Most fairy pieces fall into one of three classes, although it
should be noted that some are hybrid pieces (see the Chinese pieces,
for example, which move as riders, but capture as hoppers) and others do not
fall into this scheme at all:
A leaper is a piece which moves a fixed distance and which
can jump over any pieces between its departure and destination squares. A
leaper's move is usually described by giving the number of squares it moves
horizontally and vertically per move. For example, the
knight in
orthodox chess is a (2,1) leaper, meaning it moves two squares in one direction
(horizontally or vertically) and one square in the other (note that it could
also be described as a (1,2) leaper - there is no significance to the order of
the numbers).
In shatranj, a forerunner to chess, the pieces which were
later replaced by the
bishop and
queen were also
leapers: the alfil was a (2,2) leaper (moving exactly two squares
diagonally in any direction), and the fers a (1,1) leaper (that is, it
can move one square diagonally in any direction).
Some leapers can chose between several different lengths of
move - the king in
orthodox chess, for example, which can move one square in any direction, could
be considered a (1,1) or (1,0) leaper.
Leapers are not able to create
pins, although they
are often effective
forking pieces.
A rider is a piece which can move an unlimited distance in
one direction, providing there are no pieces in the way.
There are three riders in orthodox chess: the
rook can move an
unlimited number of (1,0) cells and is therefore a (1,0) rider; the bishop is a
(1,1) rider; and the queen is a (1,1) or (1,0) rider.
The most popular fairy chess rider is the nightrider,
which can make an unlimited number of knight moves (that is, 2,1 cells) in any
direction (though, like other riders, it cannot change direction half-way
through its move).
The names of riders are often obtained by taking the name of
a leaper which moves a similar cell-size and adding the suffix rider.
For example, the zebra is a (3,2) leaper, and the zebrarider
is a (3,2) rider (though note that a knight (a (2,1) leaper) becomes a
nightrider (without an initial K) not a knightrider.
A hopper is a piece which moves by jumping over another piece
(this intervening piece is called a hurdle). Unless it can jump over a
piece, it cannot move.
There are no hoppers in orthodox chess, although in xiangqi,
the cannon captures as a hopper (when not capturing, it is a rider - the
so-called Chinese pieces (see below) share this characteristic).
The most popular hopper in fairy chess is the grasshopper,
which moves along the same lines as an orthodox queen, except that it must hop
over some other piece and land on the square immediately beyond it.
Note that hoppers generally capture by taking the piece on
the destination square, not by taking the hurdle (as is the case in
checkers). An exception is the locust.
A royal piece is one which cannot be allowed to be threatened
with capture. If a royal piece is threatened with capture and cannot avoid
capture next move, then the game is lost (this is checkmate). In
orthodox chess, each side has one royal piece, the king. In fairy chess any
other orthodox piece or fairy piece may instead be designated royal, there may
be more than one royal piece, or there may no royal pieces at all (in which case
the aim of the game must be something other than to deliver checkmate).
Amazon: a piece combining the powers of
the queen and the knight. Also known as a maharaja.
Andernach grasshopper: a grasshopper
which changes the colour of the hurdle it leaps over. Also known as a
chopper. See also
Andernach chess.
Berolina pawn: a piece which moves one
square diagonally forward (except on its first move, when it may move two),
but captures by moving one square straight forward. Compare with pawn.
Bishop: a (1,1) rider. Found in orthodox
chess.
Camel: a (3,1) leaper.
Cannon: see pao.
Cardinal: a piece combining the powers of
bishop and knight. Also called a princess.
Chancellor: another name for the
empress.
Chinese pieces: a collective name for
pieces derived from units found in xiangqi, the Chinese form of chess. The
most common Chinese pieces are the leo, pao and vao
(each of which are drevied from the Chinese cannon) and the mao
(derived from the horse). Those derived from the cannon are distinguished by
moving as a leaper when capturing, but otherwise moving as a rider. Less
frequenly encountered Chinese pieces include the moa, nao
and rao.
Chopper: another name for the
Andernach grasshopper.
Dabbabba: a (2,0) leaper.
Elephant: A (2,2) leaper, but it cannot
jump over an intervening piece, like the mao. In Chinese
Chess, the elephant is restricted to its half of the board.
Empress: a piece combining the powers of
the rook and knight. Also called an chancellor.
Fers: a piece which can move one square in
any direction diagonally; it can be considered a (1,1) leaper. Found in
shatranj.
Giraffe: a (4,1) leaper.
Grasshopper: a hopper which moves along
the same lines as a queen and lands on the square immediately beyond that of
the hurdle. One of the most popular fairy pieces.
King: a piece which can move one square in
any direction; it could be considered a (1,0) or (1,1) leaper. Found in
orthodox chess, when it is royal. A non-royal piece which moves in this way is
sometimes called a Mann.
Knight: a (2,1) leaper. Found in orthodox
chess.
Knighted piece: any piece which, in
addition to its normal powers, can move like a knight. For example, an
amazon is a knighted queen.
Kraken: a piece which can leap to any
square on the board, including the one it is currently on (leaping to the
current square has the effect of passing a move). Compare with universal
leaper.
Leo: a Chinese piece which
combines the powers of the pao and vao; it is therefore a
piece which moves like a queen when not capturing (that is, a (1,0) or (1,1)
rider), but captures by leaping over an intervening piece and taking the piece
on the leo's destination square (the captured piece can be any number of
squares beyond the hurdle).
Lion: a hopper which moves along the same
lines as a queen and which can land on a sqaure any distance beyond
the hurdle.
Locust: any piece which captures by
hopping over its victim (as in draughts).
Maharaja: another name for an Amazon.
Mao: a Chinese piece which moves
like a knight except that it does not leap. It first moves one square
orthogonally in any direction, and then continues in the same general
direction one square diagonally. The square it is on after its orthogonal move
must be vacant. For example, if a white mao is on b2 and there is a white pawn
on b3, the mao cannot move to a4 or c4; if the pawn is on c3, however, it can
move to both those squares (because the first part of the move is orthogonal,
not diagonal).
Moa: as the mao, but the first
step is diagonal and the second orthogonal, not the other way round.
Nao: a Chinese nightrider - that
is, a piece which moves as a normal nightrider (that is, a (2,1) rider) when
not capturing, but which captures by leaping over an intervening piece and
taking the piece on the nao's destination square (the captured piece can be
any number of knight-moves beyond the hurdle).
Nightrider: A rider which moves any number
of 2,1 cells (ie, knight moves) in the same direction). A nightrider on b2 on
an empty board, therefore, can move to a4, c4, d5, e7, d3, f4, h5 and d1. A
pawn of the opposing colour on d5 could be captured, but the nightrider could
not move any further in that direction. A pawn on, for example, b3, would have
no effect. One of the most popular fairy pieces.
Pao: a Chinese piece which moves
like a rook when not capturing (that is, a (1,0) rider), but captures by
leaping over an intervening piece and taking the piece on the pao's
destination square (the captured piece can be any number of squares beyond the
hurdle). Found in xiangqi (in which context it is normally known in English as
a cannon).
Pawn: one of the pieces in orthodox chess
which moves one square straight forward (except on its first move, when it may
move two squares), but captures one square forward diagonally. Compare with
Berolina pawn.
Princess: another name for the
cardinal.
Queen: a (1,0) or (1,1) rider. Combines
the powers of the bishop and rook. Found in orthodox chess.
Rao: a Chinese rose - that is, a
piece which moves as a normal rose when not capturing, but which captures by
leaping over an intervening piece and taking the piece on the rao's
destination square (the captured piece can be any distance beyond the hurdle).
Rook: a (1,0) rider. Found in orthodox
chess.
Rose: a piece which moves as a
nightrider, except that rather than moving in a straight line, it moves
along pseudo-circular ones. A rose standing on e1 on an empty board, for
instance, can move to any of the squares on the large circle c2, b4, c6, e7,
g6, h4 and g2; as well as d3 and b4; or d3, e5 and g6 and so on. As with the
nightrider, an opposite-coloured piece on any one of these squares can be
captured, but prevents the rose from progressing any further along that line.
Universal leaper: a piece which can leap
to any square on the board apart from the one it is on. Compare with
kraken.
Vao: a Chinese piece which moves
like a bishop when not capturing (that is, a (1,1) rider), but captures by
leaping over an intervening piece and taking the piece on the vao's
destination square (the captured piece can be any number of squares beyond the
hurdle).
Wazir: a piece which can move one square
orthogonally in any direction; it can be considered a (1,0) leaper.