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Gustavian-Cannon Chess

This page contains one or more presets for playing a game online with Game Courier, an online server for playing Chess variants by correspondence.

Gustavian Cannon Chess follows the rules of orthodox chess. It is played on the Gustavian board with extra corner squares, on which Swedish Cannons are placed. After having jumped any piece, the Swedish cannon can both slide and capture like a rook. However, if no jump move exists it's allowable to slide like a rook, but without capturing. The Swedish Cannon has about the same value as a bishop (estimate). Pawns can, additionally, promote to Cannon. Interestingly, if the enemy Cannon has no jumps, then one can sometimes position a piece so as to provide a jumping option, thus preventing the Cannon from using his right to move like a rook.

When the Swedish Cannon cannot jump it may
slide like a rook, but without capture.

As long as there are jump moves, the Swedish
Cannon functions like a Korean Cannon, it
both slides and captures after the jump.

Extended castle: when castling the king may jump three squares, but it can also jump two as usual. The rook ends up on its usual square. The extended castling rule makes play on the wings easier to achieve. The king can rapidly take control over the kingside or queenside corner square, and advancement on the wing can occur without putting the king at risk.

In the following preset moves are validated and automated, including Cannon moves, castling and 'en passant', but check, etc., are not parsed. Pieces can be moved by pointing and clicking. When promoting a pawn, it will automatically turn into a Queen. Should you prefer another piece then you must type the promotion move manually (e.g., add N a8; capture a7). Use small piece-letters for black. E-mails to your opponent are generated, but you can play online by intermittently pressing the browser's update button.


Gustavian Cannon Chess



(You can also download a Zillions implementation here.)

See also my other Game Courier presets.



This 'user submitted' page is a collaboration between the posting user and the Chess Variant Pages. Registered contributors to the Chess Variant Pages have the ability to post their own works, subject to review and editing by the Chess Variant Pages Editorial Staff.

By M Winther.
Web page created: 2009-06-24. Web page last updated: 2009-06-24