Show HN: Chess but you make your own starting position(chess39.com)
chess39.com
Show HN: Chess but you make your own starting position
https://chess39.com/
13 comments
Bug report: The computer promoted a pawn to a rook and in at the same time I got check mated by the rook. The UI didn't detect the check mate, I just were unable to move.
It would be nice to add the initial position to the transcript, and also a permalink to share the game.
It would be nice to add the initial position to the transcript, and also a permalink to share the game.
Thank you a lot for the review and great ideas, we’ll be working to add the suggested features!
Castling is possible if king and rook were spawned on the standard chess positions and hadn’t moved (e.g. king on e1 and rook on a1)
Pawns move two squares from the second row only.
There is an option to save your setup (for registered users) and also option to set up for computer (in computer settings).
Tournament is a super idea, neat way to make a theory of setups:)
Awesome ideas with the initial position transcript and permalinks, we’ll work on the implementation!
Castling is possible if king and rook were spawned on the standard chess positions and hadn’t moved (e.g. king on e1 and rook on a1)
Pawns move two squares from the second row only.
There is an option to save your setup (for registered users) and also option to set up for computer (in computer settings).
Tournament is a super idea, neat way to make a theory of setups:)
Awesome ideas with the initial position transcript and permalinks, we’ll work on the implementation!
In Chess960, castling has some weird rules. I don't like them, but people would expect those rules. (I'm not sure about what happens when the rock and king are not in the last rank. Probably not castling is fine.)
About pawns, it's strange because if it starts at the the first rank it can move 1-2-1-1-1-... What about no pawns in the first rank?
Anyway, the game is fine as it is and I'm a professional chess player and I'm not sure if they can be added to the engine.
PS: Another win and a few draws (and a lot of loses) with: 12 paws in the white squares in ranks 2,3,4 and 9 bishops in the black squares. I'm trying to swap a bishop for a rook or knight or a bishop of the other color, to avoid stupid draws.
PS2: I guess 8 pawns in the second rank and 8 bishops in the third rank and something to complete would be nice, but I had not tried it.
About pawns, it's strange because if it starts at the the first rank it can move 1-2-1-1-1-... What about no pawns in the first rank?
Anyway, the game is fine as it is and I'm a professional chess player and I'm not sure if they can be added to the engine.
PS: Another win and a few draws (and a lot of loses) with: 12 paws in the white squares in ranks 2,3,4 and 9 bishops in the black squares. I'm trying to swap a bishop for a rook or knight or a bishop of the other color, to avoid stupid draws.
PS2: I guess 8 pawns in the second rank and 8 bishops in the third rank and something to complete would be nice, but I had not tried it.
Too late to edit:
> I'm a professional chess player
I'm NOT a professional chess player
> I'm a professional chess player
I'm NOT a professional chess player
Spot on with castling and pawns! One idea is to allow pawns to jump from 1 to 3, I believe that’s how it’s done in horde.
Nice setup ideas! Beating the bot is quite hard, so maybe you are professional? :) If you want to make the bot even smarter, you can increase depth and think time in settings
Nice setup ideas! Beating the bot is quite hard, so maybe you are professional? :) If you want to make the bot even smarter, you can increase depth and think time in settings
Some will guesses, because guessing is free:
* I like the idea of using a lot of Bishops to snap a Queen or Rook in the first move. That's all my plan! And then try to lose material slowly, and win before the computer can compensate the difference.
* Looking at one of the fists game of Starcraft of AlphaStar, I guess that a lot of Bishops are overpowered for the computer, but difficult to use by a human. They are nice for the first few moves, but later they are too difficult to use for humans.
* A set of 13 Knight is probably better for the computer. It may make Magnus cry like a baby.
* I'm still surprised that Stockfish is so good in ridiculous scenarios.
* I like the idea of using a lot of Bishops to snap a Queen or Rook in the first move. That's all my plan! And then try to lose material slowly, and win before the computer can compensate the difference.
* Looking at one of the fists game of Starcraft of AlphaStar, I guess that a lot of Bishops are overpowered for the computer, but difficult to use by a human. They are nice for the first few moves, but later they are too difficult to use for humans.
* A set of 13 Knight is probably better for the computer. It may make Magnus cry like a baby.
* I'm still surprised that Stockfish is so good in ridiculous scenarios.
* 13 Bishops at the 3rd and 4th rank + King at the 1st rank is very good. I'm getting probably a 75% winrate :) . Enough to be (slightly) angry when I lose or draw, instead of super mega happy when I ever win with the old strategy.
It depends on the current computer method that usually puts a Queen and a Rook on a vulnerable starting position, so I guess it can be counter.
Anyway, the bot plays badly when it is hopeless, like after loosing 2 Queens in exchange of 2 Bishops. At my level of play, the opponent can always make a mistake, so even in stupid bad situations a good idea is not to trade material when loosing. I'm not sure if it's possible to modify the bot to assume there is always a hope. (Anyway, the bot target my Bishops of the color with the smaller amount. If there are only one color of Bishops it's a draw.)
It depends on the current computer method that usually puts a Queen and a Rook on a vulnerable starting position, so I guess it can be counter.
Anyway, the bot plays badly when it is hopeless, like after loosing 2 Queens in exchange of 2 Bishops. At my level of play, the opponent can always make a mistake, so even in stupid bad situations a good idea is not to trade material when loosing. I'm not sure if it's possible to modify the bot to assume there is always a hope. (Anyway, the bot target my Bishops of the color with the smaller amount. If there are only one color of Bishops it's a draw.)
Make any starting position with 39 points of material. When players are ready the setups are revealed and normal chess rules apply.
Play against computer, with a friend, or multiplayer
Play against computer, with a friend, or multiplayer
Interesting! I launched the chess960v2.com project a couple of days ago! I'm actively working on the online game, and I think it'll be ready in a couple of days. Why 39 points of material?
Looking forward to see!
39 is the total in standard chess - if you sum up values of a queen, 2 rooks, 2 bishops, 2 knights, and 8 pawns the result is 39. King should be on board but doesn’t count towards the total since it’s basically infinite
39 is the total in standard chess - if you sum up values of a queen, 2 rooks, 2 bishops, 2 knights, and 8 pawns the result is 39. King should be on board but doesn’t count towards the total since it’s basically infinite
It's pretty unbalanced. The computer opponent can decide which pieces it uses after I make my choice.
Each opponent sets up for themselves so by default computer makes its own setup
In computer settings you can toggle manual setup for computer, which allows you to set up for computer
You can also let computer play against itself! Make two setups and see which one is stronger
In computer settings you can toggle manual setup for computer, which allows you to set up for computer
You can also let computer play against itself! Make two setups and see which one is stronger
Some feature requests:
The material counter definetively needs a bar too.
It's not clear when I selected a piece to move it, they need more highlighting.
A visual icon for check and checkmate.
When can I castle? When can I move a pawn two squares?
Option to repeat my last starting position. The computer position too?
It woud be interesting to see which starting positions are more popular. If you have alot of spare computing power to organize a tournament between starting positions. (I expect something complicated like a Nash equilibrium and optimal starting strategies that are a probablilistic mix of starting positions.)
[1] spoiler alert: drop a few pawn and upgrade the knight and bishops to rook, double them on the side and hope the oposite king has not enougt protection for a frontal atack.