PASSED PAWNS CHESS

(A Decimal Falcon Chess Variant)

GAME RULES

All orthodox Falcon Chess rules apply except no pawn double step.
Free castling here is to b4, c4, e4, or f4 on one side; h4 or i4 with the other Rook.
Promotion is to Rook, Knight, Bishop or Falcon, as in orthodox Falcon chess. White pawns promote at rank 10 only, Black at rank 1 only.
Object is to checkmate King.

INITIAL ARRAY

10   *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  
 9   *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
 8   *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
 7   R  N  B  Q  F  F  K  B  N  R
 6   p  p  p  p  p  p  p  p  p  p
 5  Bp Bp Bp Bp Bp Bp Bp Bp Bp Bp
 4  BR BN BB BQ BF BF BK BB BN BR
 3   *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
 2   *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
 1   *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
     a  b  c  d  e  f  g  h  i  j

STRATEGY

Once any pawn b through i moves, (An adjacent piece must have moved first) an opposing Falcon may be able to slide through to that side of board from the initial set-up. Once a pawn 'a' or 'j' (or 'c' or 'h') clears out, opponent's Knight has a route from its array position without having to capture. Notice that there can never be a move 'PxP', although strictly that is not in the rules. Good strategy takes delicate balance among promoting Pawns in just four steps, protecting King, and going to the close half of board to attack.

Variant: 8x8 Passed Pawns Chess

In this case, the best piece mix and array is NFBKRBFN as:

8  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  
7  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  
6  N  F  B  K  R  B  F  N
5  p  p  p  p  p  p  p  p  
4  Bp Bp Bp Bp Bp Bp Bp Bp 
3  BN BF BB BK BR BB BF BN
2  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
1  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
   a  b  c  d  e  f  g  h

No castling. Promotion as usual to Knight, Bishop, Falcon or Rook. Note that Pawns promote in just three squares, but after one or two it is not easy.

[Falcon Chess based on US Patent 5690334]