It was March 1, 2019. FIDE was at it again, spinning off yet another subsidiary organization to establish rules for yet another chess variant.
Harriet Honduras: Ladies and Gentlemen, we have all heard of No-Draw Chess, a FIDE variant in which draws are not possible. FIDE assembled a seven-member panel, FIDNDC, to work out the details. You can view the results of their work here and here. Now, FIDE has another idea. It’s called Powerful Monarch Chess. A new panel, the FIDPMC, is charged with spelling out the details and smoothing over any wrinkles. All of us in this room today have the honor of constituting the FIDMPC and formulating the rules.
Indira India: Does Powerful Monarch Chess have anything to do with No-Draw Chess?
Harriet: No. We will not be using No-Draw rules in our new variant here. The idea for Powerful Monarch Chess comes from a Life Master in the Cayvman Islands. The basic concept is that a defended king is allowed to give check (or, for that matter, checkmate).
Johnny Japan: Hmm, sounds interesting. If the king truly becomes a “fighting piece”, I’ll bet that a lot of drawn positions in regular chess will become decisive in Powerful Monarch Chess.
Kenneth Kenya: So, what’s the rule, exactly? A player may move his king next to the opponent’s king, provided that the player’s king, on its new square, is defended by one of the player’s pieces?
Harriet: Correct. And that will check the opponent’s king. The opponent must get out of check, but cannot play king takes king, because the first player’s king is defended.
Linda Latvia: Let’s see, the usual ways of getting out of check are moving the king, interposing, or capturing the checking piece. In this case, the latter two are not possible, because there is no room to interpose, and you can’t capture the defended king.
Molly Mexico: It’s important to note, I suppose, that although you can check the opponent’s king with your own king if yours is defended, you cannot leave your own king in check from any opponent’s piece other than his king, even if your own king is defended.
Nathaniel Netherlands: Makes sense, yes. But isn’t there another way the opponent can get out of check from your king? It seems he could just defend his own king. Then you are no longer threatening king takes king.
Harriet: I’ll have to agree. That seems consistent with our other rules so far.
Indira: By the same token, it would be legal to move your defended king next to your opponent’s defended king, but you would not be delivering check.
Johnny: True. If both kings are defended, neither is in check from the other.
Kenneth: Another corollary would be that, if the two kings are next to each other, the player on move cannot “undefend” his king by moving the defending piece away.
Linda: Unless, of course, the defending piece moves to another square which still defends. Or unless there is a second piece which is also defending.
Molly: So, then, the position shown here is stalemate, regardless of whose move it is?
Nathaniel: Hmm, let’s see. Neither player is threatening king takes king, because both kings are defended. Nor can either player move his king anywhere else, without still being in check and no longer defended. White can’t move his pawn without putting his own king in check, and black can’t move his knight for the same reason. Yup, looks like stalemate to me.
Indira: What about pawn takes knight? Sure, he’s leaving himself in check, but he’s checking his opponent as well.
Johnny: You can’t leave yourself in check, even if you’re also checking your opponent. It’s the same as regular chess – a pinned knight can still give check. It’s a question of “whose king falls first” if the actual captures were to be carried out.
Kenneth: OK, but how did this position arise? Is it even legal?
Linda: That’s easy. White’s last move was Kh6-h7, black’s was Nd6-f7 – in either order, depending on whose move you want it to be now!
Harriet: OK, that’s it then. Thank you all for attending. (Bangs gavel.)
To summarize:
- A player may move his king next to his opponent’s king, but only if the player’s own king (on its new square) is defended by one or more of his own pieces.
- A player whose king is next to his opponent’s king is in check, unless the player’s king is defended by one or more of his own pieces.
- Just as in chess, a player is in check if his king is attacked by one or more of the opponent’s pieces other than the king.
- Just as in chess, a player may not make a move which puts or leaves himself in check.
- Just as in chess, if a player is in check and has no legal moves, he is checkmated and loses.
Following are several Powerful Monarch puzzles.
Bill Smythe
