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

Gustav III's Chess

This page contains one or more presets for playing a game online with Game Courier, an online server for playing Chess variants by correspondence.

This chess variant was invented by King Gustav III of Sweden (1746-92). The objective is checkmate. On the four extra corner squares are initially positioned two General-Adjutants per side. The General-Adjutant (also called Amazon) moves like a Queen + Knight. This piece is known since medieval times. Otherwise regular rules apply, except for the additional possibility of pawn promotion to General-Adjutant.

Among Swedish kings, Gustav is regarded as the foremost patron of literature, art, and science. He founded the Swedish Academy in 1786, which is the institution responsible for the Nobel prize. Gustav instituted a series of financial and judicial reforms to correct corruption in high office, grant freedom of the press, and complete religious toleration. He enlarged the navy, making it one of the strongest in Europe. In 1790, at Svensksund, south of Finland, he personally led the navy to a crushing victory against the Russian fleet. In this colossal sea battle, among the biggest in the historical record, the Swedish fleet managed to destroy a third of the Russian fleet. This enabled Gustav to end the war on terms favorable to Sweden. In 1792, at a costume ball at the opera house, Gustav was shot and fatally wounded in a plot conceived by hostile nobles.

King Gustav III of Sweden.
Public domain image from Wikimedia


If a Queen is worth about 9 points, then a General-Adjutant is worth about 12 points. It seems like this game works very well, despite the fact that the combined piece power is enormous compared with regular chess. Source for Gustav III's chess variant is Billberg, G.J., Hand-bibliothek for sallskapsnojen. Stockholm (1838-39).

The following preset is automated, including the 'en passant' and castling moves. Pieces can be moved by pointing and clicking. When promoting a pawn, you will be asked which piece you prefer.


Gustav III's Chess



You can also download a Zillions implementation here.

See also my other Game Courier presets.





This 'user submitted' page is a collaboration between the posting user and the Chess Variant Pages. Registered contributors to the Chess Variant Pages have the ability to post their own works, subject to review and editing by the Chess Variant Pages Editorial Staff.

Author: M Winther. Inventor: King Gustav III of Sweden.

Last revised by M Winther.


Web page created: 2006-07-10. Web page last updated: 2006-07-10