Direction

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Home * Chess * Squares * Direction

wind rose [1]

The Direction is a information of the geometrical relation of two squares on a chessboard without the information of distance. Mathematically, direction may be uniquely specified by a unit vector, or equivalently by the angle with respect to a specified set of axes.

Move Directions

Directions on the chessboard are usually related to from- to-coordinates of moves, that is four orthogonal and four diagonal ray-directions plus the eight directions a knight may move. Following Compass roses give the directions and single step increments of an 8x8 Board.

Ray Directions

  northwest    north   northeast
  noWe         nort         noEa
          +7    +8    +9
              \  |  /
  west    -1 <-  0 -> +1    east
              /  |  \
          -9    -8    -7
  soWe         sout         soEa
  southwest    south   southeast

Knight Directions

        noNoWe    noNoEa
            +15  +17
             |     |
noWeWe  +6 __|     |__+10  noEaEa
              \   /
               >0<
           __ /   \ __
soWeWe -10   |     |   -6  soEaEa
             |     |
            -17  -15
        soSoWe    soSoEa

Directions between any Squares

In Degrees

Based on arctangent of the quotient of file- and rank-distance, one may calculate following 15 times 15 sheet with all possible angels which might occur between any squares in Degree (rounded to integer). Inner squares whose angle occur on farther squares are left blank, so each angle given is distinct, 144 from 224 (15x15-1), move directions are given in bold:

315 319 324 330 337 344 352 0 8 16 23 30 36 41 45
311 320 326 333 342 351 | 9 18 27 34 40 49
306 310 321 329 338 349 | 11 22 31 39 50 54
300 304 309 323 346 | 14 37 51 56 60
293 297 301 307 | 53 59 63 67
286 288 292 | 68 72 74
278 279 281 284 | 76 79 81 82
270 - - - - - - + - - - - - - 90
262 261 259 256 | 104 101 99 98
254 252 248 | 112 108 106
247 243 239 233 | 127 121 117 113
240 236 231 217 194 | 166 143 129 124 120
234 230 219 211 202 191 | 169 158 149 141 130 126
229 220 214 207 198 189 | 171 162 153 146 140 131
225 221 216 210 203 196 188 180 172 164 157 150 144 139 135

In Begrees

Enumerating all distinct integer degrees of the above rose in order but without any gaps, leaves a circle with 144 board degrees (Begrees) - only the 16 angels with modulo 9 equals zero are actually covered by move directions (bold). A possible application of Begrees is to select moves with a direction to an "interesting" area of the board, specified by some center- or gravity square.

126 127 131 134 136 139 143 0 1 5 8 10 13 17 18
125 128 132 135 138 142 | 2 6 9 12 16 19
121 124 129 133 137 141 | 3 7 11 15 20 23
118 120 123 130 140 | 4 14 21 24 26
116 117 119 122 | 22 25 27 28
113 114 115 | 29 30 31
109 110 111 112 | 32 33 34 35
108 - - - - - - + - - - - - - 36
107 106 105 104 | 40 39 38 37
103 102 101 | 43 42 41
100 99 97 94 | 50 47 45 44
98 96 93 86 76 | 68 58 51 48 46
95 92 87 83 79 75 | 69 65 61 57 52 49
91 88 84 81 78 74 | 70 66 63 60 56 53
90 89 85 82 80 77 73 _72 _71 _67 _64 _62 _59 _55 _54

Opposed to the compass-rose above, all inner squares are filled with Begrees as well.

126 127 131 134 136 139 143 0 1 5 8 10 13 17 18
125 126 128 132 135 138 142 0 2 6 9 12 16 18 19
121 124 126 129 133 137 141 0 3 7 11 15 18 20 23
118 120 123 126 130 135 140 0 4 9 14 18 21 24 26
116 117 119 122 126 132 138 0 6 12 18 22 25 27 28
113 114 115 117 120 126 135 0 9 18 24 27 29 30 31
109 110 111 112 114 117 126 0 18 27 30 32 33 34 35
108 108 108 108 108 108 108 + 36 36 36 36 36 36 36
107 106 105 104 102 99 90 72 54 45 42 40 39 38 37
103 102 101 99 96 90 81 72 63 54 48 45 43 42 41
100 99 97 94 90 84 78 72 66 60 54 50 47 45 44
98 96 93 90 86 81 76 72 68 63 58 54 51 48 46
95 92 90 87 83 79 75 72 69 65 61 57 54 52 49
91 90 88 84 81 78 74 72 70 66 63 60 56 54 53
90 89 85 82 80 77 73 _72 _71 _67 _64 _62 _59 _55 _54

Lookup

Since the computation is quite expensive, a two dimensional table with pre-calculated values might be used for that purpose. The enumerated type enumDir might contain only ray- or move directions, Degrees, Begrees, or a structure combining them. 

enumDir arrDirection[64][64]; // 4 KByte

enumDir direction(enumSquare sq1, enumSquare sq2) {
   return arrDirection[sq1][sq2];
}

Lookup by 0x88 Difference

The 0x88 square relation permits a denser lookup approach. The difference of valid 0x88 coordinates of two squares is unique with respect to distance and direction. That way, one can greatly reduce the size of the lookup array to only 240 instead of 4096 elements. Some additional computation required, if one has to convert usual square coordinates to 0x88. If one already relies on 0x88 coordinates, it becomes even cheaper: 

enumDir arrDirectionBy0x88Diff[240];

unsigned int x88diff(enumSquare sq1, enumSquare sq2) {
   return sq2 - sq1 + (sq2|7) - (sq1|7) + 120;
}

enumDir direction(enumSquare sq1, enumSquare sq2) {
   return arrDirectionBy0x88Diff[x88diff(sq1, sq2)];
}

See also

Forum Posts

External Links

References

  1. ↑ Replica of a wind rose from a chart of Jorge de Aguiar, 1492, Compass rose - Wikimedia Commons

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