Objective of the Game
Courier Chess (also known as the Courier Game) is a historical variant of chess that was popular during the Middle Ages in Europe. The objective of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king, similar to the modern chess game.
Game Board and Setup
The game is traditionally played on a 12x8 board, in contrast to the 8x8 board of modern chess. Similar to chess, the pieces are placed on the player's respective sides on a fixed setup at the beginning, but there are additional and differently-moving pieces.
Pieces and their Moves
- King: Moves like in modern chess, one square in any direction.
- Minister: Corresponds to what is today’s queenside bishop, moves diagonally as far as desired.
- Rook (also known as Marshal): Moves similar to the modern rook, horizontally or vertically any number of spaces.
- Courier: Moves one space diagonally or one space forward horizontally. This piece gives the name to the game.
- Sleifer (also known as Dabbaba): Moves exactly two spaces in a straight line horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. It doesn’t jump like a knight.
- Knight: Moves in an L-shape (two spaces in one direction and then one space perpendicularly). It can leap over other pieces.
- Bishop: Moves similar to the modern bishop, diagonally any number of spaces.
- Pawns: Move similarly to in modern chess - a space forward or two spaces from the initial position. Pawns capture diagonally, but they cannot move backward.
Gameplay
The game begins with the player controlling the white army making the first move, followed by the black player, alternating turns thereafter. The aim is to threaten the opponent's king in a way that they have no means of escaping the threat, termed as checkmate.
Special Rules
- Pawn Promotion: A pawn that reaches the opponent's baseline can be promoted to another piece (excluding the king), similar to chess.
- Castling: Similar to modern chess, where the king and one of the rooks (comparable to a rook) swap positions to protect the king and mobilize the rook. The exact rules might be akin to chess.
- En-passant: This rule might apply depending on the version, allowing the capture of a pawn that has moved two spaces forward as if it had only advanced one.
Strategy Tips
- Board Control: Try to control the center of the board to expand your range of action.
- Interaction of Pieces: Use unique movement patterns like those of the Sleifer and Courier to launch surprise attacks.
- Simple Targets: Look out for unprotected enemy pieces and seize every opportunity to gain a material advantage.
The Courier Chess offers a fascinating expansion to regular chess, with its unique pieces and larger board adding strategic depth.
