MINISTERS CHESS™ Frequently Asked Questions

 

1.      Q. How is MINISTERS™ Chess Third Edition packaged
A. The new MINISTERS™ Chess Third Edition is packaged in a box containing the board, which is printed on both sides for playing both MINISTERS™ Chess and conventional chess, 36 impact plastic, weighted, tournament size (3 3/4" king, 2" pawn) chess pieces and a MINISTERS™ Chess and conventional chess instructions booklet.  The board is 19.5"x19.5", folding rigid Scrabble- or Monopoly-type board with MINISTERS™ CHESS  9x9 pattern on one side and conventional chess 8x8 pattern on the other. The box thus contains two games in one!    The chess pieces are impact plastic, weighted, tournament size (3 3/4" king) pieces. The box dimensions are about 20"x10.25"x2". The game weighs about 3.5 pounds (1.9 kg).  Its box cover is a Masterpiece, a celebration of colors; as says the impartial inventor! It includes in addition as a gift a 19.5"x19.5" vinyl roll-up board and a 12"x7" cloth MINISTERS™ CHESS bag to carry the game to your favourite chess club. A new instruction booklet is also included.

 

  1. Q. How is the MINISTERS™ older Limited Second Edition packaged?
    A. MINISTERS™ Second Edition has been discontinued, replaced by the new Third Edition. However, some Second Edition games are still available and can be purchased as long as quantities last. It is packaged in a box containing the board, which is printed on both sides for playing both MINISTERS™ Chess and conventional chess, the MINISTERS™ 36 chess pieces and a MINISTERS™ Chess and conventional chess instructions guide.  The board is a 19.5"x19.5", folding laminated vinyl board. The chess pieces are impact plastic, weighted, tournament size (3 3/4" king, 2" pawn) pieces. The MINISTERS™ board has the MINISTERS™ 9x9 pattern on one side and the conventional chess 8x8 pattern on the other. The box thus contains two games in one!   The box dimensions are about 20"x10.25"x2". The game weighs about 3.5 pounds (1.9 kg). Present Second Edition contains signed and numbered Collectors Certificates. MINISTERS™ received the Seal of Excellence from The Consumer Association of Quebec, Canada, 1990, for the overall quality of the game as a product.  No more Second Edition games are produced. It is a past edition. Surprise! If you order this Second Edition, while quantities last, we will send you in addition two GIFTS: a vinyl roll-up board and a cloth MINISTERS™ CHESS bag to carry the game to your favorite chess club.

 

  1. Q. Can MINISTERS™ be purchased by credit card?
    A.  Yes. Use Paypal. Click on:  Place an order in the main menu


     
  2. Q. How long a delay to allow for shipping and are there duties charged?
    A. One week to 10 days for Continental U.S.A. and Canada. No duties are charged. For shipping to other than Continental U.S.A. and Canada, or for Air Mail delivery, please send your request accompanied by the shipping cost corresponding to the weight of the game, or contact us at Corinthian Games Ltd.

 

  1. Q. What are MINISTERS™ official rules?
    A. Apart from a few exceptions, stemming from the newly introduced symmetry and the larger size of the board, MINISTERS™ official rules are the same as those of conventional chess. They were created with the utmost respect for the teachings, tradition and history of chess. This is the essence of MINISTERS™ Chess. It is the perfection of symmetry while deviating the least from traditional conventional Western chess. MINISTERS™  is precisely defined as a game with a 9x9 = 81-squares board and 36 chess pieces, namely the conventional chess pieces plus a MINISTERS™ (queen) and a pawn per player. MINISTERS™ rules are guidelines for playing the game. However, there is no reason why a player cannot experiment with different rules. Evidently, experimenting with deviations from the MINISTERS™ regular rules is similar to the diversions that exist in conventional chess. They remain deviations and diversions from the true rules of the game. 

 

  1. Q. Does the player have the option to move the king either 2 or 3 squares in castling?
    A. Normally, in castling, a player will choose to move the king three squares. The player has, however, the option of moving it two squares instead. This is in keeping with the teachings and tradition of conventional chess, where two types of castle exist. It should be remembered that the reason for having two types of castle in conventional chess is the absence of symmetry; the king being not at the center of its rank. In MINISTERS™, given the larger board size the king is normally moved three squares in castling to reach the point where it is usually best protected. Since there are sometimes situations where the player may in fact prefer to move the king by two squares, rather than three, the player is given the option. In this way MINISTERS™ has two types of castle similarly to conventional chess, one leaving the king one square away from the board corner square, the other two squares. Such situations are not common. The option is given to the player, to use if ever the need arises.

 

  1. Q. What are the effects of having no bishop on white?
    A.  In MINISTERS™ you already have the equivalent of more than a bishop on white. The bishop on white of conventional chess is effectively replaced by an additional minister, which does what the bishop does and more. In other words, whereas in conventional chess the white squares are covered by a queen and a bishop, in MINISTERS™ they are covered by two Ministers; thus covered and more. In establishing symmetry, MINISTERS™ creates a perfect balance and harmony. Part of this balance and harmony is that bishops can finally protect and reinforce each other. They can be aligned with two ministers to form a devastating force along a diagonal, creating havoc on the battlefield. It should be remembered that the fact that in conventional chess bishops move on opposite colors is a direct consequence of the absence of symmetry. It is a result of asymmetry, which is not the natural optimal formation of an army. 

 

  1. Q. Can players change the initial official position?
    A.     Changing the initial official position is a deviation from the rules of MINISTERS™ CHESS,  and can be only done as a diversion. In conventional chess, players often like to experiment for fun with unusual rules. By mutual agreement, they can deviate as a diversion from the formal rules. For example, by mutual agreement between the two players, they would agree to alter the initial positions of the major pieces before the start of the game. As an example a bishop may switch places with its adjacent minister (or knight) ending up on a white square.  The same action is taken by the two players, such that symmetry about the horizontal axis passing through the board centre is maintained. It should be added that altering the formal initial position is foreign to MINISTERS™ CHESS formal rules which were created with the utmost respect for the teachings, tradition and history of chess. This is the essence of MINISTERS™ CHESS. It is the perfection of symmetry while deviating the least from traditional conventional Western chess.  Players may experiment for fun with deviations if they wish. But the formal rules are well defined and do not change.

 

  1. Q. Would the pawn be allowed to move 3 squares given the size of the board?
    A. One of the advantages of the large board, and in particular the additional rank, in MINISTERS™ the possibility of optimizing one's position before the engagement in attack. The pawn already, as in conventional chess, has two options. It can move by one or two squares from its original position. It is not recommended to add another square to its options.

 

  1. Q. Does the rule of pawn capture 'en passant' apply in MINISTERS™?
    A. Yes. All the rules of conventional chess, apart from those caused by the inherent asymmetry apply in MINISTERS™ CHESS.

 

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