The thoughts of Replicator Technician Onsott (Kriegspiel). T'Var keep out!

Gosh.

Now what have I got myself into? And in front of the whole rec room too. What am I doing sitting down against a Vulcan?

Oh well, what's the worst that can happen? Mate in two. But we can discount that since I'd have to actively help out for that to happen, and even then Dr T'Var would have to guess what I'd done. Mate in four? Yes, that's a possibility I need to guard against since the Doctor could theoretically manage that before I had a clue what was going on.

Well, that's doable, and what's more the defence against it fits into my actual plans. Last game Dr T'Var kept her Queen in the rear for a long time, but she could vary her game this time... or she could deliberately not vary it figuring that I would deduce she would, and so on. Logically, she would make a random decision that I cannot predict. Anyway, that doesn't matter, I have to play what I know about and not try to get into a logical guessing-game with a Vulcan.

All right. Start patiently and prepare an advance in force when I'm ready. Here goes.

A lot of normal chess principles simply aren't going to apply in Kriegspiel because I can't see the enemy. I have to avoid speculative moves, such as, say, Black's Queen's Bishop running down onto the d1-h5 diagonal and then pouncing on d1, since I've moved my e-pawn. Now I can't fall for the "Scholar's Mate" since I've blocked off the diagonal, but I need to beware of threats on f2 - on the other hand, the soonest a supported attack can arrive there now is move 5, allowing for two moves by Black's King's Knight, one by her e-pawn, and two by her Queen. I need to be ready for a possible attack on c2 by a minor piece too - a Knight taking on c2 with support would inconvenience me a lot. Well, I've time to prepare for that. For now I have to protect as much as possible and gradually occupy space, I think.

How often have you played this way before, Mala?

I have not played Kriegspiel since the 1970s, when I played it a few times at school. :)

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...ant/KSW1-1.gif

Would you like a regular update of your board position in this thread?

Thank you, that would be helpful. I can maintain one for myself but that doesn't help unless I'm on the one computer I'm using for the purpose.

Onsott's demeanour in the game thread when he was about to move too soon reflects the fact that I knew there was no possible information for me from Black's first move, but Black did not know that I knew that, and if Black knew that I knew that then she could deduce that I did not move a pawn to the fourth rank on my first turn. :D

I knew that you know that I knew that you'd post that.

And now the Captain's come to watch! :eek:

Continuing with the plan: develop steadily, guard the weaknesses, prepare an advance once I am in a position to support it. The King can be a useful piece in Kriegspiel since I am told when he is under attack and the opponent cannot necessarily exploit forks or skewers against invisible pieces - though I have to make sure I do not blunder into a mate.

No Black pawns charging into my territory yet, then. Just as well as I'm not really ready for them. Develop my other Knight and then everything in my position is protected for now - there is no easy route through to either of my Bishop's pawns, the vulnerable early spots - so I can prepare a centre advance.

I want to deploy my Bishop now, but I don't want to risk a long shot by one of T'Var's Bishops down the long diagonal snipping off my Rook. On the other hand, there is a theoretical risk that I'm facing down a mate on f2 if Black has played e5(or e6), Nf6, Ng5 (not Ne5 or I would know I have a pawn capture) and Qf6 (or Qh4). There's a logical counter that will either block off a Queen on f6 or reveal that there is one on h4, and while it leaves e6 undefended I can probably assume that T'Var will not guess that it's OK for her to take there.

It's also entirely possible that I'm starting at shadows, but one must do something. :)

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...phant/KSW2.gif

At the moment I look bullet proof. I shall prepare an advance to e4 and see if I can lure my opponent into an ambush there - I mean to have the square defended with two pawns, Bishop and Knight at least, and I could swing a Rook over to e1 later. Meanwhile I can safely advance my King a little as he has an escape route if things get hairy - he can retreat to e1 or g1 in case of trouble, and T'Var can't reasonably attack both for some time to come. Castling is largely irrelevant in Kriegspiel, I think. With my King on f2 I will have e3 covered - not all that well, but against a random incursion which anyway I view as unlikely for now - and what's more when I get around to playing e3-e4 I will learn if there is a line-piece on the g1-a7 diagonal since I will be told "You may not" if I am self-checking.

Of course my planned ambush may hit nothing but fresh air, in which case I'll have to prepare a fresh one. But that's in the nature of the game. Meanwhile, should I be told in the near future that I have a pawn capture available and am in check by a Knight, I shall know where to find the offending piece. :)

All quiet, so I continue with the plan. I have f3 twice guarded after the next so need not fear any cheap shots there, and I will soon have more firepower on it. Time to develop my Bishop to the long diagonal.

Still all quiet, so I carry on with the plan.

This hasn't caused anything dramatic to happen, so I need to prepare a further advance. I'm more than willing to keep probing with my King, but I want to support the Bishop on g2 just in case a Black Bishop wanders in there. Let's do that.

No hints, but I like what you're doing so far.

OOC: As long as you understand that I'm making this strategy up as I go along. :D

Uh oh. I did too....

OOC: Perhaps I am making it up better :p

I need to continue with my plan - no point spineless changing the strategy now. I'll have to shuffle my Queenside around a bit over the next few moves, but I'll advance the King first... if I can.

Updated White Board

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...phant/KSW3.gif

Still all is quiet, so I continue with my plan of advancing the centre pawns with all the support I can bring to bear while keeping everything mutually protected and my pieces out of the way of Black pawn stabs.

Updated White Board

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...phant/KSW4.gif

Probably there is a Black pawn on e5 (it could be on c5); it's possible that Black just moved something else to where it could be pawn-captured as well. But for now I will assume the pawn on e5 and bring more force to bear.

Updated White Board after #17

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...phant/KSW5.gif

I cannot bring more pawns to bear on e5 so I will try a capture there. I can easily open the a1-h8 diagonal for the Bishop and play Nf3 so if T'Var takes twice on e5 I can quickly act against the supposed pawn that will be there.

What's your thinking in getting your king out so far?

I'm unlikely to be mated by chance, and meanwhile I stand to get information about where enemy pieces are. For instance, at the moment it would be interesting to be told "White has a pawn capture available. White is in check by a Knight" :) Also, the King can do his share of the heavy lifting. He's slightly stronger than a minor piece in his own right.

I'll leave that pawn capture on the board for now and reposition that Knight. I have plenty of cover for the d4 pawn if T'Var takes. Given the slow pace of the opening she might well have prepared a bomb on e5 in similar fashion to what I was doing.

I see. Thanks.

I'm deeply suspicious that Black's e-pawn is overprotected and I don't stand to gain by taking again. Instead I'll continue to expand on the queenside.

Hmm, Black still has a pawn capture. I can live with that if it's on d5 but it would be a slight blow if it was on c4! Well, I'll soon find out.

Redeploying and directing my forces against c6 now. If I have the chance to take there with a pawn I am morally certain Black is defending it with only the b-pawn at most.

Updated board as of #23

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...phant/KSW6.gif

En route to c6 I tried taking on c5 in case a piece had turned up there. Of course Black might have played his c-pawn there by the time I got there... we're still shadow boxing. :D

Interesting. Something has taken on c5, but not a diagonal-piece. It may have been Black's b-pawn and there could now be a blocked pawn formation on the c-d-e files. I'll try the likeliest locations for a Black piece and if nothing comes of that... I'll have to think again.

Aaaand there's interesting. Probably there is a Black pawn on f5, then, and if so it must surely be protected by one on g6 unless T'Var has taken leave of her senses. From which I deduce that when I took on e5 earlier, the d-pawn recaptured and so Black now has an isolated pawn on c5 assuming that the b-pawn recaptured when I took. That would also mean there's no pawn protecting the one on e5.

At the moment I don't stand to profit by taking on f5. But I can maybe improve on that a little...

Updated board as of #26

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...phant/KSW7.gif

Aha. Chances are that Black just moved a pawn from f5 to f4 and I am in check by a protected pawn. It's also possible that T'Var has just played ...Bh6+. I lose nothing by attempting Kf4 but I can certainly expect that this will not work. I can also attempt Kd4... same comment really. Otherwise I think probably Kf3 to discourage any further incursion on the K-side.

Assuming material is still level - and I certainly can't be worse off at the moment - I think Black has pawns on the e, f, g and h files. Could imply that I have a passed pawn on d5 but it can't profit me yet. :) Right, off to get out of check.

Oh, Black's no longer got a pawn capture. That more or less proves that the Doctor did just play ...f4, and I strongly suspect it's protected by one on e5. However, there's nowhere for it to go at the moment, any more than there is for my pawn on d5.

I think I have nothing more to fear on the kingside for now, and I need to see if I can get some elbow room on the other wing.

Hmm. Black's h-pawn may be attempting an end run, but that will be harmless. I'll see if I have any captures on the other wing.

Updated White Board as of #31

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...phant/KSW8.gif

My pawn structure's a little dented now but it wasn't in vain, I hope. I think there is a Black pawn-couple on e5 and f4 so I will steer clear of d4, f4 and g3 for now. I also suspect there is a Black pawn on c5 supported by pieces and if so I may be able to engineer another little scrap there to my advantage. Nothing's free of risk though!

And talking of risk, Black snaffles a pawn on a4 - not with a pawn as there was no prior announcement. I think I just continue with the plan here.

Hmm, Black's just taken on e4 with a Knight - opportunely, I can take back with one...

From what the dog did in the night-time, I'm speculating that a Black piece just went to c5, possibly in the hope of recapturing there, and in that case it's fortunate I'm still in a position to take there - I might even catch the Queen, and at worst I'd get a Bishop for my Knight. However, there's no need to go off half-cocked as there might be something on b6 instead and again it could be the Queen. I'll try blocking on c5 with a pawn and if that's illegal I will have some more information.

So there was something -- it must have been a piece -- on c5, and I've taken it. I must be slightly ahead on material at least since we have been making even trades up to the point where Black took a pawn of mine on a4 and I could not recapture, then took a pawn on e4 (and not with a pawn) and I captured twice, and has not recaptured on e4. What's more, if Black now found a recapture on e4 then I would be able to take with my Knight. Turning that possible edge into a win though, that's another story.

At the moment my Knight is undefended, and if I retire it then my Bishop on e4 is undefended. Mind you, with a little luck T'Var might think I took on e4 and c5 with the same Knight which would leave e4 unoccupied. But she still has a pawn on e5 to test that hypothesis. I don't know what she is able to bring to bear against either square but the best for me now would be if she had e4 covered once more and took there, when I could recapture with my Knight and so get it away from c5. Have to wait and see.

Would you like an updated board?

Yes, please.

Latest White Board

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...phant/KSW9.gif

About what I thought, but I was close to losing track. The board looks surprisingly empty with so many pawns gone, but I think I have taken at least one more Black piece than I have lost, and I think there are still Black pawns on the a-file, on e5 and f4, and on the h-file. The units on c4, e4 and c5 are a worry, and I cannot cover all of them in one move. I think maybe Qc2, then Nd3 and Bxe5 is the way to go. But it's far from clear-cut and I still haven't heard what T'Var's latest is.

Addendum: The ideal place for my Queen of course is d4, where she covers all three vulnerable units. Unfortunately I am convinced I dare not occupy d4!

Here are the captures to date if I've gleaned correctly from the game thread:

White takes on e5 (pawn assumed taken)
Black takes on e5 (assumed pawn capturing from d6 as Black had a pawn capture available)
White takes on c5 (pawn assumed taken)
Black takes on c5 (assumed pawn capturing from b6, same comment)
White takes on c6 (piece assumed taken as pawn taken on c5 previously and no prior captures to this file)
Black takes on c6 (assumed piece capturing as d- and b- pawns already further advanced)
Black takes on a4 (assumed piece capturing as b-pawn probably took earlier on c5)
White takes on c5 (pawn assumed taken)
Black takes on e4 (knight capturing since White is in Knight check and relieves it by:)
White takes on e4 (knight taken)
Black takes on e4 (piece assumed capturing as Black f-pawn is probably on f4 as an earlier pawn-capture notification went away, and it could not have been the d-pawn moving as d5 was occupied at the time.)
White takes on e4 (piece assumed taken)
White takes on c5 (diagonal-moving piece taken, assumed Bishop)

So I think I have taken three pawns and three pieces, including at least one Knight (possibly both) and one Bishop (Queen would be too much to ask for!)

Hmm... I think I should assume that one of Black's "You may not"s was an attempted pawn move to e4, in which case I am known to be still on that square. Black has no pawn that can take there nor on c5 so at least I have no serious cheap shots to fear. I think Black has her light Bishop still, both Rooks and her Queen, and pawns on the a, e, f, g and h files. They can't seriously harm me for now so logically I should keep the e4 Bishop protected and see if it is safe for me to play my other Bishop to a3 where it defends the Knight and blocks the run of Black's a-pawn... assuming it has not had time to run to a3 already, in which case I may find myself taking it and having my Bishop recaptured down the file! But that risk only increases with time, so, fortune favours the brave...

Time to deploy my Queen. f3 looks like an excellent square where she protects both Bishops and has no enemy pawns to fear, nor anything sweeping down the file if I am right about the Black pawns. It still leaves my two Rooks protecting each other and allows her to support a possible foray onto b7.

And now it looks like it's time for that foray - at least for now I want to keep the Bishop on e4 so that Black's putative e-pawn stays blocked. Similarly the Knight is on a good square and I don't want to decentralize it. It's a slight risk, but I think I need to start using my Rooks aggressively, and the b-file looks like a good place to start. Fingers crossed then...

Aah, coded moves. :D

Just to keep things moving on a bit. :)

And there goes another diagonal-mover on c5, so if I didn't have Black's Queen before, I do now.

Diagram again please. :)

That's another piece gone, but by my reckoning Black is down to two Rooks (one of which I guess has just taken on c5) and her light Bishop, meaning I am a Queen up for a pawn or two. And the more things stay that way the better I shall like it! Now I need to connect my Rooks and get them working effectively - and keep Black's pawns from making an end run.

Latest White Board

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...hant/KSW10.gif

Of course, T'Var could have lost at least one Rook by now, or have a Knight left instead of the light Bishop I've been talking about - indeed it could be her Knight that just took on c5. But I can be certain that I have taken both her dark Bishop and her Queen (it's unclear which was first) since I have twice taken a piece that was checking me on a black diagonal from more than one square away. For the rest, I have posted my chain of assumptions already as to when I believe I have taken pieces and why, and I think it likely that when I took on c6 it was a Bishop that recaptured and later took on a4. One reason to keep my Queen, while she must move on white squares, safely behind my Bishop.

And I am guessing that capture on c4 was the Rook that previously took on c5, though this is unproven. In that case I'm gaining on the deal even if Black retakes. Fingers crossed!