Chess variants
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Anyone who knows chess and is able to play a bit better than just to move around pieces on the board will find out that sometimes (especially on long evenings with some alcohol involved) it may be interesting to leave the outworn path of ordinary chess rules and try some other rules based on the common ones to give the game a new flavour. Here are some of the most common wild-type chess mutants given in order of difficulty:
1) Dice Chess: The aim of the game is as usual to capture the opponent's king. The basic rules of making moves are valid, except for the fact, that it is no longer necessary to move out of a check or to avoid moving into a check. Every different sort of piece is connected to a number of the dice, e.g. one for the pawn, two for the knight, three for the bishop, four for the rook, five for the queen and finally six for the king. The dice is rolled now in turns and the eyes thrown indicate the piece the player must move. If the player isn't able to move that kind of piece, because he no longer possesses it or the pieces are boxed in, he is forced to wait a turn. The one who first manages to capture the other one's king wins the game.
This game is especially for people who don't want to think to hard on their moves or for two players whose difference in knowledge about the original game is too big to play an interesting game.
2) Tandem Chess: Tandem Chess is to be played on two boards with four players (two players make up one team). Each team is white on one board and black on the other. The two games start independent from each other following the common chess rules, until at one board someone is able to capture a piece. This piece he can pass his teammate who can use it as one of his own figurines and place it on a free field on his board wherever he wishes instead of one of his moves. (Exception: Pawns may not be placed on the first or last rank) The team who first manages to decide a game at one board wins the whole tournament.
This is especially funny when playing in a group of chessweird people.
3) Atomic Chess: Atomic Chess is played with common chess rules. The only small difference is that when capturing a piece the capturing piece will vanish as well as all pieces that stand on the eight fields in neighborhood of the field of capture. The one who first manages to blow up the opponent's king has won.
This variant is very interesting for people who don't appreciate games going on for longer than 20 moves.
4) Coin Chess: The game is exactly as original chess except for a coin that is at first placed on the field e4 or d4 when starting to play. Every move a piece makes (no matter from what side) the coin must make too, e.g. if you play Ng1-f3 in your first move of the game, the coin will move from e4 to d6. Moves that lead to fields the coin can't occupy because there is already a piece on it, are not allowed. The winner is the one who first achieves mate (pay attention to the coin rule!)
This game is very tricky and can lead to long thinking periods - so only start this if you have plenty of spare-time!
5) Help Chess: Again there are teams of two competing against each other, but this time on just one board. The move is divided into determining a piece and actually moving this piece. One player always has to determine a kind of piece (e.g. bishop) the other player has to move. The interesting thing in this game is, that it is not allowed to tell your plans to your teammate.
This is a game for people who know each other quite well and don't tend to blame the other for not following their own plans.
6) Robbery Chess: The main aim of this game is to first be rid of your pieces. If one player is able to capture a piece of the opponent he has to do so. At least he can choose what piece to capture if there are more than one opportunities. The king isn't of any more worth than any other piece, so the game won't end if the king is captured and most games will end with a knight against two pawns endgame or something like this. The winner is the one who first has lost all his pieces.
This is a totally different kind of chessplaying so it will take a lot of time to really find the best strategy.
7) Veto Chess: The game is played with normal chess rules, except that the players have the opportunity to prohibit one move of the opponent in each turn. The opponent then has to make another move that the other one must accept. In return now the second player may forbid the first player to do his move and so on. The players don't have to use their right of revising a move, but they also can't "save" this right for later turns.
This is even more tricky then Coin Chess because you really have to think twice on your next moves if you don't want to lose quite quickly.
If anyone knows further variants of chess please answer to this contibution.
1) Dice Chess: The aim of the game is as usual to capture the opponent's king. The basic rules of making moves are valid, except for the fact, that it is no longer necessary to move out of a check or to avoid moving into a check. Every different sort of piece is connected to a number of the dice, e.g. one for the pawn, two for the knight, three for the bishop, four for the rook, five for the queen and finally six for the king. The dice is rolled now in turns and the eyes thrown indicate the piece the player must move. If the player isn't able to move that kind of piece, because he no longer possesses it or the pieces are boxed in, he is forced to wait a turn. The one who first manages to capture the other one's king wins the game.
This game is especially for people who don't want to think to hard on their moves or for two players whose difference in knowledge about the original game is too big to play an interesting game.
2) Tandem Chess: Tandem Chess is to be played on two boards with four players (two players make up one team). Each team is white on one board and black on the other. The two games start independent from each other following the common chess rules, until at one board someone is able to capture a piece. This piece he can pass his teammate who can use it as one of his own figurines and place it on a free field on his board wherever he wishes instead of one of his moves. (Exception: Pawns may not be placed on the first or last rank) The team who first manages to decide a game at one board wins the whole tournament.
This is especially funny when playing in a group of chessweird people.
3) Atomic Chess: Atomic Chess is played with common chess rules. The only small difference is that when capturing a piece the capturing piece will vanish as well as all pieces that stand on the eight fields in neighborhood of the field of capture. The one who first manages to blow up the opponent's king has won.
This variant is very interesting for people who don't appreciate games going on for longer than 20 moves.
4) Coin Chess: The game is exactly as original chess except for a coin that is at first placed on the field e4 or d4 when starting to play. Every move a piece makes (no matter from what side) the coin must make too, e.g. if you play Ng1-f3 in your first move of the game, the coin will move from e4 to d6. Moves that lead to fields the coin can't occupy because there is already a piece on it, are not allowed. The winner is the one who first achieves mate (pay attention to the coin rule!)
This game is very tricky and can lead to long thinking periods - so only start this if you have plenty of spare-time!
5) Help Chess: Again there are teams of two competing against each other, but this time on just one board. The move is divided into determining a piece and actually moving this piece. One player always has to determine a kind of piece (e.g. bishop) the other player has to move. The interesting thing in this game is, that it is not allowed to tell your plans to your teammate.
This is a game for people who know each other quite well and don't tend to blame the other for not following their own plans.
6) Robbery Chess: The main aim of this game is to first be rid of your pieces. If one player is able to capture a piece of the opponent he has to do so. At least he can choose what piece to capture if there are more than one opportunities. The king isn't of any more worth than any other piece, so the game won't end if the king is captured and most games will end with a knight against two pawns endgame or something like this. The winner is the one who first has lost all his pieces.
This is a totally different kind of chessplaying so it will take a lot of time to really find the best strategy.
7) Veto Chess: The game is played with normal chess rules, except that the players have the opportunity to prohibit one move of the opponent in each turn. The opponent then has to make another move that the other one must accept. In return now the second player may forbid the first player to do his move and so on. The players don't have to use their right of revising a move, but they also can't "save" this right for later turns.
This is even more tricky then Coin Chess because you really have to think twice on your next moves if you don't want to lose quite quickly.
If anyone knows further variants of chess please answer to this contibution.
