Raptor Chess Main Start position Coordinates for white. (black mirrors white) Rooks on a1, j1 Knights on b1,i1 Bishops on c1,h1 Raptors on d1, g1 Queen on e1 King on f1 Birds on e0,f0. |
diag 1 (sideways rook rep. the Bird) | Diag. 1: The Bird on f4 is posing multiple threats to black's pieces. It is threatening to destroy the black bishop on f7 by leaping f4-f8. It is threatening the black rook on d4 by moving f4-d4. It cannot land on any squares beyond d4. This same short-range prowess gives it the ability to threaten f4-h4, flying over and bombing pawn on g4 and landing/bombing rook on h4. The Bird cannot move to g4 by capturing the pawn, it must eliminate both the pawn and the rook. If there was no rook on h4 then the Bird can just capture the pawn by leaping f4-h4. The Bird IS giving check to the king because it is exactly 2 squares away, and the bird can land on f2. The Bird is not threatening the knight on f1 since it is more than 2 squares away and there is no empty square beyond it. If the king moves, the knight will not be under attack either. |
diag 2 (sideways rook rep. flying bomber) | Diag 2: Here the Bird is hampered by Black’s Pieces. It is not checking the king at d7 because there is no empty square behind it (and not exactly 2 squares away from it). The rook on d8 is pinned, because moving it would enable the king to be captured. However, the king can simply move away and the rook on d8 is not threatened because there is no empty square beyond it. The rook on e4 is adjacent to the flying bomber and threatening it. But the Bird cannot do anything because the white pawn occupies f4 and the Bird needs an empty square after its target. If f4 was an empty square, the Bird could capture the rook, and if there was another enemy piece on f4 instead of the white pawn, then the bird could have captured both pieces. The Bird does attack the pawn on d2. It can fly d4-d1 OR even d4-d2 to eliminate the pawn. Because it is 2 squares away, the bird can land on the same square as its target. |
diag 3 (sideways rook rep. flying bomber) | Diag 3: Here the black bird is threatening white’s pawns at d4 and a7. However, the white bishop is defending both pawns (colored squares). To make matters worse the bishop is also attacking the bird! |
The Raptor on d4 can capture pawn on b6 by flying over to a7 or by flying to b6 (2 square helicopter landing) It can capture the knight by flying over to h8. It can capture both the pawn and rook by flying over to f2. It cannot fly beyond f2 and it must capture both since it cannot move to e3. The Raptor cannot capture the pawn at c3 since it is blocked by the white pawn at b2. Note that the ninja guard could have captured on c3, as well as on e3, f2, or b6 but it could not have captured the knight at g7. Diag shows smaller board than that used for game. |