Semedo (chess)

	a	b	c	d	e
8						8
7						7
6						6
5						5
4						4
3						3
2						2
1						1
	a	b	c	d	e

semedo starting position^[1]

represents the scientists

represents the rockets

Semedo (Latin: Semedo) is a variant of chess, presumably invented by Álvaro Semedo.

Some chess historians dispute the existence of such chess in general. Supposedly invented by a Jesuit missionary in China, Álvaro Semedo. Subsequently, other Catholic missionaries in China reported a special Chinese chess called "semedo". A description of this game in Latin is given in a book published in 1694 in England.^[2][3]

The rules of Semedo are not described well in Mandragorias by Thomas Hyde which is the primary source for Semedo.^[1] The moves of the pawn, knight and scientists are not described but presumably the pawn moves like a pawn in western chess without the double-step option on the first move, the knight might either moves like the knight in western chess or like the Horse in Xiangqi and the scientists may be similar to the Advisor in Xiangqi. The rocket's movement is described, but poorly, but it might move like the cannon in Xiangqi. The king is described as not being able to attack, this may mean that the king cannot move and is trapped in its starting position but also that it simply cannot capture any pieces.

• The Meeting of Shen Fuzong and Thomas Hyde in 1687. A Lecture for the Oxford Bibliographical Society, 1 March 2010.