Pawn’s Bastion (PB) is an alternative form of Chess played on a board of non-standard dimensions and with the addition of non-standard game pieces as well.

The ‘traditional’ PB board is 10 files wide by 10 ranks deep (see Addendum-A for other variations).

From White’s perspective, using Algebraic Notation, the files are labeled A thru J and the ranks are numbered 1 thru 10 (again, see Addendum-A).

The Bastions are raised plinths which are typically located at square positions C4, C7, H4 and H7.  Pawns are the only pieces which are allowed to take up position on the Bastions.  All other pieces must move around the plinths, they cannot be jumped.

While in residence upon a Bastion, a Pawn cannot be engaged/captured by any other piece except an opposing Pawn.  The opposing Pawn must engage with a standard diagonal attack, whereupon they take possession of the Bastion.

Occupying Pawns engage down from the Bastion with a standard diagonal attack or can move forward onto an unoccupied square as normal.

A Pawn can only mount an unoccupied Bastion with a straight forward move, they cannot mount an unoccupied Bastion with a diagonal maneuver.

Upon the opening of the game, the Pawns located in file C and file H (or in whichever file you have decided to place the plinths, if using alternate layouts) can only advance 1 space as their initial forward move.

The two additional pieces used in Pawn’s Bastion are:

Handmaid – moves/captures like the Queen, but can only move a maximum of three squares at a time.  The Handmaid starts in position adjacent to the Queen.

Fool – moves/captures like the Knight, but if the move results in a capture, then the Fool returns to the square it occupied before the move.  The return-to-square is done before the opponent’s next move.  The Fool starts in position adjacent to the King.

So, the typical starting layout for a game of Pawn’s Bastion, again from White’s perspective, would see the board set up as:

Rank 2 – ten Pawns across.

Rank 1 – Rook, Knight, Bishop, Handmaid, Queen, King, Fool, Bishop, Knight, Rook.

NOTE-  Because of the custom nature of the 10 file board, the Queen does NOT get her color.

Addendum-A

Ranks-  For Asymmetrical Warfare, the number of ranks can be increased by adding game board leafs to No Man’s Land in the center of the playing surface.

Our Beta version chessboard has a seam between ranks 5 and 6 (the two halves are held together with rare earth magnets) which can be separated and the extra ranks installed, in multiples of two.  This alters the rank numbering system.

Bastions-  The plinths are not permanently attached to the board and so their locations can be changed as you see fit.  The number of Bastions populated can also be varied, although we suggest finding a layout you like and sticking to it.  Constant variation is no friend to the game of Chess (said the guys who came up with ‘Pawn’s Bastion’).

These new pieces suck-  If you do not wish to experience the agonies and triumphs of the Handmaid and the Fool, you can switch them out for two additional Pawns.  However, if doing so, the Bishops return to their standard positions beside the Queen and the King and the extra Pawns take the open spots.  Or, if moving the Bastions to alternate locations, we suggest placing the extra Pawns in the same files as the plinths.

Arbitrary Juggernaut-  We initially attempted to formulate new gameplay using a piece based on the Arbitrary Juggernaut itself, but we never knew when the hell it was going to make a move and, whenever it did finally act, it tended to wipe out half the board.