Answers.Body: <p>The common version of the rules for pawns-only chess (or pawn wars) states that the stalemated player loses, see <a href="https://www.chessvariants.com/diffsetup.dir/pawnsonly.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.chessvariants.com/diffsetup.dir/pawnsonly.html</a> and <a href="https://chess.stackexchange.com/questions/8755/is-the-result-in-mini-chess-known-with-perfect-play/23275">Is the result in mini-chess known with perfect play?</a>. In the latter thread you can also find the outcome of the game with perfect play in case you are interested.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-02-04T19:24:28.223Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-02-04T19:24:28.223Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Fabian Fichter
Answers.Body: <p>First you need to prove that someone can force a promotion.  That is far from obvious.</p>
  
  <p>Then you would need to prove that it is not , with best play, always a blocked position with the same player making the last move.</p>
  
  <p>I suspect that this is just a puzzle that could be solved by computer that shows there is one best outcome that is always the same. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-02-04T15:48:00.910Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-02-04T15:48:00.910Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: edwina oliver
Body: <p>I ask about the exact rules for the chess variant known as pawn wars. The starting position contains only pawns which move exactly like in chess and the first to promote wins.</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN "8/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/8 w - - 0 1"]
  [Title "The first to promote wins"]
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>But it should also be stated how to evaluate the end result when the side to move has no legal moves left. Is it lost or stalemated? I have been thinking about this game for years as a study tool for beginners but also as a philosophical research project into the game of chess for advanced players. I have found it recommended on several websites by kid educators.</p>
  
  <p>I would like to write an engine to play this game but I cannot make up my mind on the best statement of the rules to maximize its practical relationship to chess. Are there any guidelines by experienced educators or existing environments to play this game? Any ideas how and why to fix the rules?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-05-27T07:22:13.413Z
Comments.Text: Can you expand on the situations that you find problematic and the different rules you are considering?
Comments.UserDisplayName: hkBst
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-05-27T07:24:21.753Z
Comments.Text: A blocked position should be drawn or won by the side which has made the last move? We could go for a zugzwang game or for a stalemate game so to speak.
Comments.UserDisplayName: MichalRyszardWojcik
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-05-27T07:26:10.483Z
Comments.Text: When we go for stalemate in a blocked position then what to do when one side has a passed pawn on its way to promotion while the weaker side has run out of moves (blocked pawns or no pawns left). Is it still a draw?
Comments.UserDisplayName: MichalRyszardWojcik
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-05-27T07:31:21.020Z
Comments.Text: I do not think it matters a whole lot, but off the top of my head I think I prefer not being able to make a move to be an instant loss.
Comments.UserDisplayName: hkBst
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-05-27T07:36:56.347Z
Comments.Text: My previous comment is specifically about the situation when both players have no more moves. When only one player has no more moves then that should definitely be a loss for that player.
Comments.UserDisplayName: hkBst
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-05-28T14:14:36.160Z
Comments.Text: There is also the option of differentiating between two wins of different value. To win by promotion could be valued higher than to win by zugzwang. The point is to extract the best educational value from the game and from the lines suggested by the engine. Perhpas the engine should first try to go for promotion, zugzwang being the second-rate choice after promotion is not possible.
Comments.UserDisplayName: MichalRyszardWojcik
Tags: <rules><chess-variants>
Title: What are the rules for pawn wars?
ThreadText: # What are the rules for pawn wars?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2016-05-26)
  
  I ask about the exact rules for the chess variant known as pawn wars. The starting position contains only pawns which move exactly like in chess and the first to promote wins.
  
  ```
  [FEN "8/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/8 w - - 0 1"]
  [Title "The first to promote wins"]
  
  ```
  
  But it should also be stated how to evaluate the end result when the side to move has no legal moves left. Is it lost or stalemated? I have been thinking about this game for years as a study tool for beginners but also as a philosophical research project into the game of chess for advanced players. I have found it recommended on several websites by kid educators.
  
  I would like to write an engine to play this game but I cannot make up my mind on the best statement of the rules to maximize its practical relationship to chess. Are there any guidelines by experienced educators or existing environments to play this game? Any ideas how and why to fix the rules?
  
  **Tags:** rules, chess-variants
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Can you expand on the situations that you find problematic and the different rules you are considering?  
  > **username_0**: A blocked position should be drawn or won by the side which has made the last move? We could go for a zugzwang game or for a stalemate game so to speak.  
  > **username_0**: When we go for stalemate in a blocked position then what to do when one side has a passed pawn on its way to promotion while the weaker side has run out of moves (blocked pawns or no pawns left). Is it still a draw?  
  > **username_1**: I do not think it matters a whole lot, but off the top of my head I think I prefer not being able to make a move to be an instant loss.  
  > **username_1**: My previous comment is specifically about the situation when both players have no more moves. When only one player has no more moves then that should definitely be a loss for that player.  
  > **username_0**: There is also the option of differentiating between two wins of different value. To win by promotion could be valued higher than to win by zugzwang. The point is to extract the best educational value from the game and from the lines suggested by the engine. Perhpas the engine should first try to go for promotion, zugzwang being the second-rate choice after promotion is not possible.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2020-02-04. Score: 3
  
  The common version of the rules for pawns-only chess (or pawn wars) states that the stalemated player loses, see <https://www.chessvariants.com/diffsetup.dir/pawnsonly.html> and [Is the result in mini-chess known with perfect play?](https://chess.stackexchange.com/questions/8755/is-the-result-in-mini-chess-known-with-perfect-play/23275). In the latter thread you can also find the outcome of the game with perfect play in case you are interested.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2020-02-04. Score: -1
  
  First you need to prove that someone can force a promotion. That is far from obvious.
  
  Then you would need to prove that it is not , with best play, always a blocked position with the same player making the last move.
  
  I suspect that this is just a puzzle that could be solved by computer that shows there is one best outcome that is always the same.
  
  
  ---
  
  