chikkin

Chikkin - Official Rulebook

1. Overview

1.1. Game Description. Chikkin is a two-player strategy board game played on an 8×8 chessboard.
1.2. Players. The two players shall be designated as East and West.
1.3. Turn Order. Play shall proceed in alternating turns, with East moving first.
1.4. Objective. The objective of the game is to outmaneuver the opponent through strategic movement, positioning, and the unique abilities of each piece.

2. Setup

2.1. Initial Pieces. Each player shall commence the game with the following pieces, arranged as specified below:

• Chickens (c for East, C for West): 8 pieces, aligned in the second row.
• Roosters (r for East, R for West): 6 pieces, positioned on the edges of the first row, on rows a, b, c, f, g, and h.
• Dog (d for East, D for West): 1 piece, placed in the left-middle of the first row, on row d.
• Wolf (w for East, W for West): 1 piece, placed in the right-middle of the first row, on row e.

2.2. Board Notation.

• The board shall be notated analogously to chess.
• East’s bottom-left square shall be designated as a1. This is the bottom-left of the entire game board.
• The files (columns) are labeled a–h (from bottom to top) and the ranks (rows) are numbered 1–8 (from left to right).

3. Movement Rules

3.1. General Movement. Unless otherwise specified, every piece may move one square per turn in any direction.

3.2. Piece-Specific Movement and Abilities:

3.2.1. Chicken (c/C)

• Movement: A Chicken may move one square per turn in any direction.
• Pushing: A Chicken is immune from being pushed by any other piece.

3.2.2. Rooster (r/R)

• Movement: A Rooster may move to any square that is reachable by moving orthogonally (i.e., without moving diagonally) and without passing through any intervening pieces.
• Push Ability:
  a. A Rooster may push one adjacent piece one square in the same direction as its movement. This can be horizontal or vertical. b. The act of pushing shall conclude the Rooster’s turn, with the pushing being the last move the Rooster makes. Roosters can move any number of squares before pushing. c. A push is permitted only if the piece being pushed would not be displaced into a square already occupied by another piece.
  d. A Rooster is prohibited from pushing a piece that is itself a Rooster or a Chicken.

3.2.3. Dog (d/D)

• Movement: A Dog may move to any square that is reachable by moving orthogonally (i.e., without moving diagonally) and without passing through any intervening pieces.
• Victory Objective: The Dog’s advancement to the opponent’s back rank constitutes an immediate win for its owner (see Section 5).
• Push Ability:
  a. A Dog may push any adjacent piece one square in any direction, other than other dogs. b. The act of pushing shall conclude the Dog’s turn.
  c. A push is permitted only if the pushed piece would not be displaced into a square already occupied by another piece.

3.2.4. Wolf (w/W)

• Movement: A Wolf may move one square per turn in any direction.
• Capture Ability:
  a. A Wolf may remove (capture) any Chicken by moving into its square. Moving into this square requires you to remove the piece, but moving into the piece is never required. b. A Wolf is expressly prohibited from capturing (i.e., “eating”) Dogs, Roosters or other Wolves.

4. Notation

4.1. Piece Symbols. The following symbols shall represent the game pieces:

• c/C: Chicken (lowercase c for East, uppercase C for West)
• r/R: Rooster (lowercase r for East, uppercase R for West)
• d/D: Dog (lowercase d for East, uppercase D for West)
• w/W: Wolf (lowercase w for East, uppercase W for West)

4.2. Move Recording. All moves shall be recorded using chess notation, with the East player’s bottom-left square designated as a1.

5. Victory Conditions

5.1. Dog Advancement.

• A player shall be declared the winner upon the successful advancement of their Dog piece to the opponent’s back rank.
  • For East, the Dog (d) must reach the eighth row.
  • For West, the Dog (D) must reach the first row.
• The game shall immediately terminate upon a Dog reaching the designated back rank.

6. Draws and Stalemate

6.1. Stalemate. If, on a player’s turn, no legal moves are available and the player is not in a position to lose by the victory conditions, the game shall be declared a draw, in a manner analogous to the stalemate rule in chess.

6.2. Threefold Repetition. If the identical board position occurs on three consecutive occasions during the game, the game shall be declared a draw.

6.3. Draw. If both players decide there is no point in the game continuing (e.g. boredom, unwinnable state), they can both choose to end the game as a draw. A draw is only valid if both players agree.

7. General Provisions

7.1. Legality of Moves. All moves must strictly adhere to the provisions of this rulebook. Any move that contravenes these rules shall be deemed illegal.

7.2. Player Responsibility. Each player is responsible for ensuring that all moves are executed in compliance with the official rules.

7.3. Dispute Resolution. In the event of any ambiguity or dispute regarding the interpretation or application of these rules, the decision reached by mutual agreement between the players, or by a neutral adjudicator if one is designated, shall be final.

8. Final Provisions

8.1. Completeness. These rules constitute the complete and official regulations governing the game of Chikkin.

8.2. Amendments. Any amendments or modifications to these rules must be agreed upon in writing by both players prior to the commencement of play.

8.3. Acceptance. By participating in a game of Chikkin, each player acknowledges and agrees to be bound by the terms set forth in this rulebook.

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–END OF RULEBOOK–