equipped with the latest Rybka and multi-core computers. Below is the
statistics for all the ICCF games in 2008- 2009 (when the multi-core
boom began) for players above 2400.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Opening...Games....W....L....D....Draws..Score...% of all
--------------------------------------------------------------------
All...2211......+310 -130 =1771 80.1% 54.1%...100.0%
1.e4 1385.......+222 -69 =1094 79.0% 55.5%....62.6%
1.d4 595.........+ 57 -43 =495...83.2% 51.2%....26.9%
As you can see, the draw percentage is 80.1% This figure will continue
to increase and soon reach 90%. Then it won't make any sense anymore
to play at this level. 1.d4 doesn't look very promising, scoring only
51.2%. I suspect that this has to do with the fact that 1.d4 contains
much less variance than 1.e4, whose opening tree is much wider.
An obvious and irritating quality of orthochess is the drawishness of
practical endgames. Comparatively, this problem does not exist in
Chinese Chess. I have investigated diverse minor alterations in the
pawn movement that would serve to lessen the draw rate. Such rules
could be used in circumstances when the draw rate is too high.
Rule changes, at least for alternative tournaments, are not unthinkable.
In the late 17th century, I believe, the en passant was introduced.
Still there exist conservative chessplayers in town parks in Europe that
refuse to play with the en passant. It's human nature. What one was
taught as young counts as absolute truth.
~ Reformed Chess ~
One might, for instance, study what happens if we introduce a swapping
rule that allows a pawn, that has reached the seventh rank, to change
place with an enemy piece standing before it, except the enemy king,
as proposed in my Reformed Chess article.
In the diagram, which portrays a normally drawn endgame, white wins by
swapping with the rook at a8, and promoting to queen. This little
extra pawn capacity, acquired at the seventh rank, will not have any
other side-effects. The only consequence is that the move will
increase, dramatically, the number of won endgames. Wins are achieved
in situations which are normally drawn, when an enemy knight, bishop,
rook, or queen, blocks the pawn on the last rank. Of course, the
defender can remedy the situation by controlling the promotion square
with one extra piece, or placing the king in front of the pawn (while
the king cannot be swapped).
In this way, it makes sense to play practical endgames again. Today,
you must notoriously concede to draw after having fought with a
strategical initiative in the whole game. But with proposals such as
these, it is hopefully possible to change the drawish quality of
endgames.
I have created an online program (in Game Courier) that plays Reformed
Chess. One can move by pointing and clicking. Also the new swap move
is automated. The preset, at each move, generates an email to the
opponent's address. But one can also play directly by intermittently
clicking the browser's update button. The opponent's move is visible
in the diagram.
Reformed Chess (an online program for playing)
~ Improved Chess ~
Another alternative is to introduce an oblique pawn move to an
empty square, if the pawn is blocked on the seventh rank, as
proposed in my Improved Chess article.
If its forward movement is blocked on the seventh rank (alternatively,
beyond the fifth) the improved Pawn can move to empty squares
east-north-east and west-north-west. Of course, this would mean that
non-trivial endgames K + P vs K are all won. Below is a link to an email
preset for those who want to test it.
Improved Chess (an online program for playing)
Mats