-/// Functions for computing sliding attack bitboards. Function attacks_bb() takes
-/// a square and a bitboard of occupied squares as input, and returns a bitboard
-/// representing all squares attacked by Pt (bishop or rook) on the given square.
+/// distance() functions return the distance between x and y, defined as the
+/// number of steps for a king in x to reach y. Works with squares, ranks, files.
+
+template<typename T> inline int distance(T x, T y) { return x < y ? y - x : x - y; }
+template<> inline int distance<Square>(Square x, Square y) { return SquareDistance[x][y]; }
+
+template<typename T1, typename T2> inline int distance(T2 x, T2 y);
+template<> inline int distance<File>(Square x, Square y) { return distance(file_of(x), file_of(y)); }
+template<> inline int distance<Rank>(Square x, Square y) { return distance(rank_of(x), rank_of(y)); }
+
+
+/// attacks_bb() returns a bitboard representing all the squares attacked by a
+/// piece of type Pt (bishop or rook) placed on 's'. The helper magic_index()
+/// looks up the index using the 'magic bitboards' approach.