Questions tagged [chess-variants]
Questions about variants of normal chess including bughouse, Chess960 (Fischer Random), atomic chess, and antichess.
180
questions
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3answers
138 views
Fun variants in teaching chess to children
I'm teaching my 5 year old daughter basic chess. While she's kind of interested, I feel the material, such as how the pieces move, mate in 1 puzzles, basic KQ and KR checkmates, etc, is a bit boring ...
3
votes
0answers
60 views
How to Create Positional Theory
I've been playing Kraton Chess, which is basically standard chess except there are 96 different possible starting positions that are similar to the standard starting position. All the rules of ...
9
votes
4answers
545 views
Variant in which two pieces can occupy a single square
A friend and I tried playing this variant yesterday. My question is:
Surely someone has looked at this before. Does it have a standard name? Or is there something obviously wrong with it that my ...
1
vote
1answer
126 views
Chess variants-Anyone recall the name for one that has a “superpiece” with the movements of the queen and knight?
What is the name of the chess piece in a variant game where there is a piece that moves like the queen AND a knight?
Is there a name for this variant?
21
votes
4answers
6k views
Is there a name for a chess variant where you are allowed to capture your own pieces?
I occasionally think it might be fun to play a chess variant that is exactly the same as regular chess, except that it is permitted to capture your own pieces as well as your opponent's pieces - so, ...
5
votes
1answer
196 views
What sort of strategies unfold on this elongated board?
I recently found this incredibly elongated chess board on the /r/gaming subreddit, with this image:
There was a comment thread discussing the potential strategies of playing on this board, with some ...
2
votes
2answers
305 views
Is Choker worth playing?
Choker (chess + poker) was released recently as a mobile app. It is a game where players have a round of poker to bet on cards they draw. They then use these cards to play chess and win the bets.
My ...
8
votes
6answers
4k views
Moving into check for a draw as black, why is it illegal? Comparison to Racing Kings
I am confused why you cannot move into a check when it can force your opponent to capture your king and expose theirs. In such a case why is there no extra move to result in a draw?
In the "Racing ...
4
votes
1answer
233 views
Longest possible game of Horde Chess
The longest possible normal game of chess has been calculated, but I want to know what the longest possible game of Horde Chess is. What makes this an interesting case is the crazy amount of pawn ...
5
votes
0answers
113 views
16 roses, 16x16 board; maximum double-attacked squares while all 256 squares are attacked at least once?
The rose is a piece that is best described as a "circular nightrider", able to reach up to 32 other squares from the center of a 13x13 area by making consecutive knight jumps in a rotating fashion in ...
5
votes
2answers
232 views
What is the maximum number of squares 8 queens and 8 nightriders can attack on a 16x16 board?
Including but still obstructed by occupied squares, what is the maximum number of squares on a 16x16 board that 8 queens and 8 nightriders can collectively attack at least once each? Even if attacking ...
6
votes
3answers
145 views
How do generic game engines work?
The evaluation functions for chess usually includes chess specific knowledge. However, Zillions of Games is able to play any game based only on a description of how the pieces move and winning/losing/...
3
votes
5answers
204 views
When can king and pawn win against another king and pawn?
Assume such a situation: Both players (Black and White) only have two pieces, that is a King and a Pawn. They have the liberty of placing them according to their wishes on the first row of their side ...
2
votes
0answers
71 views
Chess 960: what is the optimal arrangement? [closed]
Chess 960 is a version of chess where the pieces are arranged behind the row of pawns. The same random arrangement (with the constraints of the king being between the rooks, and the bishops being on ...
1
vote
1answer
130 views
Are 'Conveyor Belt' Chess variants studied?
A 'Conveyor Belt' Chess variant is where rows (And the pieces on them) of the chessboard move left, right, up or down based on different criteria.
I've not seen or heard of a chess variant where rows ...
6
votes
2answers
435 views
What would chess openings be like without castling and/or the double pawn move?
Chess has a fairly elegant set of rules, but it has two rather ugly "rules hacks" in it:
Pawns can move two squares forward, but only on their first move, and have the rather ugly rule of en passant ...
5
votes
2answers
287 views
How is endgame theory developed?
First of all, I am explicitly not asking for a list of endgame principles, nor am I asking for resources to study endgames from.
My question is: How does one develop endgame theory? The main ...
3
votes
2answers
194 views
Fairy endgame statistics for KDDDDvKN (D=dabbaba; '2,0' leaper)?
The dabbaba is a '2,0' leaper fairy piece, only able to ever reach a quarter of the squares on the board. According to the linked Wikipedia page, a quartet of them can apparently "easily" force mate ...
7
votes
1answer
206 views
Chess database software for variants
For regular chess, I use SCID and it works well. It has database searches, position searches, player stats, and a nice compact file format (i.e. not PGN, which is inefficient and big).
Is there any ...
8
votes
2answers
520 views
Openings in King of the hill
As you probably know, "King of the hill" (KOTH) is a variant of chess where one can win either like in classical chess or by putting the king in the central squares, namely d4, e4, d5 and e5, by a ...
3
votes
2answers
191 views
An objective measure of the difference in strength between top programs and top human players in the four most popular forms of chess?
Is there an objective measure of the superiority (or otherwise) that the strongest computer programs enjoy over the strongest human players which can be compared across the four main forms of chess, ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Where can I play Quantum Chess online for free?
I saw some videos featuring a chess variant called Quantum Chess on YouTube. It looked very interesting to me, so I decided to try to find it online for free, but I couldn’t. Does anyone know of such ...
6
votes
2answers
225 views
Studying why Gardner's Minichess Variant is solved?
I recently came across an interesting article that proves Gardner's Minichess is solved (2013) and the theoretical result is a draw.
Might studying why Minichess is a theoretical draw help me better ...
3
votes
1answer
302 views
Is there a winning strategy for Losing chess?
Losing chess has been proven to be a win for white, with the opening move 1. e3
The proof consists of a number of huge game trees which show that each variation must end in a white win, but is there ...
6
votes
1answer
258 views
Would certain checkmates be possible if the king could move into check?
Similar to a previous question of mine, let's suppose there's a piece that moves like the king, but isn't restricted from moving into check.
While a normal king and two knights can't force checkmate, ...
10
votes
2answers
407 views
Is a “Strong King” handicap really as powerful as is claimed?
Wikipedia quotes an analysis by GM Harry Golombek (from Golombek’s Encyclopedia of Chess, Crown Publishers, 1977, p. 218. I do not have access to the source) where he lists possible handicaps, in ...
2
votes
1answer
174 views
What's the point of attack board inversion?
In tri-dimensional chess some rule sets allow for the attack board to be moved from the peg on top of the main board to the peg on the underside (as long as the attack board is unoccupied). What is ...
2
votes
1answer
79 views
Are there starting positions in dobutsu shogi that are farther from a win/loss than the standard one?
In dobutsu shogi, the usual starting position is a loss for the beginning player in (at most) 78 turns (from first move until (and including) lion capture or ascension).
But are there perhaps other (...
1
vote
1answer
91 views
What is the value of most starting positions in dobutsu shogi?
In dobutsu shogi, the usual starting position is a trébuchet or full-point mutual zugzwang position, but other likely (starting) positions can have a completely different value.
If we arrange the ...
24
votes
4answers
5k views
Is there a balanced chess system where players of unknown skill can have an equal chance of winning?
Is there a chess system where you can make players of differing skill levels compete against each other with an equal chance to win without using different chess variations?
This system should give ...
3
votes
0answers
301 views
Is this a sound elephant offer?
In the following dobutsu shogi position, is Gc3xc2 a bad move?
ABC
+---+
1| | g
2|lce|
3|E G|
4| L | *C
+---+
2
votes
1answer
166 views
Crazyhouse Chess: Playing with a real board and overall popularity?
Played a decent amount of bughouse but only started with crazyhouse a month or less ago. Although on the surface very similar games, I would say they are fundamentally different because there is no ...
5
votes
1answer
185 views
Fairy chess: KNNvK
I just wondered: can K + 2 nightriders force a mate against bare K? (A nightrider can make an unlimited number of knight moves in any direction - it cannot change direction partway through its move.)
2
votes
1answer
138 views
Why are three chess sets needed for Kriegspiel and dark chess?
Wikipedia states that three chess sets are needed for Kriegspiel and dark chess. Is that actually true? I can see how having three sets would make things a lot easier, but couldn't the referee simply ...
4
votes
3answers
156 views
Multi (N>3) dimensional chess designs
I was wondering whether anyone has ever designed chess rules for more than 3 dimensions. At that point you wouldn't be able to visualize the play using one board. And you'd instead need to to use 8 3-...
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votes
2answers
282 views
Is it possible to give two more checks here?
If the knight moves then is it possible to give check mate? I have already given one check. I was playing a game of "3 check". How can I get two more checks? Is it not possible?
3 check is a mode in ...
2
votes
3answers
184 views
Pawns VS pawnless?
I'm writing a story where because of the character's vanity says "you can have pawns but I don't need them, they are beneath me."
In such a game who would have the advantage?
0
votes
1answer
370 views
What is the best strategy for simultaneous blindfold chess?
Recently, Timur Gareyev displayed tremendous prowness by playing many boards blindfolded. What is the best strategy to visualize each and every board?
I already know the basics, like splitting the ...
4
votes
2answers
267 views
15x15 squared board [closed]
My brother and I made this 15 by 15 squares chess board that uses two sets of pieces minus a pawn and king for each color.
We have already played a game and find it extremely fun and interesting, but ...
3
votes
1answer
191 views
King of Chess 960
As you know, in Chess960, the first and eighth rows are symmetric and consist of the normal pieces which have be permuted. The only constraints are that the King is between the two Rooks and the ...
3
votes
1answer
315 views
Marshall vs. Queen Endgame
In a game of "Sort of Almost Chess", the variant from Mr. Betza that replaces one of the queens with a Marshall (the Rook+Knight compound, also known as the Chancellor, or the Empress in Fairy Chess ...
5
votes
3answers
195 views
two or three initial moves = win?
you have to play a game with the following rule : white can initially play two moves, then one move each side as usual, and a draw counts as a victory for black. Which side do you choose ? (say ...
-6
votes
1answer
166 views
What will replace chess? [closed]
Chess is dying. That much should be obvious. As predicted by Capablanca and as concluded by Bobby Fischer.... These are not random cranks, these are two of the best players of all time, and here are ...
0
votes
1answer
76 views
Move my king to check [duplicate]
My rook was targeting the opponent's king but her knight was in between
I moved my knight to the check place checked by same knight
Can I move my king to that place
2
votes
2answers
184 views
Simul in which the GM has to make identical moves
Consider two simultaneous matches in which a GM plays against Players A and B, constrained by the rule that the GM must make identical board moves in both games. Players A and B can play as usual.
...
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votes
2answers
2k views
How different would chess be if a stalemate was a win? [duplicate]
Historically stalemate has been handled in different ways. I wonder how different chess would be if it was a win for the stalemating player.
Has enough thought been put into this so that it's ...
8
votes
3answers
461 views
How likely is it that a non-orthodox promotion is optimal?
Under promotion is an interesting aspect of chess, but there are other possibilities that aren't allowed under modern rules.
One is the so-called "dummy pawn", as this question discusses:
When (if ...
21
votes
2answers
4k views
Chess960 or Chess959?
Once in 960 times, chess960 should just be the same as regular chess. Are there any known instances of this? Or is this selection automatically excluded and they just roll the dice again? So is it ...
4
votes
1answer
487 views
Four player chess (team): is there some opening theory written somewhere?
I am an active player on four player team chess on chess.com (my Elo is currently 2095). I am planning to write something about theory of opening of this chess variant. Question is, do you know if ...
9
votes
2answers
340 views
Does the chick promotion rule in dobutsu shogi really matter?
In dobutsu shogi, the chick (Japanese pawn) promotes to a chicken (Gold general). In my experience this promotion occurs only rarely and I suspect after much blundering.
Does the chick promotion rule ...
