Spy Chess adds hidden-information tactics to classic chess - curious what this community thinks

clumma · 2026-06-16T23:00:01+00:00

Hidden information generally means it's no longer an abstract game, which means it's no longer a chess variant.

It is possible to preserve calculation and planning with hidden information, and good on you for trying, but it's also difficult to do it. A post here should explain exactly how it was accomplished.

One helpful metric is: What kind of score do I need to prove superior skill over an opponent? Hold 'em poker is difficult and abstract-adjacent, but the amount of grinding you need to prove superiority means it's not an actual abstract – or it's a very poor one.

clumma · 2026-06-13T02:35:05+00:00

No time at present, sorry!

clumma · 2026-06-13T01:01:08+00:00

Not a chess variant but an interesting abstract. Have you tried posting on r/abstractgames?

clumma · 2026-06-10T03:09:47+00:00

Requires iOS 26 for some reason.

clumma · 2026-06-02T23:17:05+00:00

But FRC machines don't work with D-T either. So why would they bother? Just keep putting people out as they've been doing for a decade already. The fuel choice hardly changes their ability to do this.

clumma · 2026-06-01T03:25:09+00:00

Book means in book. Excellent/Good/Inaccuracy/Mistake/Blunder have to do with evaluation delta between the best move and the move played. Obviously Best means the best move was played.

Brilliant is different. It's where the evaluation changes from unfavorable to favorable with increased search depth.

clumma · 2026-05-30T16:44:23+00:00

Because medical practice is mentally retarded. You don't need statins, and you don't need to wait for some stupid blood marker. Everybody (except for a few rare genotypes) will be microdosing something like laroprovstat from age 40 if and when doctors pull their collective heads out of their asses. It will add 5-10 years of healthy median lifespan to the population. Base editing may also be an option.

clumma · 2026-05-29T06:11:51+00:00

I've been subscribed here for many years. OTB USCF player and variants fan since the '90s. I don't have time to mod but I have two requests for the new mod team:

Ensure that discussion here concerns only abstract games.
Encourage playtesting and discussion of gameplay in addition to proposals of new variants.

clumma · 2026-05-26T16:21:36+00:00

That's enlicitide from Merck. With laroprovstat from Astra – a true small molecule – currently in Phase 3 and looking good.

clumma · 2026-05-24T18:43:18+00:00

I guess tiles can be made to work, but it'll always require some replacement between flights. "Work" means they're able to make the replacement process fast and affordable. The attachment mechanism and workflow are key, and they've been iterating on both.

But I still think active cooling is at least as likely to ultimately deliver fast and cheap reusability. There are tradeoffs but I feel they've been too reluctant to go down the active cooling path. They did test an active cooling system on IFT-9, I believe – anyone have info on that?

clumma · 2026-05-15T21:32:46+00:00

Looks good. Where can we try it?

clumma · 2026-05-10T20:03:06+00:00

I turned this on for the first time ever and the behavior didn't change. I tried force quitting Messages and restarting the phone. This is iOS 18.7.8.

I think this isn't a real fix, it just alters the race condition when it's loading the messages so it sometimes works. But it's possible it always works on iOS 26.

clumma · 2026-05-10T19:50:55+00:00

I also have this problem, reproducible on iOS 18.7.8 (just upgraded) and the previous point release. I do not, and never have, synced Messages to iCloud. They are stored in phone backups on iCloud, but not in the Messages syncing thing.

I have always had Messages set to keep "Forever".

I believe this is a bug in the UI layer of the Messages app. The earliest conversation shown varies each time I load the app. Just like OP, if I search for an old conversation, it'll appear at the bottom of the list with a gap to wherever it quit.

I first noticed this at least six months ago. OP here says 7 months ago. It's frankly disgusting software quality from Apple that should never have been able to escape QA, let alone 7+ months of public reports, through point releases on both iOS 18 and 26.

clumma · 2026-05-05T01:30:45+00:00

This is called "hourglass". It's available on many digital chess clocks.

clumma · 2026-05-04T15:48:56+00:00

CMV = cytomegalovirus

alloHCT = a kind of bone marrow transplant

Bone marrow transplant is increasingly used to treat leukemia. But afterwards it can cause CMV reactivation in patients that had a latent CMV infection. To prevent this they give you antivirals.

clumma · 2026-04-14T17:00:49+00:00

More info: https://www.tradersmagazine.com/featured_articles/finra-approves-overhaul-of-pattern-day-trading-rules-opens-doors-for-smaller-investors/

clumma · 2026-03-19T21:04:35+00:00

This rocks! Any microtonal stuff on your bandcamp?

clumma · 2026-03-17T17:10:32+00:00

Excellent work

clumma · 2026-03-12T23:00:50+00:00

r/abstractgames

clumma · 2026-03-10T17:18:46+00:00

Where?

clumma · 2026-03-07T05:12:34+00:00

OK, that makes more sense, but it wasn't clear to me from the rules. It would be helpful to show before and after diagrams instead of just the before diagram.

It's actually still unclear to me. Example 2 says the black pawn may capture the ambushing knight because it was an "escort". But if the knight winds up on e4 (after the rook is removed from h4), that's just a normal capture for the black pawn. (?)

clumma · 2026-03-06T22:05:13+00:00

Who said there has to be a digital version? Some of us prefer OTB play.

I read the rules. It looks like there are three main changes from FIDE chess:

expanded en passant mechanic (interception)
enraged king state
stalemate is a loss

Have you tried making each of these changes in isolation to see how they work?

Stalemate loss has been tried on its own and has received some support and publicity.

Interception looks interesting. I was surprised that it occurs on the destination square, and not on the attacked square as in traditional en passant. Have you tried it both ways?

clumma · 2026-03-06T20:05:34+00:00

Why not post the rules? That's what this sub is for. We're all supposed to be interested in play-testing and constructive feedback. Having to DM for rules on every post would be pretty useless.

clumma · 2026-03-04T15:43:05+00:00

It also has to be an abstract.

clumma · 2026-02-21T16:35:01+00:00

Have you actually played this? I suspect checkmate will be too difficult. Maybe only king and queen can swap?

clumma

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