Anthony Lee
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thread 1/7
Introduction to Thai Chess

Here is yet another variant of chess hailing from another part of the world: makruk, also known as Thai chess. This one is quite similar to Western chess, such that my thread describing this game may be quicker than my other introductory threads on chess variants.
02:42 PM - Feb 21, 2024
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Anthony Lee
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Let's dive right in.

Cowrie shells (pawns) start on the third row. Like Western chess, they move one square forward but capture an opposing piece one square diagonally forward. However, unlike Western chess, there's no option to move two squares forward on the first move, and there's no en passant.
02:42 PM - Feb 21, 2024
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Anthony Lee
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thread 3/7
The boats in the corners move exactly like rooks in Western chess: horizontally or vertically for any unobstructed distance.

The adjacent horses move exactly like knights in Western chess: two squares horizontally or vertically, then one square in a perpendicular direction, and they jump pieces.
02:42 PM - Feb 21, 2024
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Anthony Lee
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thread 4/7
The two noblemen (bishops), located adjacent to the horses toward the center of the back line of pieces, move one square forward or one square in any diagonal direction. If this sounds familiar, it is the exact same set of movements as the silver general in shogi, a.k.a. Japanese chess.
02:42 PM - Feb 21, 2024 (Edited)
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Anthony Lee
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thread 5/7
The seed (queen) moves one square in any diagonal direction.

When a cowrie shell (pawn) reaches the opponent's own third row, it gets promoted to a queen, assuming the same single-square diagonal movements.
02:42 PM - Feb 21, 2024
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Anthony Lee
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thread 6/7
Lastly, the lord (king) moves one square in any of the eight possible directions.

This is the piece of the opponent that you are trying to capture. Like other chess games, threaten capture to check the lord and threaten him with no way out for a checkmate to win the game.
02:42 PM - Feb 21, 2024
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Anthony Lee
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thread 7/7
That's really all there is to it for the gamr of makruk. I already beat the computer in this game on the hardest difficulty level, which is such a joke that I won't even bother sharing a screenshot with the winning move.

But hey, if you ever come across this game, you'll know how to play. 🙂
02:42 PM - Feb 21, 2024
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