|
Evidence for Acedrex de los Cuatros Tiempos
1 pieces of evidence found.
Id DLP.Evidence.1175
Type Contemporary rule description
Location Alfonso X
Date 1283-01-01 - 1283-12-31
Rules Played on an 8x8 checkered board, with large diagonals drawn on the inner square 4x4 spaces. Four players, seated, from top left, anti-clockwise: red, black, white, green.Each player has four pawns, a knight, a bishop, a rook, and a king. The kings begin in the corner space, with the knight to the adjacent square in the row with the king, the rook in the square in the column adjacent to the king, and the fil in the remaining 2x2 square in the corner. the pawns are placed on the orthogonally adjacent squares to this formation. Pieces move as follows: King: One square in any direction. Knight: As a knight in Chess. Rook: Orthogonally any number of spaces. Fil: moves diagonally two spaces, jumping over any piece in the intervening square. Pawns: move forward along the direction of their nearest edge, but capture diagonally forward. Upon reaching the opposite edge of the board, pawns are immediately promoted to Fers, which moves diagonally one space in any direction. Pieces are taken by moving onto a space occupied by an enemy piece. Kings cannot be in check, if a king is checkmated that player loses. Each player makes an opening bet. Any time a player loses a piece or their king is placed in check, they must pay into the pot. When a player's king is checkmated, they must pay into the pot for their remaining pieces. Each player may capture only the pieces of the player to their right. As players are eliminated, the targeted player is change accordingly.
Content "Here begins another chess that was made after the four seasons of the year, which the ancient wise men divined...How the four-seasons board is made and how many colours the pieces are and how they are arranged on it
This board should be made in this way: square with eight spaces per side for a total of sixty-four. It is to have four lines in the shape of an “x” that goes from the second [inside corner] square [b2, b7, g2, or g7] and goes to the second [inside corner] square diagonally across. The other line does the same. The one that goes through white squares is to be black and the one that goes through black, white in order to divide between the types of pieces. And these lines that cut through the squares mark the direction in which the pawns are to move first – those to the right move to the right and likewise for those to the left. They capture forward and diagonally as pawns should capture.
And these pieces are thirty-two in total and are to be set up in the four corners of the board. Each arrangement is to have eight pieces that are a king, a rook, a knight, a fil, and four pawns. All pieces are to move wherever they want according to their movements in the other chess that is more common.
And this is their arrangement: the kings are placed in the corner most squares on the board. The rook is next to the king, the knight is on the other, and the fil in front of him. Two pawns face one side of the board and the other two face the other. In this chess there is no fers until one of the pawns is promoted.
And there are four kings and four men each with his pieces of his colour are to play on it.
And the colours are these four that we have said correspond to the seasons. Spring’s pieces are green; summer’s are red; autumn’s black, and winter’s white.
On how they are to begin to play with these pieces.
The player with the green pieces is to play first and he should move towards his right, towards the other player who has the red pieces. This is like spring moving towards summer. He who has the red pieces should also play towards the other player who has the white pieces at the same time defending himself from green. The one with the black pieces is to play also towards his right, against the player who has the white (The ms. says black in error. Black, whose move is being described, cannot play towards himself. However, it is interesting to note that the two words used for black are different. In the first chapter, the “Libro del acedrex”, the word used for black is always prieto whether describing the black pieces or the black squares on the board. In this fifth chapter of four-player games the word used to refer to the black chess pieces is always negro while the black squares are described with prieto. In four-player tables the word used for black’s pieces is once again prieto. In the seventh and final chapter on astrological games, the word used for Saturn’s black piece is negro in both the chess and the tables.) guarding always from attack from the player with the red pieces. He who has the white pieces should do the same, guarding against attack from black. After [the first move] each player may move according to his will.
And thus in playing these four players take from one another like the seasons of the year which also take from one another.
And each of these four players should make an opening wager. Thereafter for each piece that a player loses he should pay an amount as well as for each check given to a king.
And when a player is checkmated he pays the victor an amount for as many pieces as he has on the board and then removes his pieces. Of the three players that remain thereafter, the first to be defeated leaves on the board as much as he has won and an amount for each of his pieces that remain when he is checkmated. Of the two remaining players, the one who wins takes all the money on the board plus the loser gives him an amount for each of his remaining pieces.
And this is what the board and pieces look like as well as their arrangement, painted here." Golladay n.d.: f. 87-89
Confidence 100
Social status Elite, Nobility
Spaces Inside
Genders Male
Source Golladay, S. M. n.d. Alfonso X’s Book of Games. Translated by Sonja Musser Golladay.
|
