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Help For Accasta
Introduction
Welcome to the network Accasta server. The rules of Accasta and the notation standard are below. The commands are the same for all pbmserv games.For more information please refer to Dieter Stein's Accasta site www.accasta.com.
Rules of Accasta
Copyright (c) Dieter Stein
accatastare (ital.) stack, pile up
Pieces and Stacks
Every player is provided with 20 pieces of different values.
There are three different pieces: shields (S), horses (H), and chariots (C).
Pieces can be stacked. The top piece of a stack determines its owner.
Shield
Each player has nine shields. Shields move one cell in any of the six directions.
1 2 3 4
-/- -/- -/- -/-
g -- . . . . 5
--- --- --- /
f -- . . . . . 6
--- --- /
e -- . . . . . . 7
/
d -- . . . X X . .
\
c -- . . X S X . 7
--- --- \
b -- . . X X . 6
--- --- --- \
a -- . . . . 5
-\- -\- -\- -\-
1 2 3 4
Horse
Each player has seven horses. Horses move one or two cells in any of the six directions. The move must be straight. Jumping over an occupied cell is not allowed.
1 2 3 4
-/- -/- -/- -/-
g -- . . . . 5
--- --- --- /
f -- . . . . . 6
--- --- /
e -- . . X . X . 7
/
d -- . . . X X . .
\
c -- . X X H X X 7
--- --- \
b -- . . X X . 6
--- --- --- \
a -- . X . X 5
-\- -\- -\- -\-
1 2 3 4
Chariot
Each player has four chariots. Chariots move one, two, or three cells in any of the six directions. The move must be straight. Jumping over an occupied cell is not allowed.
1 2 3 4
-/- -/- -/- -/-
g -- . . . . 5
--- --- --- /
f -- . X . . X 6
--- --- /
e -- . . X . X . 7
/
d -- . . . X X . .
\
c -- X X X C X X 7
--- --- \
b -- . . X X . 6
--- --- --- \
a -- . X . X 5
-\- -\- -\- -\-
1 2 3 4
Initial Setup
This diagram shows the initial setup of the stacked pieces on the board as well as the system of coordinates.
Black
1 2 3 4
-/- -/- -/- -/-
g -- shc shc shc shc 5
--- --- --- /
f -- . sh sh sh . 6
--- --- /
e -- . . s s . . 7
/
d -- . . . . . . .
\
c -- . . S S . . 7
--- --- \
b -- . SH SH SH . 6
--- --- --- \
a -- SHC SHC SHC SHC 5
-\- -\- -\- -\-
1 2 3 4
White
The horizontal lines go from a to g, and the numbered lines are bent over the line d. This conforms to the symmetrical aspect of the board where White initally places his stacks on one side and Black on the opposite side.
The underlined (and in the beginning occupied) cells on both sides are called the players' castles.
Object
If a player succeeds in placing at least three of his own stacks in the opponent's castle he wins the game.
Moving the Pieces
Pieces are moved from cell to cell individually or together with pieces underneath. A player can split a stack top down in any combination. The top piece of the moving part of a stack determines the possible range.
For example: Chariots can carry other pieces underneath up to three cells. Shields, on the other hand, can carry horses or chariots only to an adjacent cell.
The target cell of a move can be empty or occupied by one's own or an enemy stack (or single piece). The arriving pieces are always placed on top of the target stack. Pieces are never removed from board.
However, stacking is only allowed if there are not more than three pieces of a color in the resulting stack. Please note, that this refers to joining a friendly stack as well as capturing an enemy stack! See the following diagram:
1 2 3 4
--/-- --/-- --/-- --/--
g -- . . . . 5
----- ----- ----- /
f -- . HHs . . . 6
----- ----- /
e -- . . . . SsSHh . 7
/
d -- . . . . . . .
\
c -- . . . SHC . . 7
----- ----- \
b -- . . . . . 6
----- ----- ----- \
a -- . . . . 5
--\-- --\-- --\-- --\--
1 2 3 4
The black stack at f2 can be captured only by the chariot at c4 alone.
Moving with horse or with shield would result in a stack with four or five
white pieces, respectively. The stack at e5 cannot be captured at all; there
are already three white pieces there.
Stacks which contain three captured pieces are invulnerable, until they are split again. They are called safe stacks.
Safe stacks are the tactically most important aspect of Accasta.
Multiple Moves
In case a player does not move all pieces of a stack, he is allowed to immediately move pieces of the original stack underneath as well.
1 2 3 4
--/-- --/-- --/-- --/--
g -- . . . . 5
----- ----- ----- /
f -- . X . . . 6
----- ----- /
e -- . . . . . . 7
/
d -- . . . X . . .
\
c -- . X * SsHC . . 7
----- ----- \
b -- . . . . . 6
----- ----- ----- \
a -- . . . . 5
--\-- --\-- --\-- --\--
1 2 3 4
The stack at c4 can make three submoves: Chariot moves singly to f2, horse with captured
shield to c2, and finally, white shield to d4. If the chariot first moved
to c3 (marked with *), then the horse could not reach c2 any longer, because leaping over
another piece is never allowed.
Release
An enemy piece can be set free when splitting a stack. However, this is not allowed inside one's own castle. A release completes the current move of a player.
Winning a Game
Players try to place at least three of one's own stacks inside the opponent's castle.
1 2 3 4
-/- -/- -/- -/-
g -- . . shS . 5
--- --- --- /
f -- . SH . . . 6
--- --- /
e -- . . S . . . 7
/
d -- . . . . . . .
\
c -- . . . . . . 7
--- --- \
b -- . . . . . 6
--- --- --- \
a -- . . . . 5
-\- -\- -\- -\-
1 2 3 4
White wins with his stacks at e3, f2, and g3.
It is also possible (although most unlikely) to win a game by capturing all pieces of the opponent before occupying his castle.
Notation
Shields, horses, and chariots are displayed as S, H, and C, respectively. The move types are displayed as - (minus, for moving), + (plus, for joining), and x (for capturing).
First of all, the origin cell is written, followed by a colon, like:
a1:
Then the submove(s) follow, separated by commas. Each submove is displayed as
pieces movetype targetcell. One's own pieces are written upper case, enemy (i.e.
captured) pieces lower case.
1 a1:C-d1,H-b1,S+b1 2 g1:CHxd1 3 ... 4 d1:CHc-e1;
Pieces can be omitted, this means that the whole (remaining) stack is moving:
a1:C-d1,H-b1,+b1 or, another example: a1:-d1
Short Form
However, all punctuation is optional, so the long form notation
a1:C-d1,H-b1,+b1 can be reduced to a1Cd1Hb1b1,
which is still unambiguous but not very readable.
See e.g.: c1Ccc4 (c1:Cc-c4)
