Patrol chess is a
chess variant
A chess variant is a game related to, derived from, or inspired by chess. Such variants can differ from chess in many different ways.
"International" or "Western" chess itself is one of a family of games which have related origins and could be co ...
in which captures can be made and checks given only if the capturing or checking piece is guarded (or ''patrolled'') by a friendly unit. Non-capturing and non-checking moves are played as normal.
The variant was invented by Frederik Hendrik von Meyenfeldt who published a
chess problem
A chess problem, also called a chess composition, is a puzzle set by the composer using chess pieces on a chess board, which presents the solver with a particular task. For instance, a position may be given with the instruction that White is to ...
using the rules in ''
The Problemist
''The Problemist'' is a bimonthly chess problem magazine which has been in publication since January 1926. It originally had the subtitle "Proceedings of the British Chess Problem Society" but the words "Proceedings of" were dropped in January 1 ...
'' (the magazine of the
British Chess Problem Society The British Chess Problem Society is considered the oldest chess problem society in the world.
The inaugural meeting of the British Chess Problem Society took place on 10 August 1918 at St George's Restaurant, 37 Martin's Lane London WC at 3pm. The ...
) in 1975.
Patrol chess has often been used as a condition in
chess problem
A chess problem, also called a chess composition, is a puzzle set by the composer using chess pieces on a chess board, which presents the solver with a particular task. For instance, a position may be given with the instruction that White is to ...
s. It is also possible to play complete games under Patrol chess rules.
Example
The diagram position shows some of the peculiarities of Patrol chess. The white king cannot take the black knight because it is not guarded by a friendly piece. Similarly, the black rook is not giving check, and neither is the white knight on f7. If White were to play Nbd8, however, this would be check, as the knights would patrol one another. Black could reply ...Ke4, with checkmate: the king patrols the rook on e3 giving check and guarding b3 and d3; the rook on a2 is patrolled by the knight on b4 and so controls the squares b2, c2 and d2; Kd4 is not possible because the black king, patrolled by the e3 rook, controls that square; and Kxb4 is not possible because the white king is not patrolled and so cannot capture.
References
Patrol chessby
Hans Bodlaender
Hans Leo Bodlaender (born April 21, 1960) is a Dutch computer scientist, a professor of computer science at Utrecht University. Bodlaender is known for his work on graph algorithms and parameterized complexity and in particular for algorithms relat ...
, ''
The Chess Variant Pages
''The Chess Variant Pages'' is a non-commercial website devoted to chess variants. It was created by Hans Bodlaender in 1995. The site is "run by hobbyists for hobbyists" and is "the most wide-ranging and authoritative web site on chess variants". ...
''
*
External links
Chess Composition Microweb • Patrol chessproblem compositions
a simple program by Ed Friedlander
(Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
)
{{Chess variants
Chess variants
Fairy chess
1975 in chess
Board games introduced in 1975