test position from the win of ding today

[Uri Blass]

[fen]2b5/2k5/5B1p/1p2p3/3bP1p1/3R2P1/6P1/7K b - - 0 1 [/fen]bm Kb6

Stockfish has no problem but part of the strong engines are not fast in finding Kb6

[pocpit]

Curiously enough, Ding won this game without moving his c8 bishop. Something quite noticeable in a 55 moves game. I wonder if this could be some idea for a new way to play handicapped games: instead of pawn/minor piece/rook odds, "don't allow to move certain piece/pawn" during the game.

[RubiChess]

If a piece isn't allowed to move, it isn't allowed to capture pieces and doesn't protect my own pieces. So it doesn't do more than blocking some attacks (not many on the first rank) and preventing some few king moves of the opponent. So it behaves more or less as if the piece is not there imo.

Not moving a piece (but always be able to do so) is different from not being allowed to move a piece.

Regards, Andreas

[Uri Blass]

Not allowing a piece to move may be even a bigger handicap then removing this piece because the piece may prevent other pieces to move.

Not allowing a piece to move except captures or cases moving it is the only legal move is maybe a better idea for handicap.

[Guenther]

If a piece isn't allowed to move, it isn't allowed to capture pieces and doesn't protect my own pieces. So it doesn't do more than blocking some attacks (not many on the first rank) and preventing some few king moves of the opponent. So it behaves more or less as if the piece is not there imo.

Not moving a piece (but always be able to do so) is different from not being allowed to move a piece.

Regards, Andreas

That's true. Interesting might be a variant though which limits the number of how often you are allowed to move different piece types
through the whole game?

E.g. let's say pawns and Kings would be unlimited, but all other pieces would be just a allowed a max number of moves.

No idea if this already exists?

[Ovyron]

No idea if this already exists?

I haven't seen anything of the sort, so it looks like a novel idea.

But yeah, these are chess variants, in the realm of chess960.