A Funny Paradox

s#4

AntiCirce*

1. e7-e8=R! zugzwang, g6-g5 2. Re8-d8 zugzwang, g5-g4, 3. Rd8-d1 zugzwang, g4-g3. 4. Rd1-e1, g3-g2 #

* The capturing piece is reborn on its initial square, if this square is empty, or, if the capturing piece is the King, guarded.

Drowning

ser-s#5

AntiCirce*

1. Bc8 2. d7 3. d8=G 4. Gd1 5. Gb1, Rg1 #

*  The capturing piece is reborn on its initial square.

Sisyphus Unbound

Ser-#13

AntiCirce*

No White King

1.Be4-c6 2.e2-e4 3.e4-e5 4.e5-e6 5.e6*f7[wPf7->f2] 6.f2-f4 7.f4-f5 8.f5-f6 9.f6*g7[wPg7->g2] 10.g2-g4 11.g4-g5 12.g5-g6 13.g6-g7 #

*  The capturing piece is reborn on its initial square.

Taxi!

Ser-h#7

h8 = Grasshopper*

AntiCirce**

No White King

1.Gh8-e5 2.Ge5-g5 3.f5-f4 4.f4-f3 5.f3-f2 6.f2-f1=G 7.Gf1-h3 g2-g3 #

* The Grasshopper is a fairy chess piece that moves as an ordinary Queen, but only by hopping over another piece to the square immediately closest.

** The capturing piece is reborn on its initial square.

Circe + AntiCirce

h#3

Circe*

AntiCirce**

No White King

 1.Sa2-c3 Bb8-h2 2.Sc3*a4[bSa4->g8][+wRh1] Bh2-e5 #

* The captured piece is reborn on its initial square.

** The capturing piece is reborn on its initial square.

A Quartet Pawn

h#3

AntiCirce*

No White King

1.Kc5-b5 a2*b3[wPb3->b2] 2.Kb5-b4 b2*a3[wPa3->a2] 3.c6-c5 a2-a3 #

* The capturing piece is reborn on its initial square. The captured piece disappears from the board. The rebirth square must be empty or the capture is illegal.

Outline of an Idea

Ser-#6

Anti-Circe*

 1.Re2-e8 2.Kf1-e2 3.Ke2-d3 4.Kd3-c4 5.Kc4-b5 6.Kb5-c6 #

* Anti-Circe (Standard ‘Calvet Type’)

On making a capture, any unit (including King) is reborn on its game-array square (see Circe). The captured unit disappears, as in normal chess. Since rebirth is obligatory, a capture is legal only if the relevant rebirth-square is unoccupied. A capture may be made either from or on a rebirth-square; promotion with capture is legal provided the rebirth-square of the promoted unit is unoccupied. A King may capture only if his square of origin is neither occupied nor guarded by an opposing piece, except that he may threaten to capture the opposing King even when his own square is guarded (but not occupied). This introduces an additional way of answering a check, by occupying the square where the checking piece would be replaced. If a capture is a Pawn promotion , then it is the promoted piece which is replaced. Captures, in which the capturing piece lands on its own square of origin, are allowed. A replaced Rook, King (or Rook and King) may be used for castling, provided the usual castling rules are satisfied.

Bringing It All Back Home

Ser-h=8

Circe

No White King

1.Kb6-a7 2.Ka7*a8[+wBf1] 3.Ka8-b7 4.Kb7-c6 5.Kc6*d5[+wRh1] 6.Kd5-e5 7.Ke5-f4 8.Kf4*g3[+wSg1] Sb2-d3 =

Long Train Coming

Ser-h=12

Circe

1.f3-f2 2.f4-f3 3.f5-f4 4.f6-f5 5.f7-f6 6.Kg8-f7 7.Kf7-e6 8.Ke6-d5 9.Kd5-c4 10.Kc4-b3 11.Kb3-a2 12.Ka2*a1[+wBc1] Sb1-c3 =

Something Like a Princess

h#3

Republican Chess*

Anti-Circe**

 1.Bf1*g2[bBg2->c8] Bf2-d4 2.Bc8-d7 Bd4-b2 3.Bd7-e8 Se2-c3[+bKa1] #

* There is not the King which will be mated. If the side which has played can put the opposite King on a square where it would be legally mated, then the opposite side is mated.

** On making a capture, any unit (including King) is reborn on its game-array square. The captured unit disappears, as in normal chess. Since rebirth is obligatory, a capture is legal only if the relevant rebirth-square is unoccupied. A capture may be made either from or on a rebirth-square; promotion with capture is legal provided the rebirth-square of the promoted unit is unoccupied. A King may capture only if his square of origin is neither occupied nor guarded by an opposing piece, except that he may threaten to capture the opposing King even when his own square is guarded (but not occupied). This introduces an additional way of answering a check, by occupying the square where the checking piece would be replaced. If a capture is a Pawn promotion , then it is the promoted piece which is replaced. Captures, in which the capturing piece lands on its own square of origin, are allowed. A replaced Rook, King (or Rook and King) may be used for castling, provided the usual castling rules are satisfied.

Empty. Again.

Monochrome Chess*

Sentinelles**

Add a (black or white) piece (not a Knight, of course, nor a Pawn, nor a King), then Black or White stalemates itself in one move.

Four solutions

(IMO, the solutions are obvious, but I could not verify them, so... amaze me!)

* Each unit may play to squares which are the same colour as its square of origin.

** On moving, a piece leaves behind a Pawn of its own colour on its departure square. The rule does not apply to Pawns, or to pieces moving from the 1st or 8th rank, nor does it apply if there are eight Pawns of that colour already on the board.