Dear Lichess team, thanks a lot for implementing atomic.
I have played this variant on fics and I wish to ensure all novice readers that atomic is a complex game that needs to be studied apart. It is a fair game as much as normal chess is concerning white and black. One needs to study openings and endgames. E.g. Queen+king vs king is draw if the two kings remain in contact, etc. There is a drawback, though. When playing chess after lots of atomic games you'll be blundering a lot.
K Q vs. K
It also needs to know queen's side can win. Queen can cut off two kings or checkmate when queen side's king go to edge of the board.
K Q vs. K
Sorry. Queen can cut off two kings not only egde of the board but also below positions.
White to move
White Ke4, Qf4
Black Kd4
1.Kf5 or 1.Kf3
Black to move
White Ke4, Qf6
Black Kd5
White to move
White Ke4, Qf4
Black Kd4
1.Kf5 or 1.Kf3
1... Ke4 draws, since it is not illegal.
Black to move
White Ke4, Qf6
Black Kd5
1... Ke5 or 1... Kd4 draw, again it is not illegal.
Though the black king goes itself under check it may not be taken and the move is legal (hope it is so on lichess, in fics it was).
to be complete:
look at rule 4 on fics:
"When both kings are touching it is not possible to capture one king without destroying the other. Thus at this point attacks on the king don't exist and the king is effectively invincible.
As an example look also
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_chess#Endgamewhere the move 2... Kc5 of black is legal though the white queen sits on b6.
http://en.lichess.org/fbcZE8PHk7qGAnother dumb question but why was this game a draw when I changed the pattern on move 34 before repeating it thrice?
it is correct, it is a draw.
You got the same board configuration three times.
It does not matter how you reach that configuration.
It is the same rule of "ordinary" chess.
"Threefold repetition: The same board position has occurred three times with the same player to move and all pieces having the same rights to move, including the right to castle or capture en passant."
In other words, it is a draw when you get exactly the same FEN string three times.
Oh ok, I was confused and had it in my head as long as I differ my variation it's ok, thanks.
#58 #59
I understand. Thank you for the comment.
I feel the need to show following sentence in rules
King can ignore any check when both kings are touching.
