Battle: A wargame played on a chessboard: Part 1: The rules

I am always on the look out for bits of what I refer to as 'wargaming archaeology' ... and recently I came across a set of rules that were designed to be used with a chessboard. The rules were entitled BATTLE, and they came with a box of special playing pieces from a company called 'BROOKS & CO., SPICEAL STREET, BIRMINGHAM'.

I have yet to try out the rules, but they are sufficiently unlike chess to make them different from that game. In fact, in some ways it is much more like the original POLEMOS in that units or pieces are taken or destroyed by tactical movement and/or placement on the 'battlefield'.

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RULES FOR PLAYING BATTLE
1. BOARD: The Chessboard represents the Battlefield of eight miles long by eight miles wide, each square being spoken of as one mile.

2. ARMY: Each Army of 2 Gun-batteries, 2 Shell-batteries, 2 bodies of Cavalry, 8 of Infantry, together with the General’s Staff and Ammunition, faces each other from the extreme far sides of the field, as shown, and with the General to the left of his Ammunition, thus:

3. PIECES: All except the General and the Ammunition are Fighting Pieces, each representing, not an individual, but a body of men and material; and each having its top surface marked, the lines thereon indicate the direction in which pieces march, the numbers how many squares may be marched at a time, for example, thus:

meaning that it is a Gun-battery capable of marching one mile in any one of four directions, N.E., S.E., .W., N.W., as marked thereon; or else of attacking, as explained in Rule 10.

4. OBJECT: To win is to capture the General. To capture the Ammunition is half the battle, since without it the enemy’s Batteries and Infantries are paralysed, and can neither fight nor march, even when in danger of being taken. To lose both the Cavalries besides the Ammunition means defeat for want of real Fighting Pieces. But when the Ammunition and one piece only of Cavalry are captured, it may yet be possible to effect a drawn battle, provided that the surviving Cavalry can make ten moves in all, thereby covering a General’s retreat. Moreover, there is just the possibility of such Cavalry winning the day.

5. DISTANCE: Whether a distance be a march or a range of attack, it counts as from (but not including) the position occupied previous to moving.

6. VALUES:

7. MOVING: In moving, and where possible so to choose, it is optional whether to march or to attack, but one cannot do both in the same move.

8. MARCHING: Any piece can march, but only over unoccupied ground, and in the direction as indicated by the lines on each piece, and to or within a distance marked thereon; and only in one of its four directions if it be a fighting piece, or of its eight directions in case of the General and Ammunition. (See Rule 6.)

9. RANGE: The range of attack, whether it be a Cavalry charge or a Firing-range, is the fighting value less its marching value; for example, for a Shell-battery 5, less marching power 2 leaving a fighting range of 3.

10. ATTACKING: Attacking, capturing or taking is the same thing; it is to capture one or more pieces as the case may be. But only fighting pieces can attack, and only when such attack can be delivered without hurt to one’s own side; otherwise guns so directed are said to be masked and cannot fire, likewise only when the enemy is within range and line of fire, which line is in a diagonal direction to that of a march, or in other words, in the opposite direction to which it marches. Such attack consists of a one mile forward movement into action, along that line of fire, and on to unoccupied ground; except that the very Cavalry-charge itself sweeps the enemy out of the way as it takes up its new position. But the Infantry and Battery-fires reach beyond the attacking move of one mile, so that all pieces lying within range (See Rules 5, 6 & 9) and line of fire are lost, except that the Shell-battery may attack at, or within, its full range; and is of especial value in attacking under cover, for being of the Mortar or Howitzer type, it may fire over a piece of either side if desired, or right into one or other or both of its enemy’s pieces lying within range, taking care when possible, and when in danger of drawing the enemy’s fire in return, to leave one such opponent piece standing between them in order to mask such guns with.

11. PASSIVES: Neither the General nor the Ammunition can approach either one of its rivals without leaving a clear mile space between. And. Moreover, these are the only pieces, though only capable of marching one mile, which have the choice of any one of eight directions, as shown.

12. STARTING, &c.: The rivals draw for colour, which colour is exchanged after each battle. Whites always moving first followed by Blacks each round in succession. Moreover, should a piece be moved and released, such move being possible, it cannot be withdrawn; but if challenged there and then as impossible, it must be corrected, either by moving that or some other piece.

13. TWO A SIDE: One player as Officer takes command of Infantries in front; the other, of all the rest in the rear; White’s Infantry leading off first, and so opening out a way for the Rear Officer to immediately follow. In like manner Black’s follow in turn, thus completing a White and White, then Black and Black clockwise order of play, which must never vary round after round in succession.

Moreover, should the Infantry Officer lose all his pieces, he retires absolutely from the battle. So also he retires should the Ammunition be lost; in which case he leaves his pieces standing where they are, and at the mercy of the enemy (see Rule 4), But should he only be hemmed in, unable to move any piece, he may, if possible, either move the General or Ammunition in lieu thereof; failing which he, in like manner, retires. Such a movement of General or Ammunition will in noways prevent the Rear Line Officer moving same pieces in turn, if he so desires.

14. ONE AGAINST TWO A SIDE: By falling back on Rule 13 an equally fair and interesting game is possible for three players only, where the single player plays his two moves in succession, always starting with Infantry, thus satisfying the White and White, to be followed by Black and Black method.

Finally, the White and White, then Black and Black method makes for the best and most skilful play, even between single players; although White and Black is, perhaps, quicker to learn.