# Footchess: Aborted Corner

The ninetieth minute ticks off and we're into extra time. Black sets up for a corner to send the game to penalties, when White realizes that corners aren't actually a thing in this game and makes a move.

White wins if he can clear the ball past midfield (ranks 5+) in such a way that Black can't score the very next turn. Black wins if he puts the ball in the net. White is first to move.

In case you've forgotten, the rules of FootChess are established here and are as follows:

1. There is a Ball piece that starts in the center grid intersection, it is treated as being in D4,D5,E4,and E5; whichever piece first occupies any of those squares plays the Ball as if it were in the square they occupy.
2. The Ball is played by any piece 'capturing' it. Instead of being captured, the ball immediately moves as a Neutral piece of the same variety that captured it, under the control of the capturer.
3. If the Ball would capture a piece on this move, it is instead treated as if captured by it. This is called a Pass.
4. Check and Checkmate are not relevant. Instead the game ends by moving the ball into the opposing goal; that being either D0, E0 or D9,E9. Pieces may not occupy these Goal Squares.
5. All pieces may capture opposing pieces as Standard Chess, the exception being that a King may not be captured while on his home ranks, those being 1,2 for White, and 7,8 for Black.
6. The Ball may be played by a pawn through either a capture move into its square, or by a standard move into its square. A pawn may play the Ball to a Capture square even if no Capture exists. Or a standard move sqaure even if there is a piece there. This means a pawn may always play the Ball to a square immediately or diagonally in front of itself, as well as two ranks directly in front of itself, if it is passed to while on its home rank.
• Just to clarify, white wins if the ball reaches rank $\ge5$ and black can't score on his next turn?. That's how I read it, and what I used for my answer. – Gabriel Burns Nov 8 '16 at 22:45

notation note: the arrows indicate the path of the ball, so for instance Qe5->a1 means the Queen moves to e5 and plays the ball to a1. If there were, say a rook on a1, the path would countinue, e.g. Qe5->a1->a8.

White plays

1.Qh1->f1->e1->d2. If black plays 1...Bxc3, white responds with 2.Kd2->c1->a2->a4 followed by 3.a4->b5, or, if 2...bxa2, 3.Ba4->b5. If black plays 1..Qxe5, white plays 2.Bd2->e1->f1->h1->a8. If black plays anything other than 1...Bxc3 or 1...Qxe5, white plays 2. Bd2->b4->a5. White wins.

• What then if 1... Bxc3, 2...Qxe5? Then the ball would be taken when it gets to the 5th rank. – boboquack Nov 9 '16 at 1:09
• Yes, it would, but the rules say white wins if it gets the ball to the 5th rank, and black doesn't score on its next turn. Nothing about taking the ball back to ranks 1-4. They have to score. – Gabriel Burns Nov 9 '16 at 14:54
• Actually, you might be right, although RAW says black can't score in that position, it seems more soccer-like for the goal to be the back border of e1&d1 rather than imaginary squares e0&d0. In that case, black's bishop on h5 is in a position to score by sending the ball across this "goal line" to an imaginary c0. The proper continuation for the line you proposed would be 2. Qa8, leaving the ball safely on a4 while preparing to extract it to somewhere Black can't get it. – Gabriel Burns Nov 9 '16 at 16:20