Other Variants
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123456 Chess. Uses 2 dices for each player and 2 checkers for each player, in addition to normal chess pieces. (8x8, Cells: 64) By (zzo38) A. Black.
A
Absolute checkless chess. No piece may cross a square where it gives check. (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: Hans L. Bodlaender.
Accessory Chess
. A drop variant with one or two external pieces per player (many to choose from). Zillions (zrf) program available. By M Winther.
Adjutant Chess
. Introducing the Adjutant that can slide like a queen, but on the same square colour only (with zrf). By M Winther.
Ajax Orthodox Chess. Orthodox Chess with Ajax-Chessmen, and droping Ajax-Ministers. By Jose Carrillo.
Ajax Orthodox Chess. Orthodox Chess with Ajax-Chessmen, and droping Ajax-Ministers. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Jose Carrillo.
Ajax Random Chess. Pseudo-Fischer Random Chess with Ajax-Chessmen, and droping Ajax-Ministers. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Jose Carrillo.
Alpaca Chess. An Alpaca, worth two pawns, is added to the standard piece context (with zrf). By M Winther.
Alternative Chess
. A drop variant with one single external piece per player (many to choose from). Zillions (zrf) program available. By M Winther.
Anti-Gravity Chess. A newly-moved unit repels the nearest unit along each. Author: Ed Friedlander. Inventor: João Pedro Neto.
Anti-Magnetic Chess. Like colors attract, opposites repel, along orthogonal lines. Author: Ed Friedlander. Inventor: João Pedro Neto.
Arktur Chess. Random first ranks, two kings. Author: Ed Friedlander. Inventor: Peter Riessen.
Assault&Siege. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) By Ismael Santos.
Aviation Chess. Knight pawns move and capture as bishops and can leap any number of units. Author: Ed Friedlander. Inventor: L. Legan.
B
Bachelor Chess. All pieces promote. Win in the usual way or by joining king and queen. Author: Ed Friedlander. Inventor: Doug Chatham.
Backwards Stalemate Chess. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) By John Kipling Lewis.
Battle of Kings. You start with eight pawns. The rest chess pieces appear on the board during the game. By Вадря Покштя.
Bedlam. A hybrid of Metamorphin' Fusion Chess and Chessgi. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Fergus Duniho.
Bedlam. Play this hybrid of Fusion Chess, Metamorph Chess, and Chessgi. By Fergus Duniho.
Beginners Chess. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) By Stephane Burkhart.
Beginners Chess. Missing description By Stephane Burkhart.
Behemoth Loop Chess. Pieces captured by a randomly moving Behemoth can be dropped later. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Thomas .
Beirut Chess. One unit is secretly carrying a bomb. Author: Ed Friedlander. Inventor: Jim Winslow.
Bicapture Chess. You may capture, and be checked by, your own units. Author: Ed Friedlander.
BlindChess
. A blindfold program (optional board), good for training (DOS freeware). By M Winther.
Blindfold Chess
. One of the oldest chess variants, where one of the players is blindfolded (zrf available). Author: M Winther.
Blue Queen on 64 and 80. Blue Queen belongs to both sides. By George William Duke.
Builder chess. Introducing the Builder. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Hafsteinn Kjartansson.
C
Calorie Chess. Pieces have a limited amount of calories to move with, and have resorted to cannibalism! (8x8, Cells: 64) By John Smith.
Capapranka Chess. A cap renders a square and any occupant non-functional. Author: Ed Friedlander.
Castle Chess. As Fide-chess, but with extended castle: the king may jump three squares (with zrf). By M Winther.
Cerimon Chess. Recover pieces by checking with a like piece. (8x8, Cells: 64)
Chain of Fools. Game with a Chess set where the goal is form chains of defended pieces. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Francois Tremblay.
Chaos
. A strange Chess variant designed to baffle onlookers. Inventor: Ron Kensek.
Chaotic Chess. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) By Patrik Hedman.
Chatty Chess. Four-handed game using normal board and pieces. Author: Ed Friedlander. Inventor: Ian Richardson.
CHECK 11. 11 different original factions, chosen secretly, each with extra powers when few pieces remain. By Paul Thierry TESSA.
Checkless Chess. You may not check unless it is mate. Author: Ed Friedlander.
Checkless Chess. Giving check without mate is not allowed. (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: Hans L. Bodlaender.
Chess with Reserves. Load your units during the game. Author: Ed Friedlander. Inventor: E. Slater.
Chess with wickets. The wicket is behind the King's 1. (8x8, Cells: 66) By (zzo38) A. Black.
Chess960.com
. Talk about Chess960 with other members. By Calvin Jack Pomerantz.
ChessVariants.zrf. 17 variants in 1 file. By (zzo38) A. Black.
Choice chess. Propose five moves and your opponent selects one for you. (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: Hans L. Bodlaender. Inventor: Fred Galvin.
Clockwork Orange Chess. Condition your opponent's pieces to be non-violent. By Fergus Duniho.
Clockwork Orange Chess. Captured pieces are replaced with non-capturing counterparts. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Fergus Duniho.
Combat Chess II. A wargame-like chess variant. (8x8, Cells: 64) By John Garwood.
Complicacious Chess. Variant in which Chess piece change type. (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: Fergus Duniho. Inventor: Vernon Rylands Parton.
Compromise Chess. Propose two moves and your opponent selects one for you. (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: Hans L. Bodlaender. Inventor: Fred Galvin.
Construction. Chess pieces are modelled after construction vehicles. (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: Karl Kristianson.
Conversion Chess. A co-chess variant. (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: Alessandro Castelli. Inventor: Ralph Betza.
Corner Chess. Two or four player chess variant on 8 by 8 board with pieces starting in the corners. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Rich Hutnik.
csipgs Chess. Design and buy new chess pieces during play. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Ralph Betza.
Czech Chess. Drop pawns by checking the King. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Adrian Alvarez de la Campa.
D
d4 d6 chess. Dice determine the number of steps you can move with your piece. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Maurice Dekker.
Diagonal Chess
. Board turned 45 degrees. Author: Marek14 . Inventor: David Howe.
Diagonal Chess. Board turned 45 degrees. (8x8, Cells: 64) By David Howe.
Dice-Money Chess. Earn money if you do what is written on the dice. (8x8, Cells: 64) By (zzo38) A. Black.
Discochess
. Distributed Chess. By Marc A. Donis.
Drawless Chess
. Simple rules are added to make draws impossible. Author: Marek14 . Inventor: Michael D. Ward.
Drawless Chess. Simple rules are added to make draws impossible. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Michael D. Ward.
DUAL RING Tournament Format. Tournament format for handling uneven number of players. By Rich Hutnik.
Duck Chess. A Duck that must be moved by both players can block your moves. (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: H. G. Muller. Inventor: Tim Paulden.
F
Fool's Chess
. One pawn is replaced by a Fool. By Danny Van den Berghe.
FTM Chess: Follow the Mover. After a normal move, you may move a piece to the vacated square. (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: Alessandro Castelli. Inventor: Gianluca Vecchi.
Full Cavalry. Rooks are replaced by Lancers and castling is still legal. By JT K.
Fusion Chess. Variant in which pieces may merge together or split apart. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Fergus Duniho.
Fusion Chess. Play this variant in which pieces combine and split apart. By Fergus Duniho.
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The Game of Nemoroth. For the sake of your sanity, do not read this variant! (8x8, Cells: 64) By Ralph Betza.
Ghost Chess. The ghosts of captured units reappear. Author: Ed Friedlander. Inventor: T. R. Dawson.
H
Haunted Chess. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) By Stephane Burkhart.
Hero's Chess. A chess with very different pieces. (8x8, Cells: 64) By (zzo38) A. Black.
Hierarchical Chess. Article from Variant Chess, August 2004. Author: John Beasley.
Hindustani Chess. 19th century Indian game. (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: John Ayer. Inventor: _unknown.
Hobgoblin Chess. Inchworm crowd-forming magnetic mutating lunar-hallway exploding-Pawn Chess; an extreme game. (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: Jack Masters. Inventor: Simon Vertigo.
Hybrids. Standard pieces combine and split. (8x8, Cells: 64)
I
IAGO Chess System. http://abstractgamers.org/wiki/iago-chess. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Rich Hutnik.
Imposter Chess. Play this game! Exchange captured pieces in order to move Kings in different ways. Author: Tony Quintanilla and Laila W. Stefan. Inventor: Laila W. Stefan.
Imposter Chess
. Exchange captured pieces in order to move Kings in different ways. Author: Laila W. Stefan and Andrew Newman. Inventor: Laila W. Stefan.
Interweave
. Game with elements of Checkers and Ultima where all pieces are colorbound and only capture pieces on the other color. By Peter Aronson.
Interweave. Game with elements of Checkers and Ultima where all pieces are colorbound and only capture pieces on the other color. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Peter Aronson.
Invisible King Chess. Opponent can't see where you moved your king to. (8x8, Cells: 64) By (zzo38) A. Black.
Iron Guard. Non-capturable guard replaces White queen. Author: Ed Friedlander.
Iron Guard Chess
. Instead of a queen, white has an Iron Guard who can move only to adjacent diagonal squares and cannot be captured. Author: Douglas Silfen.
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Journalist's Chess. Journalist is movable to any position but no capture. (8x8, Cells: 64) By (zzo38) A. Black.
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King Friday XIII Chess. Flexible castling, promotion to opponent's pieces, etc. (8x8, Cells: 64) By (zzo38) A. Black.
King of the Ladder Tournament Rules. Ideas for rules to mix variants together in one game. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Rich Hutnik.
Kings or Lemmings?
. Normal chess except that a player can produce clones of his king.
Kira Chess/Kira Shogi. "Kira" and "L" pieces which is not known by your opponent. (8x8, Cells: 64) By (zzo38) A. Black.
Knight-Riding Chess. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) By John Smith.
Knights of the Round Table. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) By Adam Goss.
Korkser Chess. Local rules in parts of Germany. Author: Ed Friedlander.
Korkser Chess II. Same as Korkser Chess, but without initial double pawn moves. Author: Ed Friedlander.
L
Lag Chess. The last move made by your opponent is not known to you. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Ralph Betza.
Lancelot. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) By Stan Druben.
Lao Tzu Chess. www.schemingmind.com. (8x8, Cells: 64) By John Kipling Lewis.
LiQi. Very Strong Chess. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Larry L. Smith.
LiQi
. Very Strong Chss. By Larry L. Smith.
Luotuoqi (Camel Chess). Fun contest: Help us create a new chess variant by committee. Author: Glenn Overby II.
Luotuoqi (Camel Chess)
. Chess variant designed by committee. Author: Larry L. Smith. Inventor: Various.
M
Machine Gun Chess. Attacked units are removed. The object is to remove. Author: Ed Friedlander. Inventor: J. E. H. Creed.
Mad Queen Shogi. Play this new Chess/Shogi hybrid on Game Courier. Author: Fergus Duniho. Inventor: Larry L. Smith.
Mage. Rooks cannot be captured or capture, and the Queen is replaced by a Mage. Author: Peter Aronson. Inventor: Oliver Xymoron.
Mage Chess. Queen can swap with any friendly unit. Author: Ed Friedlander. Inventor: Oliver Xymoron.
Mage Chess II. Queen can swap with any friendly or enemy unit. Author: Ed Friedlander. Inventor: Oliver Xymoron.
The Marvellous Megafauna. A diverse Chess with Different Armies faction with riders and leapers. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Andrew L Smith.
Maxim chess. Variant, invented by my little brother. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Daniil Frolov.
Metamorph Chess. Play this variant in which pieces frequently promote or demote. By Fergus Duniho.
Metamorph Chess. Variant in which pieces transform by fixed rules into other pieces. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Fergus Duniho.
Mike's Camel Chess
. Lùotuoqí (Camel Chess) variant with more balanced pieces. By Michael Nelson.
Minesweeper chess. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) By Daniil Frolov.
Mockery Chess. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) By Stephane Burkhart.
Monochrome Chess
. All pieces are the same color. Players move pieces on their side of the board. Author: David Howe. Inventor: Andrew Looney.
Monochrome Chess. All units are of the same color. Win by accumulating captures. Author: Ed Friedlander. Inventor: Andrew Looney.
Multi-King Chess. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) By Roberto Lavieri.
Multiple of 10 Checkmate. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) By Calvin Jack Pomerantz.
Multiple of 10 Checkmate. Variant where you can only checkmate or be checkmated on move 10, 20, 30, ect.. By Calvin Jack Pomerantz.
Musketeer Chess. Adding 2 newly designed extra pieces. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Zied Haddad.
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Nemoroth, The Game of. For the sake of your sanity, do not read this variant! (8x8, Cells: 64) By Ralph Betza.
Neutral Subject Chess. Most pieces start neutral, and players compete to recruit them. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Charles Gilman.
new age chess. a game played with the same board and set but with different rules. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Andy Maxson.
Nietzsche Chess. That which does not capture a piece, makes it stronger. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Charles Gilman.
No Limit Bet Chess. A gambling multi-move chess variant played with dice that allows players to place bets on each move. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Charles Daniel.
No-Chess. Forbid one move to your opponent each turn. (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: Zoltan Blazsik and Hans L. Bodlaender. Inventor: Zoltan Blazsik.
Norwegian Chess. Q/N and B/R transform after each move. Author: Ed Friedlander.
O
Option-Suicide Chess. You can optionally destroy your own pieces. (8x8, Cells: 64) By (zzo38) A. Black.
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Pawn Chess. Pawns promote to first piece captured by opponent. (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: (zzo38) A. Black.
Pawn Shooter Chess. Defeat your opponent by shooting pawns at them! (8x8, Cells: 64) By (zzo38) A. Black.
Pawns-to-Kings Chess. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) By Patrik Hedman.
Phantom. Classical Chess featuring an invisible Phantom piece. By Simon Edward Jepps.
Pole Chess. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: Mark Thompson. Inventor: Piers Anthony.
Pole Chess
. F.I.D.E. chess with Pole piece added: from the SF/fantasy novel "Robot Adept". Author: Malcolm Webb. Inventor: Piers Anthony and Malcolm Webb.
Prime.Ministers Contemporary Random Chess. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) By Jose Carrillo.
Progressive Writing Chess. You have to write more and more each turn. (8x8, Cells: 64) By (zzo38) A. Black.
Promote King Chess. King can promote into Cthulhu, and white pawns can promote into black pawns. (8x8, Cells: 64) By (zzo38) A. Black.
Pyrrhus Chess. The Pyrrhus moves like a king but paralyzes enemy pieces at queen's distance (with zrf). By M Winther.
Q
Quarter Chess. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) By Patrik Hedman.
Queen of the Night Chess. An over powered game on the Standard Board. By Abdul-Rahman Sibahi.
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Random Transposal Chess. Use dice to swap pieces. (8x8, Cells: 64) By John Smith.
Reformed Chess. Pawn can swap with an enemy piece located on the last rank, except king. Thusly, many more won endgames (zrf available). By M Winther.
Refusal Chess. Refuse your opponent to make certain moves. (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: Hans L. Bodlaender. Inventor: Fred Galvin.
Refuse Once Chess. You may refuse one enemy move per game. By Ed Friedlander.
Rolling Kings. Play Rolling Kings online with Game Courier. Author: Antoine Fourrière. Inventor: Peter Aronson.
Romanchenko's Chess. FIDE Chess trainer Romanchenko shifted the FIDE board in the middle to help his students think for themselves. Author: Jeremy Gabriel Good and Fergus Duniho. Inventor: V. Romanchenko.
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Schachdame. Variant between Checkers and Chess. (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: Hans L. Bodlaender. Inventor: Heinrich Richter.
Schachdame Chess. Pawns, a bishop, and a royal ferz. Author: Ed Friedlander. Inventor: Heinrich Richter.
Seventeen Pawns. You can replace opponent's queen by nine pawns. (8x8, Cells: 64) By (zzo38) A. Black.
Shamanic Chess
. Pieces may be transformed into 'Shamans'. By M Winther.
Shamanic Chess
. Pieces may be transformed into 'Shamans'. By M Winther.
Shatranj Extended Tournament Scoring (S.E.T.S) Rules. An attempt at an improved scoring system for chess tournaments. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Rich Hutnik.
Shogun Chess. Pieces promote and can be dropped, similar to Shogi. By Daniel Lee.
A Simple Proposal. Variant where promotion may occur on the 7th or 8th rank, and may be delayed, but only to captured pieces. Author: Peter Aronson. Inventor: Ted Clancy.
Simultaneous Chess. A variant of chess where players select moves at same time. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Rich Hutnik.
Sirlin's Chess. Alternative presentation of "Chess 2 - The Sequel". (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: (zzo38) A. Black. Inventor: David Sirlin.
Solitary Patience Chess. Variant Chess Magazine vol 7, issue 56. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Stephane Burkhart.
Sudden Death Chess
. A piece must be sacrificed after each non-capturing move. By Doug Chatham.
Sudden Death Chess. A piece must be sacrificed after each non-capturing move. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Doug Chatham.
Sudden Death Chess. If you do not capture, you must remove one of your own units. Author: Ed Friedlander. Inventor: Doug Chatham.
Swedish Chess. Drop chess with regular pieces. Pieces dropped can relocate friendly pawns. By M Winther.
Switch-Side Chain-Chess. Optionally swap sides with your opponent upon completing a "chain". (8x8, Cells: 64) By Azlan Iqbal.
Synchronous Chess. The two sides truly move simultaneously. Author: Ed Friedlander.
T
Thunder Chess. Play this hybrid of Fusion, Assimilation, and Metamorph Chess. By Fergus Duniho.
Thunder Chess. A hybrid of Metamorph Chess, Fusion Chess, and Assimilation Chess. (64x(8x8)) By Fergus Duniho.
Time Traveler's Chess
. Chess pieces may travel backwards in time. By Danny Purvis.
Trade Chess. Captured pieces can be dropped, with restrictions. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Brady .
Troja. Commercially sold game where pieces can be stacked. (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: Onno Garms.
Trojan chess. the rules for the knight piece have been changed. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Piotr Smagacz.
U
U-Chess. Moves are legal if they can be written with three symbols in descriptive notation. (8x8, Cells: 64) Author: Hans L. Bodlaender.
U-Chess. Play Unambiguous Three-Symbol Chess online. Author: Fergus Duniho.
Undecided Chess
. Pieces begin in an undecided state until they move. By Adrian Alvarez de la Campa.
Upgrade chess. Upgrade initially weak pieces by capturing. (8x8, Cells: 64) By Daniil Frolov.
Using chess sets to play mini-sukoku (6x6). Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) By Karen Robinson.
V
Variant Chess, August 2004. Article on Hierarchical Chess. Author: John Beasley.
Vavulin Creative Chess. Before the start of the game, every player, creates up with one rule for both players, which operates the whole game. By Dmitrii Vavulin.
Verve
. A real-time, hidden information, chess variant for playing online! By David Potter.
Veteran Chess. Most pieces can or must irreversibly promote when they capture. By H. G. Muller.
Vivarta Chess. he rules are simple. Each piece automatically transforms into a different piece every time it moves. Pawns transform into Knig. By Вадря Покштя.
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XYMYX. Players make their moves at the same time. (8x8, Cells: 64) Inventor: Javier Ignacio Lizarzaburu.
XYMYX
. Link to site where you can play this game! Inventor: Javier Ignacio Lizarzaburu.
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