Grasshopper Chess (game: cobra91 - vickalan)

Let's try: 1. G e2-c4

Grasshopper Chess is home to some of the finest tactics in all the land. While that may well be its only true strength, the uniquely tactical dynamics alone make for the most pleasant of game-playing experiences you'll find anywhere. Better chess variants do exist, but make no mistake - they are rare as can be, and none are more enjoyable.

I'm already well aware of Game Courier's capabilities, because I occasionally played there for ~2 years or so. Be warned: it's all too easy to get sucked into the mentality of the site's really hardcore players, who are always testing their limits with respect to things like the number of games they can play simultaneously, the number of different variants being spanned by those simultaneous games, and the complexity of both the gameplay and rule sets of said variants.

I eventually realized the activity was beginning to consume a little too much of my free time, and also suddenly noticed I did not enjoy the games as much as I once had. Thus, my presence on Game Courier is now on an indefinite hiatus.

Can you let me know if I misunderstand something or does Wikipedia have a mistake? Wikipedia shows this diagram, and says that black king is in check if G jumps to b2.

If G is at b2 then the black king is not attacked, is it? Going in that direction the grasshopper can only jump to d4 again. Either I'm confused or Wikipedia has some bad info. I better get this figured out before this game gets too far!

But for now I will go ahead and play:

1...b5

I'll go ahead and show diagrams (image is from link above, and I cut and paste to make it current). It's not too much trouble, and I think it's more fun if we can both see the same image. Just let me know if I show any illegal move, or if the picture doesn't match the moves we make.

Whoever wrote that caption must have made an error. A grasshopper is not a full-fledged jumping queen, but rather a limited-range form which must land directly adjacent to the piece it hops over. So from b2 (in the diagram), the only squares it would attack are b7, d4, and e2.

I'm playing:  2. Gxf7

Yes, I know it's weird but so far I like this game!

OK, good. (not good for Wikipedia). Now I understand the grasshopper. I'll play:

2...Gd7xf7

Our makeshift notation for this game is still somewhat iffy:  3. Gdb4

In typical algebraic notation, only the file of origin is included. When that fails to remove the ambiguity, one gives the rank of origin, but omits the corresponding file. Listing both coordinates together is a last resort which never happens in practice.

Anyway, time to move:  4. d4

Oh, I didn't know that's the normal convention. Only listing the file or rank to remove an ambiguity. There's still a lot of grasshoppers (7 each) so I don't think it matters if we announce the origin of a grasshopper move. Just as long as we don't get confused.

I'll play:

4...a5

This is already getting interesting!

Since I am using a physical chess set (with checkers for the grasshoppers), mistakes in your diagrams are of little to no consequence for me, but I should still point out the errant omission of a pawn on e3 in the above position. Of course, there's no reason to delay the game over such minor details, so:  5. dxc5

  6. cxb4

I added the captured pieces at the side of the board. I'll play:

6...Ga7xa2

Showoff...  

  7. Gxa2

7...Gd7

One of us has overlooked something BIG, but I'm not yet sure who the beneficiary will be:  8. Qxd6

I don't see anything obvious that we both missed, except that a piece seems to be captured almost every move. After move 8, seven pieces captured (almost 1 per move)!

8...Ge7e5