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POCKET WIZARD

A Chess Variant By Simon Edward Jepps
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How To Play

Pocket Wizard is a variation of the popular Pocket Knight variant, which has been known to be played around the world.

It is unknown who however, if any an individual invented Pocket Knight, but the earliest records of its play are found to be from the late 19th century.

In short, the game is played with a Wizard instead of a Knight, and which may be 'dropped' into play at any time.

Yet this is not an Omega Wizard, a piece I am very fond of, for that piece is not compatible with the nature of this game.

This piece in this game is a specifically designed Pocket Wizard, hereby named the Wizardp.

• The Wizardp moves and captures by leaping directly to the SECOND square away in ANY direction.
  • However, the Wizardp MAY move SANS CAPTURE like a Knight THRICE in the game. After this move has been used THREE TIMES it is then exhausted for the game.

If you think about it, a Wizard makes much more sense than a Knight, because the very nature of this 'pocket' piece is to enter the game at any time unto any square - as if an otherworldly character materialising in time and space.

The rules are quite simple and as follows.

• Each player has ONE Wizardp 'off-board' awaiting deployment ~ its entrance a complete turn.
• Thy Wizardp MAY enter to ANY vacant LIKE-COLOURED square at ANY time... however:
  • ... MAY NOT enter to Attack the King OR Queen.
  • ... Thus MAY NOT enter to Deliver Check or Mate.
  • ... MAY NOT enter to Block Check.

Herewith, because thy Wizardp is allowed to enter play to ANY like-coloured square on EITHER side of the board, the design of the piece has to be such that it maintains a relatively short-range footprint, thus indeed one similar to that of a Knight.

As much as I love the Omega Wizard, the piece has quite a stride for something that could just pop out of thin air into your home camp - Rooks would be the immediate obvious target.

For this reason the Pocket Wizard or Wizardp moves & captures in the way described above and in the diagram.

Another reason for this piece design is that it provides more variation in movement patterns, rather than just merely another Knight. Of course the piece has to be a leaper, since Chess is imbalanced in that respect, and being a semi-colour-bound piece not only rectifies another imbalance but adds strategical wonder to choosing its deployment square.

All in all, I think this is a wonderful Qwik Var featuring a wonderful new Chess piece!

Thank you for reading.