This game is an ASYMMETRIC variant of "Rock around the Sun". Two teams, the Younsters and the Oldstars, rock around the center. A team is winner when it gets four own men in a row, either horizontally or vertically or diagonally.
The asymmetry starts with the number of men: There are six youngsters, but only five oldstars. The Youngsters have to drop all their men within the first six moves - like dropping pieces in "9 Men's Morris". The Oldstars have more freedom: they may move already before all men are dropped - like in "Lasker Morris". Three more detail rules are included to balance the game:
- The very first youngster has to be dropped on square a5.
- The Youngsters have lost when they are stalemated.
- The game ends in a draw when the Oldstars are stalemated.
In memoriam Erwin Hecker, 1903 - 2003
Erwin Hecker was born on September 15, 1903, in Silesia. He became a strong chess player and loved the game for all his life. Besides normal tournament chess he enjoyed especially playing in simultaneous exhibitions. Once he participated against Dr. Emanuel Lasker. Hecker's game was the last, and Lasker took a chair to sit down for a complicated rook ending. It was drawish, but finally the former World Champion found a way to break through. In later years Hecker achieved several nice wins in simul events, for instance against Efvim Bogoljubow and Dr. Helmut Pfleger. On January 28, 2003, Erwin Hecker died in the circle of his family.
This game is meant in memory of his 100-th birthday. The pieces show Erwin Hecker at the ages of 25 and 85, respectively. Thank you, Erwin, for all you gave us!
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