ice and flame

          This game is called kaivassa. She was brought to the Boardwalk in the Volantine shopping gallery, and orphans carried her up and down the Green Blood. At the Dornish court, everyone was crazy about her ...
          Ten pieces, each of which walks differently, and the board changes with each game, watching how the players mix their squares. 

                                                   George Martin "Vulture Feast" 

Cyvasse- Another game born in a work of art. And as it usually happens, the case again could not do without the participation of an army of fans. Although the author pays great attention to the game (in “Dance with the Dragons,” Tirion Lanister only does what he plays), a detailed description of the rules is still not the work of the author of the work of art. However, the fans "did not rust." There are dozens of different implementations of Kaivassa. Square and hexoganal - there are for every taste! I want to talk about the one that I liked the most.

Most versions of Kaivassa (I won’t say anything, I could have missed something) are the same chess that we have been used to since childhood., only with catapults and dragons. Yes, the pieces move unusually, and you can scatter mountains and ponds along the board with a generous hand, but the principles of the game itself do not change - chess capture and the king to be eaten. Zane Fisher approached the issue more creatively. In my opinion, his version of the game is much deeper in tactical terms. Due to what? Let’s take a look together.


B of lshaya "naturalness" and reasoning - that first caught my eye. See how the "cavalry" bypasses the "mountains". Each figure, in this game, can move no more than a predetermined number of steps and, performing a “silent move”, it can “rotate” as you like, the main thing is not to return to the previously passed cells and not enter the territory occupied by the enemy or “mountains” ". You can go through the cells occupied by your pieces (the exception is the “Elephant”, which cannot go “through” the other pieces), you can’t just complete the move on them.


The capture is carried out only “in a straight line” and, in most cases, according to the “chess principle” - the piece performing the capture takes the place of the taken piece (here again there is an exception - “Catapult”, which I will discuss below). At the same time, you can take far from any figure! Zane introduces the concept of "engagement» ( Engagement ). As well as capture, “engagement” extends in a straight line, to the number of steps individual for each type of figure.

Closely related to the concept of “engagement” is the “armament” of a figure. All figures are divided into light, heavy and not armed. “Militia” ( Rabble ) - a light figure, can’t just attack a heavy one, for example, “Elephant” ( Elephant) In order to attack, he needs to “engage” the target with another light (or heavy) figure. On the other hand, the “Elephant” can easily attack the “Militia” (with the exception of the case when it is in the water). As he alone can "hook" any heavy enemy piece, even the "Dragon" ( Dragon ). Not armed ( unarmored ) figures ( "Crossbowman" and "Catapult") may be taken without the "engagement".


The distance of “engagement” coincides with the maximum distance of the course of the figure only in the simplest cases ( Rabble , Spears and King ). A usual situation is when the distance at which the “engagement” is possible is less than the maximum stroke of the figure ( Light Horse , Heavy Horse , Dragon ). However, there is an exception. Elephant ( Elephant) - a heavy figure moving only one cell per turn, but he can “hook” an enemy figure at a distance of two cells! Moreover, he can eat it by moving on two cells, but only on condition that no obstacles block the path (unlike other figures, the “Elephant” cannot pass through the cells occupied by other figures. All these features make the game even more interesting, in tactical terms. See, for example, the solution to one of the tasks of the textbook :



The distance of the "engagement", for the cavalry - one. In order to take an enemy piece (in the absence of other figures that carry out the “engagement”), you have to come close, but during the battle, there is freedom of choice - stop on the field of the taken piece or move on (like a lady in checkers ). The maximum distance is three steps for Light Horse and two for Heavy Horse . Detailed parameters of all figures can be found in the game manual :

• Rabble (x6) - light armor, movement allowance 1, engagement range 1
• Spears (x3) - light Armor, Movement Allowance 1, Engagement Range 1
• Light Horse (x3) - light Armor, Movement Allowance 3, Engagement Range 1
• Heavy Horse (x2) - heavy armor, Movement Allowance 2, Engagement Range 1
• Elephant (x2) - heavy armor, Movement Allowance 1, Engagement Range 2
• Crossbows (x2) - unarmored, Movement Allowance 2, Engagement Range 3
• Trebuchet (x1) - unarmored, Movement Allowance 1, Engagement Range 4 (min. 2)
• Dragon (x1) - heavy armor, Movement Allowance 4, Engagement Range 2
• Tower (x2) - heavy armor, Movement Allowance 0, Engagement Range 1
• King (x1) - light armor, Movement Allowance 1, Engagement Range 1

There you can find information about the features of each of the figures. Some of these notes are embarrassing. For example, for "crossbowman» ( CROSSBOWS ) reads as follows: " CROSSBOWS CAN not capture ". Why might a figure incapable of taking enemy pieces be needed? Again, the whole thing is “gearing”! Crossbows is an unprotected figure, incapable of close combat, but it can “capture” enemy figures at a great distance. The next task from the tutorial illustrates this. If the “Crossbowman” moves so as to “capture” all targets, the “Horseman” will be able to beat them in three moves:



Another weakly protected ( unarmored ) figure is the Catapult ( Trebuchet ). Everything is in order here with the capture! The figure hits from a distance, from a distance of two to four steps (the Catapult can’t beat the enemy who is located right next to it). The uniqueness of this figure is that after the capture, the “Catapult” continues to remain in the rear. To take the opponent’s piece, it moves one step in the opposite direction (of course, if there is free space there)! This is an important strategic weapon, "Catapult" must be protected in every way!


The “Fortress” ( Tower ) is another very strange figure. She does not move! Absolutely. In general, this is even logical. Where (except for Japanese cartoons ) have you seen moving fortresses? The task of the fortress is protection (and it copes with this task perfectly). A figure located near a friendly fortress cannot be “hooked”. To kill her, you first have to destroy the fortress, and this is not easy. In addition, the "King" ( King ) is able to "jump" through friendly "Fortress", they find themselves on the other side of it in a single turn.


It is worth telling about the two weakest figures, to which the expression “small, but not deleted” is equally suitable. "Spear» ( Spears ) - is, in a sense, an analog chess pawns . It can only go forward and attacks only two fields in front of itself (though at the same time it doesn’t turn into anything). How can such a figure be useful? Of course, she has a secret. Controlled by her two fields (only two), none of the enemy figures can "slip" in one turn. For example, this means that the cavalry cannot attack the “Spearman” from the front, even if he is “hooked” by another figure. First she must come close. Spears is an excellent defensive unit reminiscent of the “Bodyguard” ( Hia ) from the Mongolian game Hiashatar.

With the "Militia" ( Rabble ), things are a little simpler. They can walk (and “beat”) one step, in any direction, like the “King”. The trick is that the player has the right to make two “silent” moves by “Militias” in a row. This is an attacking unit. Having made two “silent” moves, you can create two threats, at different ends of the board. One "Militia" is likely to be eaten, but another can be a breakthrough. I also like this solution madly.


It remains to talk about the terrain. In addition to the figures, “mountains” and “reservoirs” can be located on the board. Everything is clear with the “mountains” - not a single figure can be located “on the mountain” and only the “Dragon” can fly over the mountains. Of course, the "mountains" block the "overview", preventing the "engagement" of enemy figures (I already spoke about the nuance with the "Catapult"). With "reservoirs" everything is more complicated. It is possible to place figures in them, but with the loss of the possibility of “engaging” them with enemy figures. It also adds tactical diversity to the game.


Well, that's all. The game is published , with the kind permission of the author . The interface came out worse than in the original version (for example, “hooks” are not highlighted), but AI works. In any case, the tasks of the textbook are solved "with a bang."



It plays, in principle, also quite sane (especially if the computer is more powerful, but the time for "thinking" is set more.



I really liked the game . In tactical terms, it seemed to me no less complicated than Ko Shogi , comparing favorably with the latter in greater “conciseness” and thoughtfulness. All figures work! And a relatively small board is enough for the game. And I’ll think about how to weaken the "Fortress".