Chess Variants/Los Alamos Chess

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6a6 black rookb6 black knightc6 black queend6 black kinge6 black knightf6 black rook6
5a5 black pawnb5 black pawnc5 black pawnd5 black pawne5 black pawnf5 black pawn5
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2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 white pawne2 white pawnf2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white queend1 white kinge1 white knightf1 white rook1
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Starting position of Los Alamos chess

Introduction

Los Alamos Chess (also known as anti-clerical chess) is a small chess variant played on a 6 by 6 board. It was the first chess-like game played by a computer program.

History

Los Alamos chess was created in 1956 by researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in order to test the computing power of the MANIAC I computer, built in 1952. The MANIAC I lacked the computing power to play a full orthodox game, so the team had to create a smaller version of the game to accommodate it.

During a series of trials, the MANIAC I played three games. The first game it played against itself. The second game it played against a strong human player, who defeated it despite playing without a queen. The third game saw it defeat a novice human player, marking the first time a computer defeated a human in a chess-like game.

Rules

Los Alamos chess is played on a 6 by 6 board, with each player controlling a full FIDE army sans both bishops and two pawns. The rules are mostly the same as the standard game with the following differences:

  • A pawn may not be promoted to a bishop.
  • Pawns do not have their initial two-step move, and as such there is no en passant.
  • There is no castling.

Sub-variants

This chess variant does not not have any notable sub-variants.

Example Game

Event: Third Trial Game

Site: Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, United States

Date: Unknown

Round: 3

White: MANIAC I

Black: Beginner Player

1.d3 b4 2.Nf3 d4 3.b3 e4 4.Ne1 a4 5.bxa4 Nxa4 6.Kd2 Nc3 7.Nxc3 bxc3+ 8.Kd1 f4 9.a3 Rb6 10.a4 Ra6 11.a5 Kd5 12.Qa3 Qb5 13.Qa2+ Ke5 14.Rb1 Rxa5 15.Rxb5 Rxa2 16.Rb1 Ra5 17.f3 Ra4 18.fxe4 c4 19.Nf3+ Kd6 20.e5+ Kd5 21.exf6=Q Nc5 22.Qxd4+ Kc6 23.Ne5# 1–0

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