Asylum Redux!

Introduction

Asylum Redux (or Asylum Chess 2) is a complete makeover of asylum chess resulting in a more balanced but still very exciting chess game.
It features the following new pieces

• The Insane Snake Bishop - An intricately complex dual path sliding moveset combined with the basic Bishop moveset .
• The Loony Snake Rook - An inverse of the dual path mechanism of the Snake Bishop combined with the normal Rook moves.
• The Ferz Knight - Combines the powers of the knight with a diagonal stepper.
• The Wazir Knight - Combines the powers of the knight with an orthogonal stepper.
• The Ninja Pawn - Combines the movement of the pawn with additional lateral movement and capture capabilities

Board Setup

The board is set up as follows for the white side (black side will mirror this): Rook on a1 Wazir Knight on b1 Bishop on c1 Insane Snake Bishop on d1 Mad Queen on e1 King on f1 Loony Snake Rook on g1 Bishop on h1 Ferz Knight on i1 Rook on j1 10 pawns from a2 to j2. Note that the lower right square is white, and that kings occupy the same color square. 5 Ninja pawns to be dropped one per turn into empty space from a2-j2

Pieces and movement

The Insane Snake Bishop

The Insane Snake Bishop moves like a Bishop OR

It can move to the destination square by sliding along one of two unobstructed paths:
• Two diagonal steps followed by one step orthogonally outwards
• Or One orthogonal step followed by 2 steps diagonally outwards.

In addition to moving/capturing like a bishop, the Insane Snake Bishop can slide to squares in green. It can take one of 2 paths as shown by the arrows. The knight at b5 and the pawn at c5 block both paths to a6. The pawn on b3 blocks one of the paths to a2 but it can still go two diagonally and 1 orthogonal square outwards to reach a2.

The Loony Snake Rook:

The Loony Snake Rook moves like a Rook OR

It can move to the destination square by sliding along one of two unobstructed paths:
• Two orthogonal steps followed by one step diagonally outwards
• Or One diagonal step followed by 2 steps orthogonally outwards.

In addition to moving/capturing like a Rook, the Loony Snake Rook can slide to squares in green. It can take one of 2 paths as shown by the arrows. The knight at c3 and the pawn at c4 block both paths to a3. The Knight on c3 blocks one of the paths to c1 but it can still go two orthogonally and 1 diagonally outwards to reach c1.

Note that you cannot interpose a piece if the rook directly checks a king.

The Mad Queen

This is the same mad queen in standard chess and so has the same moves.

The Bishop

Moves exactly as in standard chess.

King

Same as in standard chess.

The Ferz-Knight

- moves like a knight or makes one step diagonally.

The Wazir-Knight

- moves like a knight or makes one step orthogonally.

The Pawn

It captures diagonally up as in standard Chess.
The pawn can move 1-3 spaces forward towards the center (rank 5 for white, rank 6 for black).
Even if it moved 1 space forward initially or captured from original position, it can move 2 spaces towards the center on the next turn. i.e On any turn, the pawn can go forward 1-multiple spaces to reach the center rank.
From the middle (rank 5 for white, rank 6 for black), it can step only 1 space forward into the upper half of board, but from thereafter it can go one or two vacant spaces forward.
For example, a pawn can start at e2 push forward to e5 then make one step to e6 then go e8, and promote at e10 in 4 moves!
Thus only from the middle is the pawn required to move forward just 1 space to enter enemy half of board.
A pawn can capture en-passant any enemy pawn that on the last move made multiple steps and bypassed it.
Pawns can now promote to: Mad Queen, Insane Snake Bishop, Bishop, Ferz Knight, Wazir Knight or Loony Snake Rook on the 10th rank only.

The Ninja Pawn

Like the standard Pawn, it captures 1 space diagonally, moves multiple steps towards the center, thereafter moves 1 square forward into enemy territory, and subsequently on enemy half of board 1 or 2 spaces forward.
Additionally, it can move 1 space sideways without capturing.
If it is on the enemy side of the board (For White, rank 6+; for Black, rank 5-), the Ninja Pawn can capture 1 space sideways as well.
En passant does NOT apply to the Ninja Pawn.
5 Ninja Pawns can be dropped (1 per turn) into an empty space on the 2nd rank by either side during the course of play .
The Ninja Pawn can be optionally pushed forward (1-multiple spaces) towards the middle during the same turn after being dropped.
The Ninja Pawn promotes just as the standard pawn does.

Rules

• Castling is done by moving the king 1, 2, or 3 (or even 4 on Q-side) squares to the left or right and moving the rook next to it.
• All other rules as in standard Chess.

Play Asylum Redux on Game Courier at Chessvariants.org

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