Monochromatic chess

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Raymond Smullyan
Image:chess zhor 26.png
Image:chess zver 26.png a8 b8 c8 d8 e8 kd f8 g8 h8 Image:chess zver 26.png
a7 b7 c7 d7 e7 f7 g7 h7
a6 b6 c6 d6 e6 f6 g6 h6
a5 b5 c5 d5 e5 f5 g5 h5
a4 b4 kl c4 d4 e4 f4 g4 h4
a3 b3 c3 d3 e3 f3 g3 hl h3
a2 b2 c2 d2 pl e2 f2 pl g2 h2
a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1
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Monochromatc chess: What color is pawn g3?

Monochromatic chess is a chess variant created by Raymond Smullyan, in which the initial board position and all rules are the same as in regular chess, except that pieces which begin on a black square must always stay on a black square and pieces which begin on a white square must always stay on a white square. This means that knights can never move, castling can only be done on the King's side, and pawns can only move by capturing or by advancing two squares for their first move. A stalemate occurs if a player's King is not in check but the player nevertheless has no legal moves under the rules of the game. Similarly, a checkmate occurs if the King is placed in check and the King has no legal moves under the rules of the game. This means that certain board positions in regular chess which would not result in the end of the game can be checkmates or stalemates in monochromatic chess. For example, each player has one bishop for which it is impossible to obtain checkmate with just this bishop and a king, while it is impossible with the other bishop along with the king, since only one bishop is capable of threatening the King of the opposing side.

This variant is used mostly in chess problems. Smullyan's example asks: What color is pawn g3 - white or black? Answer is black, white king can walk from e1 only with castling (O-O) and then g1-h2-g3-... so Pg3 can't be white.

In opposite bichromatic chess, only moves that change square color are legal. Hence pawns cannot capture (or advance two squares) and bishops cannot move. Also castling and en passant are impossible, and queens are the same as rooks.

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