Gess is the combination of Go and Chess. It has very simple rules
and yet it can be tricky to play. I present here a Java applet that allows
you to play gess with yourself or with a friend sitting next to you.
The program, tells you when one side has lost, but allows you to continue playing anyway so that you can try out different steps. Until I rectify it, treat it as a feature.
Rules:
- It is played on a standard 18x18 Go board with a "twilight zone" on either side making it a 20x20 board (a--t, 1--20 where columns a and t and rows 1 and 20 cannot be occupied by stones).
- Each player has 43 stones. Red goes first.
- A piece is defined by a 3x3 region not containing your opponents stones
and with at least one of your stone being along the periphery.
Rook Bishop Queen Ring Pawn Hybrid1 Hybrid2 Hybrid3 Hybrid4 Partly twilight 
- If the middle square of you 3x3 piece is occupied, the piece can move until obstructed. Otherwise it can move at most three steps.
- If obstructed, the piece stops there. Stones which were there earlier go out.
- One can remove ones own stones in the above fashion.
- The "twilight zone" can be used as part of a 3x3 piece. But any stone that goes on to it vanishes off the board.
- Each player has a ring to begin with: a 3x3 piece with the center empty. You lose when you lose your ring. You can accumulate more rings during the play.
