CHESMAYNE
town I loved so well too ra loo la
Prologue:
An
Oration from
This moliminous meracious miltonic magnum opus
which you are now about to read is an adventure into the world of chess and
some of the greatest minds in its long convoluted history. It is a magisterial account of
chess covering its 5000+ years of progress in vivid word pictures with the
liberal use of puns, double entendres, allegory,
and innuendo. I hope that you will find
it pleasing, educational, informative, stimulating, easy to understand and
relevant to your chess playing. It has
been designed to meet the needs of both amateur and mature chess players by turning
the pawl of the ratchet to a new level and revolutionizes the game as
a leisure pursuit.
Double weighted wood chessmen has three-inch KIs and a one-inch
base.
Chess
Dictionary
What is this text about?
This text contains an extensive dictionary of
chess. Chesmayne is
not a variant of chess but a global form of the game in which traditional western chess, Shatranj, Japanese, Chinese, Burmese, Cambodian, Korean, Thai, Draughts and many other levels of chess can all be played quite easily for the first time in the same
format with a new type of chess-set. Sample games are
provided for each game-tree so that you will be up and running as quickly as possible.
Thousands of chess related words are listed in a convenient A to Z format. The complete dictionary runs to thousands of
A4 pages of text with hundreds of diagrams, tables, boards and pieces. All of
the chess sets and boards from around the globe may be printed directly from this document to
your own printer!
Sixteen-inch all-wood chess set with handles. For the more
the traditional minded player. It is of solid construction with high quality
brass locks and comes with a lined interior. The KI is three inches in height
and the chess pieces are neatly organized by elastic rows. The board is veneered instead of
screen-printed with 1¾” cells.
To come to grips with the
deeper and richer aspects of chess you must begin with the most powerful tool
that you have: an open, inquiring, and educated mind, free from prejudice and preconceptions and go beyond what the eye can
glean at the chessboard. A study of the deeper aspects
of chess will alert you to the depth and subtlety of the writing and the
sublimity of the message presented. It
is clear, informed and thoughtful. Best
of all, it lives up to its title. Anyone
who reads this text will have mastered all the skills s/he needs to continue without assistance to explore the
endless nooks and crannies of chess. An
enormous range of topics are covered in a fire-hose flow of information and a
truly rich experience shared. Its pages
are studded with gems of advice. From an intellectual point of
view chess has become enormously larger and more exciting. New readers will discover that this volume is
a goldmine of practical information that needs to be mined-out.
Triple
weighted plastic chessmen. A 3¾” KI with 1½” base. The set is moulded with
elegantly sculptured tools in a warm aged ivory hue. It comes in a beautiful draw-string pouch
with a gold cord.
It is, in fact, a guide to reading and studying
what is a hauntingly beautiful but stubbornly difficult body of literature. The
reader is invited to thumb through its thousands of pages and savor some games
(please see the sample
games in the text), to experience
first hand the richness and diversity of chess. But even these first steps into
an ancient yet strange world are guided by informed commentary on the background and meaning of the game. One of the principal objectives
of this volume is to encourage new readers to take up playing chess for
themselves and aside from the enjoyment derived from active participation by
younger persons - chess can play an important role in their personal character
development.
There can be little hope of completeness in a
work of this magnitude. This edition is a more logical arrangement with similar
items being grouped together in the dictionary.
The main chapters and particular areas of interest are divided into
sections and subsections for easy reading.
This new edition has also been expanded - the objective being to logically
rearrange the text into a more user-friendly format. Identified errors have been corrected.
With lively writing, excellent research aimed at
separating into manageable pieces of information the tangled mass we call
chess, readable charts and graphics, the chess player can enter the unknown and
enjoy the mysteries of this popular game and just about every other kind of fringe activity
connected with it.
Double weight wood chess pieces in a leather box. 3¾” KI and 1½” base, with a handcrafted
leather covered book shaped box to make a complete set suitable not only for
play but also as a beautiful piece of home décor that will blend in with your
video cabinet, library or, drawing room.
This book box is richly decorated in gold, and is fully lined with felt.
The size of the box is 5¼” x
8” x 3½” - the chessboard which is not
included is sold as a separate item.
Chess is universally acknowledged as the supreme communicator - organon/yantra - and an integral part of
our global culture. It is an interesting
instance where language, myth, symbolism and modern science
intersect. All the major elements of chess
are described.
During the course of human history, many variants of chess have been tried,
tested and discarded. Some were
discarded immediately, some had an enthusiastic following and then died out,
while others remained, or replaced the game as it formerly was known. Today, the game of traditional
western chess as we have come to understand it has remarkable differences from the original games of Chatrang, Chaturanga and Shatranj. At the present time, in different parts of
our globe, different versions of chess are practiced. They are all believed to have originated from
the same Indian/Arabic origin. The most common game-trees are Shogi which is played in
Small chess pieces with folding box. These are hand carved traditional chess
pieces in walnut and natural stains stored in a wooden box with a locking
clasp. His Majesty is three-inches in
height.
The games mentioned above and the ‘western’
chess - played since about the 15th century - have many regional
variants. Please see ‘Varieties of Chess’ for further details? Any person
who plays on larger boards - 10 x 10, 12 x 12 etc - soon comes to the
conclusion that the 8
x 8 board unnecessarily
minaturizes the game and the nature of chess. The objective of Chesmayne is
to place the game on such a footing that originality should exercise a greater
influence, and book knowledge on the traditional
game of chess a lesser influence,
than it does at the present moment.
What you need to do is to try
different sized boards - 9 x 9, 10 x 10 etc
- and use some new pieces instead of the usual King, Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight and Pawn. Exhaustive examples are shown to help you make a start. Chesmayne provides a new set of baubles - a new
equipage. The size of the board you will
play on and the names and powers of the new pieces will be left to your own discretion and
selected from a palette of pieces that have been provided - please see Notation for further details. It is hoped that the reforms discussed in the
text will entertain you as you progress through the different sections of this
text. It is our objective to work out a
new game in which the ‘Initial Starting Position’ (ISP) of
the pieces does not always remain in the same place. We also need to be able to add new pieces as
needed. To accomplish this not
inconsiderable objective we need a global set of triangular
chess pieces - please see ‘Free Chess Set’
for further details. Many have noticed
that a premium on memory at the expense of original thought is required to play traditional
chess which leads to the dismemberment or even disembowelment of the weaker
player. On reading this introduction you
will soon twig that there is more to chess than you ever dreamed and
come to see in our species development how the human imagination and
our indomitable spirit made its mark in the 5,000+ year history of
the game.
Star
Trek - The Next Generation Collection. Click on image for an
enlarged view. This is the ‘New
Generation Collection’ with all on board the space station. The chessboard is a 19¼” folding board with
32 playing pieces. Exclusive collection. The KI is 3 5/8” high on a 1¾” cell base.
Variety is the spice of life.
The proper solution to this problem would be to alter the power of the pieces in
every game. However, both players should
still have an equal set of pieces facing each other across the board -
unless a handicap is being used. The number of opening scenarios in Chesmayne is truly astronomical but an extra skill is introduced into the game of chess, namely, the ability to think on
your feet.
This book is dedicated to all the liberal minded chess players around
our globe who would like to take a fresh look at the game.
Right:
Dingle - western
In comprehensive detail, this handbook, written
at a level few books attempt, outlines an arsenal of techniques and ideas that will make
chess immensely more meaningful to the serious player who is ready to take the
next step.
E. & O. E.
Melodies: Ireland-01
- Ireland-02 - Ireland-03
- Ireland - the
Above left: The capital of the emerald isle, Baile Atha
Cliath [
Overview |
The dictionary format of this text
I do hope you will find the text and dictionary
engrossing in its range and coverage.
It is exhaustive in detail and combines old and new and is constantly
being updated and modified.
The above graphic was produced using the Zillions
program
Producing a hardcopy of this text
Each section of the
dictionary may be output to your printer so that you have a hardcopy of the
full text. The complete lexicon runs to
thousands of A4 pages. Many diagrams
have also been included. Just select
print from the menu-bar at the top of your screen to send any page or section
to your printer or, save to your hard disk to read at your leisure.
Each section is
self-contained with hyperlinks to other keywords in the dictionary. The way in which you work will depend a great
deal on your previous experience. If
you are a newcomer you will use the text to construct a foundation. If you are already apprenticed to traditional chess this volume should help you gain new insights. It is my belief and hope that in either case
this book will hopefully have something for everyone interested in chess.
A fascinating world
There is a fascinating world that
comparatively few people see firsthand.
It lies just below the surface of your mind. It is this world of the mind
that you are going to explore in this text.
How safe is the trip going to be you may ask? Do you need to be a strong chess player
before you can visit this fascinating world?
And, are you excluded if you cannot play chess at all? Chesmayne is
designed for those interested in going well below the surface of the ocean of
the mind and is just a little more complex.
If you are not a competent chess player you should not venture beyond
calm, shallow water, and above all, you should never go beyond your depth. As you gradually gain skill and confidence
you will be able to go safely into deeper water, but even then you should have
a capable companion with you. The
equipment needed for Chesmayne is relatively simple and inexpensive - see print ‘Free Chess Set’
for details. You will need this chessboard and
a triangular set of pieces in order to play Chesmayne.
A new frame of
reference
In this dictionary my own
distinctive style has been cultivated both in terms of language and content and
recalibrated the English language with my own ferocious edge and insight into
the game. It is expressed with the
keenest possible bite and redefines the game of chess in such a way that an
utterly new vocabulary and frame of reference are required. It shatters all the moulds and supplies new
answers to old questions and completely and comprehensively rewrites the entire
agenda in a way that posterity will be unable to ignore. With this treatise the acceptance of
Chesmayne will enexorably escalate. You
will finally come to see traditional chess - Level-01 of Chesmayne - as an obsolete relic of the feudal age. Chesmayne is designed to stimulate your
powers of thought but not to cram your mind.
It is an enemy to vagueness and specious argument. As you will discover, the text is so wide
ranging that it spills the bounds of chess itself. The various sections and supplementary
dictionary now contains in excess of 5,000+ pages of A4 text with 50,000+ chess related
keywords, 2,000+ openings, defences and gambits which is constantly being
modified and enlarged as new material is added. Any new words which you feel should be
included may be sent for inclusion - if possible, please send your text files in
Microsoft word format, so that I can transfer them easily into the dictionary
for the next updated edition. Sample
games in the Chesmayne format for Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Cambodian and Shatranj etc, would be very much appreciated from those players who are familiar
with these games and play them on a regular basis.
Comprehensive
illustrated guide
As you progress through the
text, I wish you the greatest of enjoyment and the greatest of success in
a subject that is the natural right of each person. The text is written in [hopefully], a logical
lucid manner, cogently and forcefully argued.
It is a comprehensive illustrated guide to the game of chess for players
of all skills and ages. It explains the
basic rules, openings (:&O), middle game (:MG) and endgame (:EG), as well as chess
notation. Also included in the dictionary is a
glossary of terms in an A to Z format.
Many new terms have been employed in the text for the first time, and
you will find them useful in helping you to understand more advanced concepts
as you mature. In this classic handbook
you will learn how to play chess on many different levels. Level-01 - traditional chess - has become the most celebrated form in the western hemisphere and is
played in 149+ flag bearing countries - out of a total of 192 - by millions of people, and
is one of the world’s most popular levels of play. Chinese
chess is played by 400+ million people - the most popular game-tree in the
world at the present time. See Level-02 and Level-03.
Studying this text
Chess is absorbing and challenging
and can be played at many differing levels. It is simple to learn. In just a few days you will learn the rules of
the game, simple openings (:&O), middle-game (:MG) developments and the excitement of end-game (:EG) strategies. Chesmayne is a reconstitution and not just a
destruction, but represents a kind of metaphoric wake-up call. In everyday language this text will tell you
all you need to know about all the different varieties of chess. It is probably best to begin
with a clean slate and to take each paragraph at face value and let the text
speak for itself.
In this text a simple method is described which
has been developed over the last number of years. In studying this handy book over a period of
a few weeks you will progress from a beginner to a competent player. An understanding of the general principles
will be sufficient to attain average skill.
This new way of playing chess is easy to learn and to play well enough
so that you may enjoy the game anew.
Chess is a study, an art and one of the noblest inventions of the human race. It is also
logical and quaint and has many picturesque terms which are redolent of ancient
chivalry and romance. While researching the material for this book I had the impression that
not only was I treading on taboo territory, but that the study of other game-trees of
chess were anathema to chess players.
In fact few chess players are aware of any other game-tree. The temptation to accept a particular level of
play, especially one that appears to make some sort of sense within a
particular paradigm, and reject others as too far out is discriminatory and not
wise or useful. This text is a
desideratum for all chess players and delves deeply into practically all the
difficulties that are likely to beset you in across the board play. I have been asked frequently what text to
recommend to a player who wishes to become proficient. I can imagine no
text more suited for such a recommendation as the one you are now reading -
proving that the best things in life are really free after all! I feel confident that a careful perusal of
its contents will give ‘you’ a deeper insight into the underlying nature and
core of chess, which is symbolism. I can therefore heartily
recommend Chesmayne to each and every occidental and oriental chess
player.
Books on chess
Sometimes a player is heard
to say “I have never read a book on chess”. I usually answer...
“I can see”. The literature on traditional chess is bursting at the seams, but the number of texts which claim to reveal
the spirit of the game, or its philosophy, may well be told on the digits of one hand. Chesmayne is the first book
to reduce a miasma of ideas to a definite number of interrelated
principles. It could be the most
important text published this century for anyone who wishes to push the game to
the limit of its playing potential.
This work also explains the fundamental operation of a chess players thinking
processes. Please see computer and
Hal-9000 for further details.
Chesmayne is relevant to
absolutely every player, as it offers new ways of using the chessboard and
pieces. Many ideas are explored while
simultaneously maintaining a clear focus on the central theme. It is destined to become a classic in this
new and exciting field. In addition to
helping you to maximize your chess playing ability,
this text also features a range of stimulating examples and an inspirational
collection of diagrams which illustrate the techniques discussed. It is designed as a quest to
delight, entice, stimulate and challenge - and possibly drive you up the wall
the deeper you go. You will discover some astonishing facts and insights
concerning chess and its purpose, and will take your first steps on the path to
chess mastery - GM. Chesmayne will give you a
profound intellectual freedom by demonstrating that you can play many differing
levels of this ancient game quite easily.
It has given many a sense of excitement and discovery as they explore
this new universe of
ideas.
How to explore the
text
In other sections you will be
introduced to the most up-to-date information about Chesmayne, its various
levels of play and the function of the new boards and pieces. You will see why many chess players
experience problems in thinking, concentration, memory, organization of ideas,
decision-making and planning and how to circumvent these problems.
Chess players, like alcoholics, suffer the heavy burden of keeping their
problems secret. Your initial approach
should be to browse through the text fairly rapidly, scanning its various
sections and observing those areas that will be of particular interest to
‘you’. After this, your approach will
differ according to your level of knowledge and experience.
Feedback from
readers of this text
Whatever your level of
proficiency, I encourage you to play chess, either during or after
reading. Chesmayne will always be a work-in-progress
and I would enormously appreciate your feedback in many ways ie, any additional
information, new sections or, new words that you would like to see incorporated
or added to the thousands in the dictionary.
Please feel free to contact me.
Elementary
introduction
I hope that by concentrating
on this preface to Chesmayne, you will gain enough knowledge to be a confident
player and will search more deeply into the game for yourself. The best way to proceed is to print a hardcopy of the Chesmayne boards and pieces and to practice and play the new levels of play - give it a lash/go! -
as some would say. With Chesmayne you
can move to a new level in strategy and tactics and imbue your chess playing ability with a much needed boost. To participate in the drama you
will need to be familiar with the basic rules of traditional occidental chess.
Take your time to read this book carefully as this will make playing
chess easier and more enjoyable.
Prior to the publication of
this treatise Chesmayne has been played quietly by a comparative few, but a
significant change can be expected soon, for it is at this time that the changing chess
climate and a breeze stirring in the trees favors its emergence. The
principles laid down in the text will [hopefully], serve as a base upon which
chess will progress in the years ahead.
As a pastime, Chesmayne will bring lasting pleasure because of its
unending variety. Many parents have found that
the practice of chess moulds character and teaches equanimity in the face of
good or ill fortune.
Earth’s most widely
played board game
Chess appeals to diverse
minds, for it is a blend of opposites and combines the zest of struggle with rest from all cares. It is like
a well-covered table, with something to suit every palate. Ten centuries ago chess was already
established as the world’s most widely played board game. Today, it still retains this position as we
reap the fruitages of the bounteous table set before us for our consideration,
which will take the game into its fifth millennium. To improve: play through
the games
illustrated in the text and then
re-read the text carefully again. Try
some of the new levels shown. Every time you do this
you will absorb points that were previously obscure or did not grip your
attention the first time around. The best way to improve is not by playing opponents,
but by playing over annotated games and many examples have been included in the text and
dictionary.
How to get better
and better
If you are eager to improve your
play rapidly, then keep a record of all your games, not just the competitive
games for which a record is compulsory.
It is wise to write them down in a score-book, as loose-sheets are often
mislaid. Things will become clearer
when you look at ‘your’ moves the second time around. By using this method you will become your
own teacher. Nearly all players have a
desire to improve but by following the advice recommended here you will
become a stronger player in a fraction of the time that is normally incurred by
the average chess player.
“Every
day, in every way, I am getting better and better”
Emile Coue - to be said 15 to 20 times, morning and evening.
When you have absorbed the
rudiments of chess you may acquire a desire for further study. The main function of this text is to get you
interested in chess. Start playing with
another beginner as soon as you have learned about some of the basic levels of
play that are available to you. Do not
be discouraged if you are slow in remembering the rules on
the new levels of play. With a little
practice you will become accustomed to the moves of the new pieces and how they capture your opponent’s. Chess is
competitive and a desire to defeat your opponent is
one of its pleasing features. This is one of the reasons why you should play
with another beginner whom you have a chance of defeating. If you feel shy about playing stronger
players you can learn much from just watching them play the new levels. If you are asked to play a game of chess, do
not refuse to play but point out that you are just a beginner. Most players will be happy to help you by
pointing out any indiscretions or by offering to play you in a handicap game
of chess. Please see ‘Handicap’ in the
dictionary for an explanation of this term. If you are a schoolgirl or boy then
join or start a chess club.
Objective of this
introduction
This text is an excellent book for fathers,
mothers, sons and daughters, chess-players and the general reader. Since the 15th
century chess players have been searching for the successor to traditional
chess. In this compelling book the
leading contender is described, which brings vividly to life an exceptionally
candid book to remind us that chess is beautiful and
also to confirm the hidden or buried suspicion that it has also been a
passionate and disquieting game played by many runyonesque characters from our
past.
For some it is not an art
form, but just a way to earn a crust - for chess is considered an esoteric
hobby where even top GMs are unable to support themselves. Many cannot afford a decent shirt to
wear with cuffs, sleeves and collars torn and frayed while some have to wear
threadbare jackets with buttons missing. For others it is considered a litmus
test of a human beings worth. In our western culture there is virtually no
respect or payoff for chess players.
Some have given up families and well-paid careers to spend their
afternoons and evenings puch-ing pieces of wood.
Emotionally, it can be a
battle of life and death where you enter into your opponent’s head and battle
against h/er ideas. It should be noticed
that chess is not a game for a gambler because it is rational and conservative. Because of its metaphorical
and symbolic resonance and its logical and mathematical purity, it represents
different things to different people.
There has been much spirited debate over whether chess is a sport, an
art or a science. See Denksport in
the dictionary - and it has often been described lyrically in terms of fantasy,
intuition and romanticism - a metaphor for life or, an occasion for social
criticism. Many players consider chess a
part of their education, a training ground for the principles of truth and
honour and the development of personality.
To become a mature
player
The text is intended as an
introduction to chess for those who have no prior knowledge of
the game. The rules and elementary tactics are discussed and you will progress to the deeper concepts of strategy and
planning in later sections. I have tried
not to overburden the reader with too many or too complex ideas introduced too
quickly, but rather to lead you from the shallow waters of the simplest levels
gradually towards the complexity of positions crowded with pieces. Chess has shown itself to be just too
difficult to be played perfectly, yet not so hard that we cannot all hope to
attain a very high standard indeed!
Whether your goal is to join the ranks of the mature players, or to solve chess problems,
I hope that the text will satisfy your needs and encourage further
explorations.
Act one - a drama
Chess is a game that combines
artistry and real skill and can be compared to watching a drama
through a microscope. No luck is
involved in playing and while it is a contest that can be easily learned, the
profundities involved will last a lifetime.
It is at once simple and complex.
There is nothing as satisfying as playing a good game of chess, whether
that opponent be a computer program of the game or a fellow human being. If you are a KI, a
princess, a retired cavalry officer or a modern-day crypto-analyst you
will be among your peers; if you are a PA - you can hardly fail to learn and enjoy Chesmayne for it presents a
modern and original approach to an old game.
Types of player
Some players are good at openings - :&Os -
and others in the middle
game - :MG. Some may try hard to detect fine details in a
position while others find themselves using overall strategy and tactics to win - ++WN. The differences in playing strength are what make chess so interesting.
The reason for mentioning this individuality so early is to emphasize
what a chessboard cannot do - it is only as good as the player who makes the moves. Nobody would expect someone who has just
learned the game to get the most out of a contest, and a player with a
particular aptitude will rapidly overtake another who is merely competent.
Other aspects of
chess
We need to alter the game in
such a way that other aspects of chess can become accessible to the
practitioner.
Traditional chess evolved to
fit the conditions of life many centuries ago, but the traditional mode may not
be as all-important a criterion for our contemporary western society as it once
was. The traditional mode of chess in
which there are fixed rules cannot encompass many aspects of the game which many people would like
to experience and understand. Our
culture has too severely emphasized the development of a single level of chess
- Level-01 of Chesmayne. New techniques
seem to offer us some new approaches to old ideas. Several recent developments have made it
easier to study these modes of operation ie, the evolution of electronics and
the computer. In chess small effects lead to larger changes on the board and
this situation can be likened to organized complexity.
A new way of
looking at chess
You who now read these words
are doing so with your own unique personality and uniquely developed set of learning
skills. You will therefore progress at a pace and rhythm particularly suited to
you. In the light of
this, it is important that you measure yourself primarily against
yourself.
Whoever, wherever, you are,
you are using - to read these words - the most beautiful, intricate, complex, mysterious and
powerful object in the known universe: your mind. As a species we are said by some to be about
fifty millenniums old, and now stand on the brink of a revolution that will
change the course of chess history. For the first time in its 4000+
year history we can develop new ways of thinking about the game that are far
more flexible and powerful than the traditional modes of thought currently in
use throughout the chess world today.
Chess is a mental training school, a mind mirror, a
device for accessing intelligence, a forest, a multi-dimensional mnemonic, an externalization of your mind’s internal thought patterns. In other words - a pleasant way to enjoy
using your brain.
For far too long traditional
chess has being conducting a masquerade, and the facemask needs to be pulled
aside. Chesmayne is designed to be
played at many different levels, in response to the two royal characteristics,
intelligence and beauty and of course, each individuals view of the game. Who amongst us has not perused a book at some
time or other and become inspired by a fresh idea. It is my hope
that after reading this introduction you will agree that this new way of
looking at chess does make sense.
In the world of chess, the
line of demarcation between the men and the boys or, the women and
the girls so to speak, is an elusive one that transcends all boundaries. Various provocative questions and suggestions
are left open. Despite these quibbles, which actually add to the fascination of
chess, I highly recommend the text to any person interested in surveying the
present state of our game. With
traditional chess the more you play, the more clone-like you become. With Chesmayne the opposite is true - the
more you play the more unique your vast, and growing, network of associations
become. In any brain storming or
problem-solving situation, the greater the diversity of ideas the better. The forest of available chess-trees
(game-trees) may now be seen in a new light.
Experiments with visual
stimuli suggest that recognition of pictures is essentially perfect and almost
limitless. The reason why, to quote an old adage, pictures are ‘worth a
thousand words’, is that they make use of a massive range of cortical skills: colour,
line, form, texture, dimension, visual rhythm, and especially imagination
which is a word taken from the Latin ‘imaginari’, literally meaning ‘to picture
mentally’.
Images or diagrams are often
more evocative than words, more precise and potent, thereby enhancing creative
thinking and memory. This is reflected
in the increasing development of multi-media computers
that allow one to link and manipulate words and images together - this text
being an example. The purpose of a
chessboard is to unleash the enormous power of your visual cortex. To enhance your memory’s storing and recalling capabilities through the use of image for emphasis and association and also to
increase aesthetic pleasure or just the simple enjoyment of the manoeuvres
themselves. A chessboard develops the
power of visualization and perception and harnesses the full range of cortical
skills - word, image, number, logic, rhythm, colour and spatial awareness - in
a single, uniquely powerful way. In so
doing, it gives you the freedom to roam the infinite expanse of your mind.
When playing chess you are constantly on the
verge of new discoveries and new realizations.
This encourages a continuous and potentially endless flow of
thought. The average chess player has a
staggeringly complex cortex, with a wide range of advanced mental skills, an
infinite associative capacity, a virtually limitless storage capacity, and a
similarly limitless ability to generate new ideas and associations and an
inbuilt curiosity that will drive you to explore all aspects of the game.
Exciting era
We live in an exciting era
for chess. Our view of the game and its fascination has been changed and
enhanced in recent years with the introduction of computers and new theoretical
insights. It has taken players many hundreds of years to come up with the
theory of positional chess. It is
conceived by some as an art form, and its struggling artists live amidst an
illusory swirl of impending success
that never quite arrives. Some of these
simply cannot bear to give up a madness of a life devoted to
solving complicated puzzles or feel confused about whether they are artists or reprobates. Many have lost wives and careers playing
night after night within the walls and bars of the traditional chess penal
colony. Gaining advantages so
small that they are almost impossible to perceive or making moves mechanically
during a game because they were suggested in a book. While they commune over the
field of battle, eyes flash from piece to piece, faces taut and serious,
expressionless and cold, with girlish and boyish joy and spontaneity notably
absent as they peer into the dense architecture and crafty manipulations,
concocting deep traps to defeat each other - eyes bulging with genius, perhaps madness, while
at the same time behaving with regal courtesy as they push wood and participate
in an ancient rite wearing the official and superficial smiles more commonly associated
with presidential candidates enduring a fundraising luncheon. Such intensities play havoc with their
perspective - immortality itself seems like the prize in which they will assume
their place in the pantheon of champions.
I hope that the treatment
here, necessarily limited in scope, will whet your appetite for what lies
ahead. I have provided some aids to make
the text easy to read and to study from. All sections are numbered for easy
reference. Sample games are shown with
schema to help you play the new levels.
Chesmayne is too wide ranging to be placed in so few pages, therefore I
have tried to include a broad array of material, since no part of chess is
inherently more important than another.
Some of the text demands technical familiarity with traditional chess as
well as some sophistication concerning its practice.
Overview of this
text
Chesmayne is extremely
varied, and the novice is bound to find some parts that interest h/er more than
others. Do try to get a birds eye view from the text, and only then begin playing the various levels
shown. Take an overview of the text (snapshot), looking at the table of contents, major
headings, and any other important elements which catch your eye. This process
will give you the central theme and main branches.
The whole process can be
likened to building up a jigsaw puzzle.
You begin by looking at the complete picture on the box, then putting in
the corners and outside edges, and gradually filling in the middle until you
have a complete replica. The chessboard
is a mirror of creativity. Like memory,
creative thinking is based on imagination and association. Explore all the creative possibilities of
chess. Clear your mind of previous assumptions about the game which will
provide space for new creative thought.
Chess is ideally suited to creative thinking because it utilizes all the
skills commonly associated with creativity, especially imagination, flexibility
and association of ideas. Flexibility
has been identified as a vital element in creative thinking. You are invited to make notes and include
your own comments and thoughts arising from what you have read. Learn how to see and realize that everything
connects to everything else.
The entire text has been
updated and incorporates new ideas and the best suggestions from many readers.
The new Chesmayne pieces are explained so that you can become familiar with
them on your own board. Whether you are
a beginner who wants to learn the basics of chess, or an advanced observer
seeking new playing techniques or advice, then this may be the book you have
been waiting for!
Guided tour
The chess world is full of
meticulous scholars whose desiccated texts are faultless or otherwise as dry as
a bone. In the many years that I have
been playing traditional chess I have read quite a few, only to push them aside
in despair. It is my hope that this
text will enliven its readers. Chess is
fun, though it has been something of a Cinderella
subject in schools, relegated to the after hours of the school curriculum or to
club activities. Above all it is a
subject with its own fascination, particularly for the young and anyone with an
enquiring mind. I find it remarkable how interested and well informed young children can
be. If you know little about chess you
can learn as you play. The guided tour contains a potpourri of lucid, succinct
paragraphs and short biographical sketches written for the layperson, reference
charts, sample games, chessboards, many chess sets - which may be printed on your own printer - and a dictionary which has been included to cover any points not
mentioned in the main text.
A unified theory of
chess
I first became interested in
chess when I was young, in the early 1960s, around the time of the Cuban
Missile Crisis. My acquaintance with
the game goes back more than thirty years now, to my school days, when I discovered
the magical way in which the pieces relate to each other. Sometimes I wonder what strange fate
brought me back to the game of traditional chess. As I probed its mysteries,
every clue told me a different story and each had the same ending, which led to
the conclusion that we are overdue for an overhaul of chess and a reinvention of
the game.
While researching the material
for this text I felt that I would come to this particular moment in the scheme
of things in my search for a unified theory of the game. With the aid of books
borrowed from various rooms of knowledge - libraries - I
delved into the theory of the game. The result of this research is a
comprehensive book on chess with thousands of pages of timely and authoritative
text and practical how-to advice - an indispensable resource for the chess enthusiast on any level. It
offers a balanced coverage of basic chess topics and present day research and
provides a detailed introduction to chess stressing basic concepts with the
minimal use of mathematics, algebra, calculus and computer programming skills.
I believe I have hit the-right-level of both factoids and
explanations.
The fires of my early
interest were rekindled by a combination of factors which inspired me to look
at the game of chess in a new way. The
process that crystallized my thoughts convinced me that I really was ready to
write the text you are now reading. I
tested my ideas with the help of friends and soon uncovered minor deficiencies
in the presentation. These were
rectified and have resulted in better organization of the material. With the rough edges smoothed, any
incoherencies that remained were sieved through the mesh with the help of
intellectual friends, before being given final approval and committed to print.
Many chess players are
crushed through lack of chess knowledge and consequently lose many games. I
empathize with these people as I know how they struggle, game after game, analyzing a
position in a hopeless effort to discover its deficiency which presumably keeps
them from winning, only to end up capitulating to their opponent. The inevitability of their defeat is obvious,
maybe unwittingly looking at their own position and not their opponents or some
other factor which brings about their demise.
Volumes have been written and volumes more have
been spoken about chess and in the final analysis we actually know so little
about our subject. It cannot be weighed
or confined in a container. To explain
it precisely and succinctly is almost like trying to define the Holy Grail in
one single statement. Fortunately, in
the end, you will come to a clear understanding of what the core of chess
is. See Symbolism.
New generation of
chess players
The nature of chess is such
that some feel immediately drawn to it - a giant leap forward - a quantum leap
of the imagination. Chess, art and science reflect each other at their deepest
levels. Its role is one of purposeful
dormancy, patience and quiet development.
Chess has never been a more popular pastime than it is today and the
average player is armed with much more sophisticated tools than were available
to our forebears. The availability of a
more powerful set of chess pieces and new types of board will give rise to a
new generation of chess players. For
those beginning chess here is the comprehensive text covering everything from
the difficult task of selecting pieces for play to the equally daunting choices
that arise when a new level of play is chosen. The fledgling chess player is
taken by the hand, offered tips and advice on how to play and win. Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Burmese and
Cambodian chess are also shown for the first time in a playable western
format.
Amateur has never
been so well equipped
The average amateur has never
been so well equipped as s/he is today. Are you tired of floundering aimlessly
around with the same six types of chess piece - KI, QU, RO, BS, KT and PA, every time you play? Up until
now, the only board was an 8 x 8, but with Chesmayne many amateurs start their
chess playing careers with chessboards larger in size - 10 x 10 and
upwards.
After selecting a board, the
next step is to choose a suitable set of combatants. The new chess pieces will
be a welcome addition to the equipment cases of traditional chess players. In
studying chess we learn not only about our history
but, about science, culture, society and art.
Versatile
Chesmayne with its improved
and more versatile range of combatants was designed to meet the needs of
amateur chess players while satisfying the rigorous requirements of chess
professionals. I make no apology for
emphasizing the vital importance of practice, thus enabling you to use your
pieces correctly, and systematically.
However, the goal of this introduction is to give you a general overview of Chesmayne,
rather than an in-depth treatment.
Basic reference
guide
In its attempt to represent
accurately the state of our knowledge in relation to history, lore and
personalities, I have given all the various voices a say, making this tightly
packed volume as clear and uniform as possible.
It is intended to serve as a basic reference guide for those who are
serious about chess and wish to pursue it further. The text also contains
highlights in the development of chess history and the personalities and
superstars involved in its evolution.
History
notes from the 6th to the 21st century
|
Note
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th |
Global form of chess
The idea behind this text is
to give you some simple guidelines when selecting a board, and a suitable set
of pieces to compete with. It then
surveys the levels of play that open to you, and supplies sufficient
information so that you can make a start.
I am convinced that Chesmayne’s versatility will help you develop a new
approach to chess. It allows you to do
things that are not feasible with traditional occidental chess, ie, you can
select the types of piece and style of board to suit the level of play at which
you are most comfortable, thus escaping from the frugal set of six pieces you
use presently to play the game. Example…….
Level-02 notice that eight Vanguards - GUs
- are used instead of the usual eight PAs
Chesmayne is a global form of
chess in which all the pieces from the occident and orient rub shoulders with
each other. I have organized the
information enabling you to learn quickly in a manner best suited to your style
and experience. You will begin the game
immediately and learn about its advanced aspects. In a game of traditional chess you have a palette of
six pieces for play - KI, QU, RO, BS, KT and PA.
Major pieces
With Chesmayne you have these
and many more new MPs to choose from. The two letters MP - monogram -
are used in the text to indicate a Major Piece. The MPs below are just a selection of some of
the MPs available. Each of these new MPs
are explained in later sections of the text.
Please refer to the section on the ‘Major Pieces’ for further details.
NOTE: the Chesmayne
chess MPs/mps are triangular shaped.
|
01 Larger triangles are used
for the Major Pieces - MPs. |
|
02 Smaller triangles are used
for the Minor Pieces - mps. |
Each triangle has a monogram
printed on it ie,
|
03 PA1, PA2, PA3, PA4, PA5,
PA6, PA7 and PA8 |
|
04 RO1, RO2, BS1, BS2, KT1,
KT2, QU1 and KI |
Name and Monogram-Index
|
01
King = KI |
02
Queen = QU |
|
03
Rook = RO |
04
Bishop = BS |
|
05
Knight occidental = KT |
06
Regent = RE |
|
07
Prince/Princess = PR/PS |
08
Knight Magnifico = KM |
|
09
Duke = DK |
10 Standard-Bearer
= SB |
|
11
Bannerette = BA |
12 |
|
13
Praetorian Guard = PG |
14
Adviser = AD |
|
15
Minister = MR |
16
Cannon = CN |
|
17
Vaunt-Courier = VC |
18
Chinese Knight = KN |
|
19
General = GE |
Minor pieces
The letters mp are
used in the text to indicate a minor piece.
The mps are similar to the PA in action and some of these are listed below…….
Minor
Piece and Monogram
|
03
Trojan TR |
04
Vandal VA |
|
06
Troll TL |
|
|
07
Bowman BW |
08
Viking VK |
|
09
Titan TT |
|
|
11
Berolina - BE - Level-05 |
A new notation - cells
A new system of notation is
used which enables you to make a record of a game for future reference. The squares are referred to as cells. The board is split into blocks
of cells originating at the center of
the playing area - see diagram below.
|
01 The four central cells are A01, A02, A03
and A04. B$A. |
|
02 The middle-center cells are B01 to
B12. B$B. |
|
03 The next block comprises cells C01 to
C20. B$C. |
|
04 The outer block of cells on an 8 x
8 board are D01 to D28.
B$D. |
An 8
x 8 board has a cellular
structure of 64 cells.
Note: Algebraic Notation or XY axis (the $ symbol is used to indicate a cell). The move d4 is simply indicated by $D04.
Below: Chesmayne Notation 8 x 8 board - Blocks of
cells - A, B, C and D.
Different sized boards
A Chesmayne board may be 8 x 8, 10 x 9, 16 x 16 or any other combination of vertical and
horizontal cells. A board may be referred to as a stage, array,
matrix or, grid. Print chess boards and pieces.
Name of
Board and Size
|
01
Traditional 8 x 8 = 064 Western chess |
02 Princess
9 x 9 = 081 Japanese chess |
|
03 QU 10 x
10 = 100 |
04 Prince 11
x 11 = 121 |
|
05 KI 12 x
12 = 144 |
06 General
13 x 13 = 169 |
|
07 Empress
14 x 14 = 196 |
08 Subspace
15 x 15 = 225 |
|
09 Emperor
16 x 16 = 256 |
10 The Void
17 x 17 = 289 |
|
11 Final
Frontier 18 x 18 = 324 |
12 Hyperspace
19 x 19 = 361 |
|
13 Galactic
20 x 20 = 400 |
14 Cosmic 22
x 22 = 484 |
|
15 Universal
24 x 24 = 576 |
|
Blocked cells
The shape of a Chesmayne board may be altered by blocking cells. This allows for variety in the shape of the
board. Cells are usually blocked on the edge of the board. However, cells can be blocked in the middle
of the board also. Chesmayne uses
various types of cells - referred to as :XC cells - to make up a board
suitable for play…….
|
01 :A = Light. White - always the 1st side to
make the first move in a game. |
|
02 :B = Dark. Black - always the 2nd side to
make a move during a game. |
Objective of the game - Checkmate ++CM
Success
Moral: puff-puff is better than rough
stuff.
Impossible odds
When faced with defeat
Other values
Be
Not Afraid. Artist: Greg Olsen. Pieces:
500. Size: 18” x 24”.
They who had
scorned the thought of any strength except their own,
Learn at length how fear can sabotage
the bravest heart.
When human weakness answers to the prod
of losing calls,
Help us O God - then silence -
let the silent voice be heard,
Bringing
its spoken message like the spoken word.
Believe - believe in me, cast out your fear.
I
am not up there beyond the sky, but here, right in your heart,
You may have discovered that traditional
chess consists of…….
|
03 A fixed number
of MPs/mps - 32 pieces of six differing types: KI QU
RO BS KT and PA |
In the following
text, a new concept of chess is proposed.
Print your own board and pieces
Dictionary
Colourful Worry Beads Make Nice
Souvenirs
