Help For OmegaChess

Introduction

Welcome to the network OmegaChess server. The rules of OmegaChess are below. The move notation is described on the help page for chess. Other commands are the same for all pbmserv games.

Copyright (c) 1998 Somac, Inc. All rights reserved

The Official OmegaChess Home Page http://www.OmegaChess.com contains a full description of the OmegaChess variant, but here are the highlights...

Omega Chess is played on a 10x10 board with 4 extra squares at the corners. The initial position is shown below.

     W4                                           W3
    +---+                                       +---+    Black 
    |*W*| a   b   c   d   e   f   g   h   i   j |*W*|   
    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
      9 |*C*|*R*|*N*|*B*|*Q*|*K*|*B*|*N*|*R*|*C*| 9
        +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
      8 |*P*|*P*|*P*|*P*|*P*|*P*|*P*|*P*|*P*|*P*| 8
        +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
      7 |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   | 7
        +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
      6 |   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |:::| 6
        +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
      5 |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   | 5
        +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
      4 |   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |:::| 4
        +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
      3 |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   | 3
        +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
      2 |   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |:::| 2
        +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
      1 |:P:| P |:P:| P |:P:| P |:P:| P |:P:| P | 1
        +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
      0 | C |:R:| N |:B:| Q |:K:| B |:N:| R |:C:| 0
    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
    | W | a   b   c   d   e   f   g   h   i   j |:W:|   
    +---+                                       +---+    White 
     W1                                           W2

The two extra pieces are the wizard (W) and the champion (C), which move as follows:

Wizard (W)

Similar to a knight, it can *jump* in an L, but its L is 3x1 wheres a standard knight's L is 2x1.  Additionally, it can move to diagonally adjacent squares.

            +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
            |   |:::| w |:::| w |:::|   |       
            +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
            |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|       
            +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
            | w |:::| w |:::| w |:::| w |       
            +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
            |:::|   |:::| W |:::|   |:::|       
            +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
            | w |:::| w |:::| w |:::| w |
            +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
            |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|       
            +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
            |   |:::| w |:::| w |:::|   |       
            +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    

Champion (C)

The champion can *jump* up to two (2) squares horizontally or vertically, and *exactly* two (2) squares diagonally.

            +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
            |   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |       
            +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
            |:::| c |:::| c |:::| c |:::|       
            +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
            |   |:::|   |:c:|   |:::|   |       
            +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
            |:::| c |:c:| C |:c:| c |:::|       
            +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
            |   |:::|   |:c:|   |:::|   |
            +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
            |:::| c |:::| c |:::| c |:::|       
            +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+    
            |   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |       
            +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 

All other rules are the same as standard chess, except for the addition initial move of pawns. In normal chess, pawns can make an initial move of 2 squares. In Omega Chess, pawns may move up to 3 squares. The En Passant capture has been augmented to allow en passant capture to either vacant square through which the pawn moved.