|
Detailed, molded Simpson character chessmen include the hole family: Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, and Krusty the Clown. Folding 17" board with 1-1/2" blue and yellow squares. 3-1/2" Tall King. Includes attractive tin carry case.
Setting
Up The Game:
The chessboard is placed between two players who sit opposite each other.
Either player has a black corner square to his or her right. The pieces
are arranged as follows: On the baseline, starting from the outside in,
are placed the castles (Lisa Simpson), the knights (Krusty), and the bishops
(Bart Simpson), and on the two middle squares are placed the Kings (Homer Simpson)
and their queens (Marge Simpson). Marge Simpson (with black base) is always
placed on the black square and the Marge Simpson (with red base) is always on
the red square. The eight pawns (Maggie Simpson) are placed on the row
directly in front. |
The Object
of the Game and How to Play:
The aim of the game is to "checkmate" the opposite King. This means that,
on the next move, this King could be taken, and there is no further possibility
of taking evasive action. The Simpson's team (with black bases) goes first.,
then moves are made alternately. Each piece can take any other, ie the
piece which is take is removed from the board which has taken it has advanced
to occupy the square. It is not compulsory to take a piece or to save
a piece from threatened loss. This is, however, different when the King
(Homer Simpson) is threatened. If a piece threatens the opposing King
and is able to take him with the next move, the on informs one's opponent of
this by saying "check" out loud. The threatened player must now save his
King. and the piece threatening - if this is possible - or he can move
his King. Only when these options are no longer possible is the King in
"check mate". If neither of the players is able to "checkmate" the other,
then the game ends in a draw. "Stalemate" is a situation in which on of
the players can no longer execute a permitted move without the King being in
a "check" position. |
|
|
| The Pieces and their Values: |
|
|
|
Pawn (Maggie Simpson) |
The Pawn is the weakest
of all pieces. She can only be moved one square forward per move and can
never be moved backwards. Only with the very first move can she (if desired)
be moved two squares forward. The Pawn takes another piece diagonally
forwards, either right or left. By doing so, she leaves her own line in
order to advance to the adjacent line. As a Pawn on her own, she is very
weak, but when playing together with other Pawns, or with other pieces, she
gains in strength. |
Castle (Lisa Simpson) |
The castle moves
in a straight line in either direction left or right, backwards or forwards,
over as many empty squares as it likes. The castle compliments the bishop
but has a higher value. |
Knight (Krusty) |
The Knight is the
only piece that can jump over its own or enemies pieces which might be in the
way. The Knight moves one square ahead plus one square diagonally (in
other words: two straight squares in any direction plus one square to either
the left or the right). He can do this in any desired direction, so that
a Knight standing in the middle of the board, has eight possible moves at his
disposal. Because of this, this piece looks at first rather daunting,
but it's reach is limited. |
Bishop (Bart Simpson) |
The Bishop moves
diagonally over as many empty squares as it likes. However contrary to
the Knight, the Bishop and all other pieces on the baseline must first have
a space created for them before they can be moved, as the closed row row o Pawns
in front of them from moving beyond the basic set-up position. |
Queen (Marge Simpson) |
The Queen can move
diagonally, like the bishop, on in a straight line, like the Castle. She
is therefore the most agile piece on the board and thus the most valuable.
Losing one's Queen can soon mean losing the game. |
King (Homer Simpson) |
The King moves in
the same ways as the Queen, but only one square at a time. He is, in principle,
the figure whish the the target of all the enemy's pieces. Therefore,
he is in very great need of protection (as are all heroic knights). It
is also very difficult for him to take an opposing piece, without he himself
being threatened at the same time (in other words, being put in check). |
|
|
| Special Rules: |
|
|
|
Pawn Conversion:
If a Pawn has managed to reach the baseline of the opposing player, she is immediately
transformed into any chosen piece (Knight, Castle, Bishop or Queen). This
pieces stays on the board; one would therefore usually choose a queen.
If there is no corresponding piece available, one distinguishes the Pawn by
standing him, for example, on a draughts piece. |
Castling
Castling is the only chess move in which two pieces are moved at the same time.
This move places the King in safety at the same time it frees the Castle to
take part in the game. It is therefore an important move, which ought
to be made, if possible, very early on. There is , of course, no obligation
to do this. This is how a castling is done: First, the King moves
two squares in the direction of the Castle. Then, the Castle moves (over
the King) to the square beside him. As there are two Castles, there are
two ways of castling: a long and a short way. The possibility of castling
depends on the following pre conditions:
- No piece must stand between the King and Castle
- Neither King nor Castle has yet moved
- The King must not be in "check"
- The two squares next to the King in the direction of the relevant Castle must
not stand under simultaneous threat of Check. |
Taking a
Piece en Passant
(in English: "in passing"). This is a special rule which applies to Pawn
only. If a Pawn, in making his initial move off the baseline, moves two
squares next to an opposing Pawn, this opposing Pawn has the right to capture
the initial Pawn "en passant", just as though the initial Pawn moved only one
square. |
|
|
|
View Larger Image
Copyright Thompson Sporting Goods MMV
