Variant

Chess Variants and Games

Chess is a game of wits that calls for strategy, tactics and intuition. The game has a long history spanning several centuries and has been played the world over for it develops strategic thinking and tactical planning skills. Chess is intellectually stimulating and challenging - and offers limitless possibilities at every stage of play. The very nature of the game makes it amenable to systematic study and mastery over time. There are several variants of Chess which offer a level-playing field for amateurs who can think logically. This book is the outcome of the author's curiosity about new Chess variants which can be played on boards with different geometries, different sets of rules with different objectives. This entirely new look at Chess offers: Chess inspired games that reflect situations and events from daily life. Games inspired by popular sports such as squash, volleyball and cricket. Chess games as a motivational tool in education to help students develop interest and liking for their subjects and achieve better academic performance. Chess inspired puzzles. Chess as an outdoor sport and indoor team-game. A. V. Murali's engrossing book highlights the different perspectives of Chess - showcasing its broader applicability, not just for amusement, but for physical and intellectual development as well.

Modeling and Selection of Software Service Variants

Providers and consumers have to deal with variants of software services, which are alternative instances of a services design, implementation, deployment, or operation. This work develops the service feature modeling language to represent software service variants and a suite of methods to select variants for development or delivery. An evaluation describes the systems implemented to make use of service feature modeling and its application to two real-world use cases.

Geological Survey Professional Paper