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Chris Trottier /
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2024-08-11 22:24:38

Chris Trottier on Nostr: I’ve adapted *Bartleby, The Scrivener* into a chess variant. **BARTLEBY CHESS** ...

I’ve adapted *Bartleby, The Scrivener* into a chess variant.

**BARTLEBY CHESS**

Setup:

The initial setup of pieces on the board remains the same as in traditional chess.

Bartleby Mechanic:

* Bartleby Piece: Each player begins the game with one special piece, a “Bartleby,” which they can place anywhere on their back rank at the start of the game. This piece represents the character Bartleby and is marked distinctively (perhaps using a pawn or a separate token).

**Rules:**

Bartleby’s Movement:
* The Bartleby piece moves like a king (one square in any direction).
* The Bartleby piece cannot be captured or directly capture other pieces.
* Bartleby’s influence is passive but impactful.

“I Would Prefer Not To”:
* Effect Radius: Bartleby exerts an influence on all squares within a two-square radius. Any piece within this radius (either yours or your opponent’s) may “prefer not to” move or perform certain actions.
* Refusal Mechanic: At the start of each player’s turn, if they have pieces within Bartleby’s influence, they must roll a die (or flip a coin) for each piece within the radius to determine if the piece “prefers not to” move.
* Result:
* Die Roll of 1-3 (or heads for coin): The piece can move normally.
* Die Roll of 4-6 (or tails for coin): The piece “prefers not to” move and cannot move that turn.
* This refusal only affects movement. The piece can still attack if it remains in place and is otherwise able to.

Bartleby’s Refusal:
* If Bartleby “prefers not to” move for four consecutive turns (tracked by the player), he resigns from the game and is removed from the board.
* If Bartleby is removed in this manner, any pieces within his influence radius at the time of removal “prefer not to” move for one turn

Check and Checkmate:
* Bartleby cannot give check or checkmate.
* Check: Traditional check and checkmate rules apply to the kings.

Winning the Game:
* The game is won by checkmating the opponent’s king.
* If both players lose their Bartleby pieces, they can no longer use the “prefer not to” mechanic.
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