Editing Alice chess (section)

{{Short description|Chess variant played on two boards}}
{{stack|
[[File:Aliceroom3.jpg|thumb|upright=1.70|right|Alice steps [[Through the Looking-Glass|through the looking-glass]]; illustration by Sir [[John Tenniel]].]]
{{alice chess diagram|clear=right
 |tright
 |
 |  |  |  |  |rd|  |  |
 |  |pd|  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |nd|  |  |  |
 |  |  |nd|  |kd|  |rd|bd
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |bd|  |pd|  |pd|
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
<!-- Board A -->
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |rl|  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |rl|  |
 |  |pl|  |nl|pd|bl|  |
 |ql|  |  |  |  |  |  |
 |kl|  |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
<!-- Board B -->
 |{{hidden|ta1=left|White mates in two moves<ref>''The Problemist'' (March 1999) England.</ref> <br />{{nobold|by Udo Marks}}
 |[Moves returning to board A are notated "/A".]

{{em|Solution:}} 1.Kb1/A{{chesspunc|!}} (waiting!)
*1...Re7 2.Rxe7/A{{chessAN|#}}
*1...R(e8)–''other'' 2.Re7/A#
*1...R(g5)–''any'' 2.Rg5/A#
*1...Ba1 2.Qxa1/A#
*1...Bb2 2.Qxb2/A#
*1...B(c3)–''other'' 2.Qc3/A#
*1...B(h5)–''any'' 2.Nf3/A#
*1...N(c5)–''any'' 2.Rc5/A#
*1...N(d6)–''any'' 2.Bd6/A# (2.Bc7/A+? Nd6/A!)
*1...b6 (or 1...b5) 2.Nc6/A#
*1...e2 2.Qe3/A#
*1...g2 2.Bh2/A#! (2.Bg3/A+? Rxg3)

{{em|{{chessprobgloss|try|Tries}}:}}
*1.Qd3/A? (threatening 2.Rd5/A#) Nxd3? 2.Rc5/A#, but 1...Ra8+!
*1.b5/A? Ba1! 2.Qc3/A+ Bxd4/A!}}
}}
}}
'''Alice chess''' is a [[chess variant]] invented in 1953 by [[V. R. Parton]] which employs two [[chessboard]]s rather than one,{{efn|Since the rules disallow a given square to be occupied on both boards simultaneously, it is possible to play Alice chess using one board only, placing checkers under pieces to indicate they are on board '''B'''. A similar technique can be used in computer displays or with pocket–magnetic sets, by turning pieces upside-down instead of using checkers.}} and a slight (but significant) alteration to the standard [[rules of chess]]. The game is named after the main character "[[Alice (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)|Alice]]" in [[Lewis Carroll]]'s work ''[[Through the Looking-Glass]]'', where transport through the mirror into an alternative world is portrayed on the chessboards by the after-move transfer of chess pieces between boards '''A''' and '''B'''.

This simple transfer rule is well known for causing disorientation and confusion in players new to the game, often leading to surprises and amusing mistakes as pieces "disappear" and "reappear" between boards, and pieces interposed to block attacks on one board are simply bypassed on the other. This "nothing is as it seems" experience probably accounts for Alice chess remaining Parton's most popular and successful variant among the [[V. R. Parton#List of game inventions|numerous others he invented]].
{{algebraic notation|pos=toc}}