Help For the Game Of CathedralIntroductionWelcome to the network Cathedral server. The rules of Cathedral are given below. The Cathedral challenge command is described here. Other commands are the same for all pbmserv games. cathedral challenge userid1 userid2 Start a new game between userid1 and userid2 RulesThe official rules can be found on the Cathedral website (http://www.cathedral-game.co.nz/). What follows is a quick summary along with some observations on basic strategy.The fundamental goal of Cathedral is to place all your pieces while making it impossible for your opponent to place his. The Cathedral belongs to neither player and is placed by the first player (light). If a region of squares is completely bounded by your pieces and the wall, the opponent cannot play into this region. Completely bounded means solid not diagonal connections. The Cathedral cannot form part of this boundary. These are the fundamental rules. There is one other important concept. Buildings may be captured. A "captured" building is given back to its owner who then places it again. Practically speaking, however, having to place a building twice is often the difference in the game. Many games have no captures but threatening is strategically important. To capture A building you must surround if completely with buildings of your color (or the wall of the board) and it must not be touching another building of its own color or the cathedral even diagonally. There are two more somewhat obscure rules.
Example of a board.Summary of Cathedral Board It is player1's turn. Light Dark player1 player2 1 CAnF5 2 CSnE8 A B C D E F G H I J _______________________________________ 1 | | 1 | . . . . . . . . . | 2 | | 2 | . . . . . . . . . | 3 | | 3 | . . . . . . . . . | 4 | | 4 | . . . . ___ . . . | 5 | | + | | 5 | . . . ___| |___ . . | 6 | | + + + | | 6 | . . . |___ ___| . . | 7 | | + | | 7 | . . _______| | . . . | 8 | | x x | + | | 8 | . . | ___|___| . . . | 9 | | x | | 9 | . . | |___ . . . . | 10 | | x x | | 10 |___________|_______|___________________| A B C D E F G H I J Available Pieces: Light (player1) TA TA ST ST IN IN BR SQ MA AB IF CS TO AC ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^# ^ ^ # #^ ^ ^ ^ ^ # # ## ## # ## ### ## #^# # ## ## # # # ## ## ## Dark (player2) TA TA ST ST IN IN BR SQ MA AB IF TO AC ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^# ^ ^ # ^ ^ ^ ^ # # ## ## # ## ### ## #^# ## ## # # # ## ## The move syntax is
If player1 should make the following move: 3 TOwG5 this would the result
Summary of Cathedral Board 231 It is player2's turn. Light Dark Player1 Player2 1 CAnF5 2 CSnE8 3 TOwG5 A B C D E F G H I J _______________________________________ 1 | | 1 | . . . . . . . . . | 2 | | 2 | . . . . . . . . . | 3 | | 3 | . . . . . . . . . | 4 | | 4 | . . . . ___ _______ . | 5 | | + | o o | | 5 | . . . ___| |___ |___ | 6 | | + + + | o o | | 6 | . . . |___ ___|___ | | 7 | | + | | o | | 7 | . . _______| | . |___| | 8 | | x x | + | | 8 | . . | ___|___| . . . | 9 | | x | | 9 | . . | |___ . . . . | 10 | | x x | | 10 |___________|_______|___________________| A B C D E F G H I J Available Pieces: Light (player1) TA TA ST ST IN IN BR SQ MA AB IF CS TO AC ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^# ^ ^ # #^ ^ ^ ^ ^ # # ## ## # ## ### ## #^# # ## ## # # # ## ## ## Dark (player2) TA TA ST ST IN IN BR SQ MA AB IF TO AC ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^# ^ ^ # ^ ^ ^ ^ # # ## ## # ## ### ## #^# ## ## # # # ## ##
References and HistoryCathedral was invented by Bob Moore circa 1979. There is a Cathedral homepage containing rules and strategy information.Helpfile courtesy of Lyman Hurd <lhurd@yahoo.com> |