Check out Atomic Chess, our featured variant for November, 2024.

Since Java is no longer supported in most browsers, our Java applets probably will not run unless you install an extension that will run them. We recommend installing the CheerpJ Applet Runner extension on Edge, Chrome, or another Chromium browser. If your browser still does support Java, and you're not using this extension, make sure this site is listed in your Java exceptions list. You should find this in the Security tab of your Java control panel.

Refusal Chess

If you had a Java-capable browser, you could play Refusal Chess here.
Keys "s"=save "l"=load "b"=back once

Each turn, your opponent may refuse one of your moves. If you have only one move, it is checkmate or stalemate depending on the circumstances. Attributed to Fred Galvin, 1958.

A bug which did not allow a line-mover to cross a forbidden square was found and corrected by me 5/23/03. This produced a second bug which was corrected 6/5/03. Thanks Dale Hawthorne for pointing this out. I am sorry for any inconvenience.

Compromise Chess, in which the opponent chooses between two of your proposed moves, is more suited for correspondence play than over-the-board play, according to Pritchard.

Refusal Chess

Chess Variants

These are simple illustrations rather than strong opponents.

Bug Reports -- Thank you! Keep them coming!

Written by Ed Friedlander

WWW Page Added: Sunday, December 30, 2001