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Old Chess game: Goedhboell, Gwyddbwyll or Gwezboell (fwd)



Hello, all.

This just popped up on soc.culture.celtic.  I'm not sure of strict 
documentation of this game to the Middle Ages, but I know of plenty of 
period Irish references to a game usually translated as chess but which 
is always glossed as being unlike chess as the modern world knows it.  
It looks like this bears a resemblance to some medieval board games, 
and it does look like fun.

Cheers,
Alianora

*****************************************************************************
Stephanie M. Thorson			*  SCA: Lady Alianora Munro
University of St Andrews		*
St Andrews, Scotland			*  Clan White Wing ... coming
email smt2@st-andrews.ac.uk		*  soon to a kingdom near you!
*****************************************************************************

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 19 NOV 1995 21:11:13 GMT 
From: Leslie Sitek <siteklj@pop.pi.net>
Newgroups: rec.games.board, soc.culture.celtic, soc.culture.british,
    soc.culture.welsh, soc.culture.irish, soc.culture.scottish,
    soc.culture.french, soc.culture.spanish, soc.culture.portuguese
Subject: Re: Old Chess game: Goedhboell, Gwyddbwyll or Gwezboell 

siteklj@pop.pi.net (Leslie Sitek) wrote:

>Hello to all!

>Does anyone know the game old Celtic chess game:
>Goedhboell (Cornish), gwyddbwyll (Welsh) or Gwezboell (Breton) As far
>as I could figure out it is also called:
>Ficheal or Caith seal siamsa (Irish);
>Ficheal (Scottish);
>Tawlish Celtiagh (Manx);

>Jeu d'echeques Celtiques (French);
>Juego de ajedrez Celta (Spanish).

>I have a list of rules, but I can't realy figure out how to play the
>game. Strategies? Tactics? Are there any competitions?

>Leslie Sitek

Hi!
I got some emails asking for the rules. I got these rules from the
description from my version of Goedhboell/Gwezboell that I bought in
Brittany. The rules are translated in all Celtic languages (including
Cornish, Breton and Manx) and in some more.

Leslie Sitek
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Celtic Chess

_Goals_
This is one of the features of the game: The central king is
besieged by four provincial armies. Will they capture him or
can he succeed in escaping their clutches.
Unlike chess and draughts, Goedhboell opposes unequal forces
with different objectives.
The king besieged in his central castle is protected by eight
princes. With their aid he must escape the agessors by
reaching one of the four corners of the board.
The assaillants are sixteen in number, in four groups of four.
They must caputure the king by blacking him in and preventing
every of this movements.


_Material_
- playing board (9x9)
- 25 pieces:
    1 king ("+", white)
    8 princes ("x", white)
   16 assailants ("o", black)

_Playing Board_
Start
  -------------------------------------
9 |   |   |   | o | o | o |   |   |   |
  -------------------------------------
8 |   |   |   |   | o |   |   |   |   |
  -------------------------------------
7 |   |   |   |   | x |   |   |   |   |
  -------------------------------------
6 | o |   |   |   | x |   |   |   | o |
  -------------------------------------
5 | o | o | x | x | + | x | x | o | o |
  -------------------------------------
4 | o |   |   |   | x |   |   |   | o |
  -------------------------------------
3 |   |   |   |   | x |   |   |   |   |
  -------------------------------------
2 |   |   |   |   | o |   |   |   |   |
  -------------------------------------
1 |   |   |   | o | o | o |   |   |   |
  -------------------------------------
    1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9

@hv, h=horizontal;v=vertical

    1 king ("+", white)
      @55
    8 princes ("x", white)
      @53,@54,@35,@45,@65,@75,@56,@57
   16 assailants ("o", black)
      @41,@51,@61,@52
      @14,@15,@16,@25
      @94,@95,@96,@85
      @49.@59,@69,@58

_Rules_
Each player in turn moves only one piece.
All the pieces, besiegers an besieged, are moved as the catle
in chess: only in a staight line for as many squares as
desired but not changing direction during the move. They are
not alowed to jump over one or more pieces. Diagonal movements
are not allowed:
Before: o @14
  ---------------------
4 | o |   |   |   | x |
  ---------------------
3 |   |   |   |   | x |
  ---------------------
2 |   |   |   |   | o |
  ---------------------
After:o @44
  ---------------------
4 |   |   |   | o | x |
  ---------------------
3 |   |   |   |   | x |
  ---------------------
2 |   |   |   |   | o |
  ---------------------

Only the king may stand on the central square (@55) or the
four corners (@11, @91 @99, @19).
A piece may be "taken" by a strangling movement, when two
opposing pieces are placed each side in one straight line (but
not diagonal):
Before: o @94
  -------------------------------------
4 |   |   |   | o | x |   |   |   | o |
  -------------------------------------
3 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
  -------------------------------------
After: o @64
  -------------------------------------
4 |   |   |   | o | x | o |   |   |   |
  -------------------------------------
3 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
  -------------------------------------

However, a piece remains "alive" if it slides into a gap
between two opposite pieces:
Before: x @53
  -------------------------------------
4 |   |   |   | o |   | o |   |   |   |
  -------------------------------------
3 |   |   |   |   | x |   |   |   |   |
  -------------------------------------
After: x @54
  -------------------------------------
4 |   |   |   | o | x | o |   |   |   |
  -------------------------------------
3 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
  -------------------------------------

The king is captured by encirclement: either in the form of
four opposite pieces in the form of a cross, or against the
side of the board and tree opposing pieces:

  ---------------------
4 |   |   | o |   |   |
  ---------------------
3 |   | o | + | o |   |
  ---------------------
2 |   |   | o |   |   |
  ---------------------
or:
  ---------------------
3 |   |   |   |   |   |
  ---------------------
2 |   |   | o |   |   |
  ---------------------
1 |   | o | + | o |   |
  ---------------------

Variation:
Experienced players may complicate the play if they desire by
observing two extra rules:
-    The king may only move one square at a time.
-    Only the king may move onto squares adjacent to the
     corner squares:
Before: + @44
  ---------------------
4 |   |   |   | + |   |
  ---------------------
3 |   |   |   |   |   |
  ---------------------
2 |   |   |   |   |   |
  ---------------------
After: + @33
  ---------------------
4 |   |   |   |   |   |
  ---------------------
3 |   |   | + |   |   |
  ---------------------
2 |   |   |   |   |   |
  ---------------------