Android Game Reviews

Rules of the Game

• The foundations are formed exclusively from the "Privy Council." All cards in the other divisions, pack, or talon must ascend through each division till they reach the top before they can be played.
• Cards in the three lower divisions may be placed in sequence on cards in the next division above them, and in this manner they may be transferred from one division to another till they reach the top.
• When cards are placed in sequence in the "Constitution," the top card only of each sequence is available until its removal releases the one beneath.
• All sequences must be of alternate colors and in descending line—i.e. , a red nine on a black ten, then a black eight, a red seven, and so on. Any number of cards may be so placed.
• Each vacancy must be at once filled by a card from the division immediately below it; and as this rule applies equally to all the rows, a vacancy will thus be caused in the lowest row or "People," which must be filled from the talon, or, when there is no talon, from the pack.
• The foundations must follow suit.

Game Play

Take from the pack the kings, queens, and aces—seven of the queens are to be thrown aside and the other cards placed as in tableau.

The queen of diamonds represents The Sovereign ; the black kings, the Bishops; the red kings, the Judges.

The eight aces form the foundation cards or "Government," and ascend in sequence to knaves.

Deal out four horizontal rows (beginning with the lowest), each containing eight cards.

This forms the "Constitution." Each row represents a separate division.

The first (or lowest row) is the "People"; the second, the "House of Commons"; the third, the "House of Lords"; the last the "Privy Council."

When the tableau is complete, if any suitable cards are to be found in the "Privy Council" row, play them (Rule I), immediately refilling each vacancy as it is made (Rule V).

You must then examine the Constitution to see which cards may be most advantageously placed in sequence (Rules II and IV).

Note. —The success of this game depends chiefly on the play. In filling a vacancy choose the card (Rule V) which has the most chance of reaching the top, or of being useful to cards in the row below it. It is often better to defer making a vacancy till a card turns up in dealing that is required.

When you have played all available cards and placed in sequence all that you wish, deal out the remainder of the pack, the cards not required to fill vacancies in the "People" forming the talon.

From the foregoing examples it is possible to form a vague idea
of the strength of the different game pieces. The Queen is apparently
the strongest Android piece. On account of her superior mobility she can
confine the hostile King with a few moves and force him into a
mating net. Of the other pieces the Rook is no doubt the
strongest for he is sufficient to force a mate in conjunction
with his own King, while Bishop or Knight cannot do so. Two
Bishops apparently are stronger than two Knights, while it is not
possible yet to say anything about the relative value of one
Bishop and one Knight.

The above valuation, however, holds good only on the
comparatively vacant board, where the pieces can make full use of
their mobility. It is the mobility alone which decides the value
of a man, and positions often occur in which a Knight is more
valuable than a Rook or in which a Pawn might be preferable to a
Bishop and so on. The reason is that sometimes the weaker man
occupies a commanding square while the stronger man is obstructed
somehow or other so that he cannot be made to work. Examples for
positions of this kind will be discussed in the Chapter on
combination.

Although it is impossible to indicate exactly the relative value
of the men in each position, experience enables a fair estimation
of their average strength. The Queen is about as strong as two
Rooks or as three minor pieces (Bishops or Knights). A minor
piece is about equivalent to three Pawns, and a Rook is
consequently equal to a minor piece and one to two Pawns.

The value of a Pawn is the hardest thing to grasp for the
beginner. A Pawn appears to be of so little use on account of his
limited mobility, that it seems hardly worth while to waste time
on saving a Pawn that is attacked, as so much greater things are
apparently at issue. What he overlooks is the latent value of the
Pawn which lies in the possibility of queening him later in the
game.

To realize the importance of the Pawn it is necessary to know
exactly under what conditions he CAN be queened. This knowledge
is all the more indispensable to the Chess player as the vast
majority of all games finally resolve themselves into Pawn
endings in which the advantage of one or more Pawns decides the
issue.

In most of these cases some pieces are on the board in addition
to the Pawns and sometimes it is only by their exchange that the
game can be won. The most elementary example is that shown in the
following Diagram.

       +---------------------------------------+
     8 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     7 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     6 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     5 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     4 | #Q |    |    |    | ^P |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     3 |    | #K |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     2 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     1 |    |    | ^Q |    |    |    | ^K |    |
       +---------------------------------------+
         a    b    c    d    e    f    g    h

                DIAGRAM 14.

White is a Pawn ahead and it will be his object to Queen it. The
beginner, in his haste to advance the Pawn, will probably play P-
e5 at once and lose the Pawn, as Black can answer Q-d4 check with
simultaneous attack on the Pawn. The correct way to play for
White is (1) Q-d1+, K-a3 or b4; (2) Qxa4, Kxa4. Now that the
Queens are exchanged White need not any longer worry about any
interference with his plans to queen the Pawn except maneuvers of
the black King, which might still lead to the capture or the
blockade of the Pawn.

A rash advance of the Pawn would again be the wrong thing. The
right way of playing is indicated by a simple calculation. The
Pawn needs four moves to reach the queening square. But the black
King arrives there in the same number of moves, so that he can
capture the Pawn the moment he queens. Consequently White will
only be able to enforce the safe queening of his Pawn if he can
gain control of the queening square with his own King, thus
protecting the Pawn at the time of queening.

Now, White needs three moves to bring his King up to his Pawn on
f4. In the meantime Black will have reached the square d6 and
after White's (4) K-f5 Black will block the further advance of
White's King by K-e7. However, White can force Black to give the
way free. The maneuver by which he does this is one which occurs
in a similar form in nearly all Pawn endings and its thorough
grasp is therefore essential. Diagram 15 shows the critical
position.

       +---------------------------------------+
     8 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     7 |    |    |    |    | #K |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     6 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     5 |    |    |    |    |    | ^K |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     4 |    |    |    |    | ^P |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     3 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     2 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     1 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       +---------------------------------------+
         a    b    c    d    e    f    g    h

                DIAGRAM 15.

White can win the game only by playing (5) K-e5. The technical
term for this move is "going into OPPOSITION." The Kings oppose
each other in one line on squares of the same color and the one
who has to move out of opposition--in this case Black's King--is
compelled to allow the advance of the opposing King to the next
line. If Black plays K-d7, White answers (6) K-f6, and if Black
plays K-f7, (6) K-d6 would follow. Then, after Black's K-e8,
White repeats the maneuver by taking the opposition with (7) K-
e6, and again Black must back out with either K-d8 or K-f8, so
that White can advance to either f7 or d7. This clears the way
for the Pawn who now advances unimpeded to the queening square.

The important role which the opposition of the Kings play in Pawn
endings is still more strikingly illustrated by the situations
which would result if in the position of Diagram 15 White played
(5) P-e5 instead of K-e5. Black would then draw the game by
maintaining the opposition himself. He would play K-f7 and
although after (6) P-e6, K-e7; (7) K-e5 White has regained the
opposition he cannot keep it if Black continues correctly. The
move which saves the game for Black is K-e8. K-d8 or K-f8 lose,
as then White could go into opposition by K-d6 or K-f6. The play
in these three cases would be this: A: (7) ..., K-e8, (8) K-f6,
K-f8; (9) P-e7+, K-e8; (10) K-e6 and Black is stalemate, the game
is drawn. B: (7) ..., K-d8; (8) K-d6, K-e8; (9) P-e7 and Black
must move K-f7 enabling White to obtain control of the queening
square by (10) K-d7. C: (7) ..., K-f8, (8) K-f6, K-e8, etc.,
similar to the play in B.

To sum up the investigation of this Pawn ending: The deciding
factor is the opposition of the Kings on the 6th and 8th ranks.
If the weaker party succeeds in obtaining that opposition with
the Pawn on the 6th rank he draws the game.

If the Pawn is not yet advanced to the 6th rank the opposition of
the Kings is of no avail to the weaker party as the Pawn
advancing would force the opposing King out of opposition again.
Suppose, for instance, White has the King on e6 and the Pawn on
e5 while Black's King stands on e8 with White on the move. White
must get out of opposition by playing K-f6 or K-d6 and Black
keeps the opposition by K-f8 or K-d8. But then White has a move
to spare which forces Black out of opposition and thereby wins
the game. He plays P-e6 and the game ends in the way discussed
above.

The ending King and Pawn against King is one of the most
important for every Chess player to know, not only because a
great number of positions can be reduced to this ending by the
exchange of all the other men left on the board, but also because
it gives the first insight into the peculiar maneuvers of the
King which have to be carried out in connection with gaining or
giving up the opposition, and which, as will be seen later on,
constitute the essence of the most frequent pawn endings.

For the beginner, of course, the opposition maneuvers are rather
difficult to grasp and it is fortunate for him that the vast
majority of pawn endings are of a much simpler form. The winning
maneuver in these endings into which most Chess games resolve
themselves, is easily explained and after understanding it the
beginner can readily see the fundamental principle underlying
every game.

Diagram 16 shows a typical position on which the winning method
should be studied. White is a pawn ahead, but as demonstrated on
the position of Diagram 15 he cannot queen his passed Pawn
because his King is not in front of it. On the other hand, there
cannot possibly be any advantage in advancing the Pawns on the
other side of the board as there Black has the same number of
Pawns as White and consequently there is no reason why one of the
white Pawns should succeed in breaking through. It is all the
same very easy for White to win and the strategy to be employed
will be evident from the following consideration: Black's King is
considerably confined in his movements as he has to be constantly
watching White's passed Pawn.

        +---------------------------------------+
      8 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
        |---------------------------------------|
      7 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
        |---------------------------------------|
      6 |    |    |    |    |    |    |#P  |    |
        |---------------------------------------|
      5 |    |    | #K |    |    | #P |    |    |
        |---------------------------------------|
      4 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
        |---------------------------------------|
      3 |    | ^P |    |    |    | ^P |    |    |
        |---------------------------------------|
      2 |    |    | ^K |    |    |    | ^P |    |
        |---------------------------------------|
      1 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
        +---------------------------------------+
          a    b    c    d    e    f    g    h

                   DIAGRAM 16.

White's King, however, is free to go wherever he likes without
any immediate danger. There is consequently nothing to hinder him
attacking and capturing the black Pawns, for if Black's King
tries to stop White's advance, White's passed Pawn marches on and
compels the opposing King to catch him, thereby giving the way
free to his own King. According to this scheme play could proceed
like this: (1) K-d3, K-d5; (2) K-e3, K-e5; (3) P-b4, P-g5; (4) P-
b5, K-d5; (5) P-b6, K-c6; (6) K-d4, Kxb6; (7) K-e5, P-f4; (8) K-
f5, K-c6; (9) Kxg5, K-d6; (10) Kxf4, K-e6; (11) K-g5, K-f7. Now
White would win even without the Pawn g2 by playing (12) K-f5 and
so on as explained on Diagram 15.

From the foregoing it will be clear to the beginner that if a
player succeeds in winning a Pawn he can win the game if he is
able to exchange all pieces so that only the Pawns are left.
However, he will not yet see the way in which this exchange of
pieces can be forced. It is evident that the player who has lost
the Pawn will try to avoid the exchange, hoping that he may be
able to regain the Pawn with his pieces. Therefore, he will
permit his opponent an exchange only if, in avoiding it, he would
sustain an additional loss. The position of Diagram 17 offers a
simple example. White on the move will play R-e5, offering the
exchange of Rooks. If Black tried to avoid the exchange by
playing R-b6, White would capture the Pawn f5 with the Rook and
after Black's King moves out of check he would take the Pawn g4
too. Therefore Black has to make the offered exchange of Rooks,
and White then wins by advancing the c-Pawn which forces Black's
King over to the Queen's wing and leaves the Pawns of the King's
wing unprotected.

       +---------------------------------------+
     8 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     7 |    | #P |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     6 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     5 |    | #R |    |    |    | #P |    | #K |
       |---------------------------------------|
     4 |    | ^P |    |    |    | ^K | #P | ^P |
       |---------------------------------------|
     3 |    |    | ^P |    |    |    | ^P |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     2 |    |    |    |    | ^R |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     1 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       +---------------------------------------+
         a    b    c    d    e    f    g    h

                DIAGRAM 17.

The beginner might think that inasmuch as the loss of a Pawn in
most cases means the loss of the game on account of the final
promotion of the Pawn to the Queen, it may be advisable to
sacrifice a piece if thereby the loss of a Pawn can be avoided.
However, this idea, which is frequently met, is altogether wrong
as the additional piece will easily enable the opponent to gain
as many Pawns as he likes within the further course of the game.
The position of Diagram 18 may serve as an example.

       +---------------------------------------+
     8 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     7 | #P | #P | #P |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     6 |    |    |    |    |    |    | #P | #K |
       |---------------------------------------|
     5 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     4 | #B |    |    |    |    | ^K | ^P |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     3 |    |    |    | ^Kt|    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     2 | ^P | ^P |    |    | ^B |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     1 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       +---------------------------------------+
         a    b    c    d    e    f    g    h

                DIAGRAM 18.

In the following line of play it is assumed that Black makes the
best moves, but the method employed is the same for any defensive
maneuvers which Black might try, with the only difference that
White would win still more quickly. (1) Kt-c5, B-c6; (2) B-f3,
Bxf3; (3) Kxf3, P-b6; (4) Kt-e6, P-c5; (5) P-a4. This move
retains the black Pawns so that the Knight can attack them with
better effect. (5) ..., P-c4; (6) Kt-c7, K-g7; (7) Kt-b5, P-a6;
(8) Kt-d6, K-f6; (9) Ktxc4, P-b5; (10) Pxb5, Pxb5; (n) Kt-a3, P-
b4; (12) Kt-c2, P-b3; (13) Kt-d4, etc.

Often it happens that a player can give up his additional piece
to advantage for one or two Pawns thereby enforcing an ending
which is won on account of the Pawn position. Diagram 19 is an
example.

       +---------------------------------------+
     8 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     7 |    |    |    |    |    |    | #P |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     6 |    |    |    |    | #B |    |    | #K |
       |---------------------------------------|
     5 | ^P |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     4 |    | ^Kt|    |    |    | ^K | ^P |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     3 | ^Kt| #P |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     2 |    |    | #P |    |    |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     1 |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
       +---------------------------------------+
         a    b    c    d    e    f    g    h

                DIAGRAM 19.

Black is a piece down but his two connected passed Pawns
constitute a dangerous threat. White, therefore, does best to
sacrifice a Knight for the two Pawns, as he then remains with two
Pawns against one. Black must finally give up his Bishop for
White's a-Pawn who threatens to queen, and then White wins by
capturing Black's g-Pawn and queening his own. Play might proceed
as follows: (1) Ktxc2, Pxc2; (2) Ktxc2, B-d5; (3) Kt-b4, B-a8;
(4) P-a6, K-g6; (5) P-a7, K-f6; (6) Kt-a6, K-e7; (7) Kt-c7, B-h1;
(8) P-a8 (Queen), Bxa8; (9) Ktxa8, K-f6; (10) Kt-c7, K-g6; (11)
Kt-d5, K-h6; (12) K-f5, K-h7; (13) K-g5, K-h8; (14) K-g6, K-g8;
(15) Kt-e7+, K-h8; (16) Kt-f5, K-g8; (17) Ktxg7, K-h8; (18) K-f7,
K-h7; (19) P-g5, K-h8; (20) Kt-f5, White could not play P-g6, as
Black would have been stalemate. (20) ..., K-h7; (21) P-g6+, K-
h8; (22) P-g7+, K-h7; (23) P-g8 (Queen) mate.

The game endings discussed up to now have illustrated the method
of winning with a superior force and it is now possible for the
beginner to understand that the leading rule for all maneuvers is
to AVOID THE LOSS OF MATERIAL--no matter how small--as it will
ultimately lead to the loss of the game by one pawn or the other
queening.

The next step will be to find out under what conditions it is
possible to gain a man and when it will be possible to avoid
loss. To understand the attacking and defensive maneuvers
involved it is necessary first to become acquainted with the
different ways in which the various pieces can be made to do some
useful work, where their strength lies and where their weakness,
and how they are able to cooperate. Not before all this is clear
to the beginner--in the outlines at least--will he be in a
position to play a sensible game or even to understand the most
elementary strategic principles.

The reader is therefore urged to study carefully the next chapter
in which the characteristic features of the different men are
discussed. In this way he will much more quickly arrive at a fair
playing strength than by relying on the experience which he may
gain in playing a great number of games, trying to find out
everything for himself instead of profiting by the knowledge
which has been gathered by others in centuries of study.

Rules of the Game

• The foundations follow suit.
• Cards from the Android may marry in descending line with cards on the helps, but not vice versâ .
• Cards on the help packets may marry in descending line with cards of each other’s packets, and also with cards from the rivers.
• The uppermost cards of the help packets are alone available until their removal releases those beneath.
• Each row of cards on the Android blocks the preceding one, but on the removal of any card the one immediately above it is released, and becomes available.

Game Play

Withdraw from the pack the eight aces, and place them in two columns on the right: these are the foundations, which ascend in sequence to kings (Rule I). Next deal four cards, and place them in a horizontal line below, leaving plenty of room for the tableau above: these are called the help cards. Next place at the upper end of the table a horizontal row of eight cards: this commences what is called the "rivers," and from the rivers you play any suitable cards on the foundations, or marry in descending line with the help cards (Rule II), immediately refilling the vacancies thus caused from the pack. From the helps you now play on to the foundations, and form marriages in accordance with Rule III. When all possible cards have been played, proceed to deal out successive rows of eight cards on the rivers, each row partly covering the preceding one, and temporarily blocking it (Rule V). In dealing, you may not play a card from any row until that row is complete. After dealing each row, pause and examine the tableau, playing and marrying all suitable cards, and refilling vacancies, both in the rivers and helps, with cards from the pack. In filling up vacancies in the rivers, those in the uppermost rows must first be refilled.

After the entire pack is exhausted, the skill of the player will be required. The four packets of help cards may now be increased to eight. To effect this, any four available cards may be selected from the rivers to begin the new packets, which have all the privileges of the original ones, and should be placed in the same line. The player may use his own discretion concerning them. He is not obliged to place the four new helps at once, but only as they are required, and it is best to keep one or two of the spaces free, so as to receive any card from the rivers which, in the progress of the game, is found to block a card much needed. If any of the packets of help cards are played off, the vacancy may be filled by another card from the rivers, but the packets must never exceed the number of eight.

There is no re-deal.

Note. —In the tableau only three rows of the rivers are shown.