Rescue a captured pawn from The Castle?
Serpentine Dream Chess plays just like regular Chess with only a few small twists:
White Squares are Mirror Squares. Black Squares are Serpentine Squares.
When a piece lands on a Serpentine Square, it chooses the Natural Role of any other piece you control. It remains in that Role until it lands on another Serpentine Square and makes a new Serpentine Choice, or lands on a White Square. White Squares revert a piece back to its Natural Role.
This applies to Kings as well as every other piece. Natural Identity does not change: a Natural King acting in another Role is still the King for purposes of check.
A player may not Castle after their first Serpentine Choice.
Stalemate is a mutual draw.
Checkmate is a mutual loss.
Victory is achieved by occupying and maintaining control of the four center squares (aka “The Castle”).
Completing a Convergence does not win immediately. It creates CONVERGENCE CHECK. The opponent receives one full turn to break the qualifying position. If the Convergence still qualifies when the checking player’s next turn begins, Victory is achieved.
Pawn & Queen interaction is the most complicated change from normal Chess.
Thematically, Pawns are future Queens, but the Queen is afraid of being usurped by the Pawns because her Role is replaceable as a function. Serpentine Queens aren't real (Natural) Queens. A Pawn Serpentining as a Queen has claimed the Queen's Role before earning it by Rank Promotion.
7a. Natural Queens may not capture and do not threaten other Natural Queens.
7b. Serpentine Queens may not capture and do not threaten other Serpentine Queens OR Natural Queens.
7c. Neither Natural Queens nor Serpentine Queens may capture and do not threaten a piece whose current Role is Pawn.
In short: Natural Queen > Serpentine Queen.
Natural Queens can capture Serpentine Queens, but not Natural Queens or a piece with the current Role of Pawn.
Serpentine Queens can capture neither kind of Queen nor Pawns.
Pawns can capture normally unless currently acting as Queens.
At the start of their turn, Players who control both central squares of their opponent's color may rescue one previously captured pawn of their color by returning it to any unoccupied square on that player's starting pawn rank.
When Dream Mirror Bonus is toggled off, Convergence Paradigm is active. Natural Kings do not threaten or capture one another, allowing additional King convergence. All other checks remain active.
A. Convergence
Occupy The Castle with any 4 units and maintain the qualifying state through the opponent’s reply.
B. Royal Convergence
Occupy The Castle with both your Natural King & Any Queen on your color squares and maintain the qualifying state through the opponent’s reply.
C. ?????
Additional Convergence configurations may be discoverable.
Random: Selects any legal action. (Beginner)
Dream: Favors session-novel states. None can alter legality. (Novice)
Serpentine: Scores legal actions before moving. (Intermediate) [May lag slower computers]
All other rules are as normal for Chess.