I programmed these to show some of the many chess variants, rather than to be strong opponents. I could have added longer look-aheads, but this would have caused delays and taken up too much memory. Other chess applets exist and are also weak. Some of these applets recognize draw by repetition / perpetual check. Others fail to do so; again this is to save space and loading time.
The applet at André Heuner's Site is much stronger than mine. He also has some variants
I have tried to choose the ones that are actually popular with players. I welcome
your suggestions. Green stars
mark those
that are very easy to learn and play casually.
I am presently looking for a Java programmer who can help me develop these into a site where people can play one another online. I expect to have access to an in-house server where I can run a Java server application sometime later this year.
There are also variants on checkers, including Byelorussian Cheskers. You can find these at other sites.
Click here for Judtho, by a psychiatrist in training who has a new approach to cooperative-vs.-competition in four-player chess.
| Easy Chess | Standard game | |
| Absorption Chess | Capturer gains movement abilities |
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| Absorption Chess II | Capturer gains movement abilities. This applet extends this to kings and pawns. |
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| Abstract Chess | A friendly unit may donate some of its power to a neighbor. |
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Accelerated Chess | Two non-capturing moves, or one capturing move, each turn. |
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| Active Chess | Two queens, 9x8. |
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| Actuated Rotating Center Chess | Center rotates, you choose when and how. |
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| Advance Chess | Pawns begin on third and sixth ranks |
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| Airplane Chess | Large variant with airplanes which capture by landing just beyond an enemy unit. |
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| Akenhead's Chess | Chinese pieces and Berolina pawns. |
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| Alapo | Simple chess-like game. |
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Alice Chess![]() | Looking-glass boards. Extremely popular variant. |
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| Alliance Chess | Two boards, four players, team wins by checkmating the primary player. |
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| All-In Chess | Move either side's units. No reversing the previous move. |
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| All-Mate Chess | Capture a piece only by rendering it unable to avoid FIDE capture. |
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| Almost Chess | The queen may move as a knight or rook but not as a bishop. |
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Alternation Chess | You alternate your moves with a partner. |
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| Amazon Chess | The queen may also move as a knight |
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| Amazon Knights Chess | The queen may also move as a knight, and rooks and bishops are replaced by knights. |
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| Ambi-Chess | Large board with two kings, move a member of each of two armies each turn. |
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| Angel Chess | 9x8 board. Angels (Q+N) are difficult to exchange. |
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Annihilation I | Capture all non-royal units without checking the king. |
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Annihilation II | Capture all enemy units except the uncapturable king. |
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Anti-Check Chess | Your move must keep or restore your own king to conventional check. |
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| Anti-Gravity Chess | A newly-moved unit repels the nearest unit along each orthogonal line. |
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Anti-King Chess![]() | Your anti-king unit must remain under enemy attack. Berolina pawns an an unusual setup. |
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| Anti-King Chess II | Your anti-king unit must remain under enemy attack. Usual setup plus anti-king. |
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| Anti-Magnetic Chess | Like colors attract, opposites repel, along orthogonal lines. |
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| Anticipation Chess | Commit after moving to which kind of unit you will move next. |
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| Antipodean Chess | Captured units move, if possible, to the square four ranks and four files away. |
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| Anywhere Chess | Units other than the king may make non-capturing moves to any square. |
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| Apocalypse Chess | Miniature version with four horsemen. |
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Archimedes Chess![]() | Capture by attacking an enemy unit with two of yours. |
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| Arena Chess | Entry in the 32-move-maximum contest. |
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| Alternating Chess III | Each side alternates between moving pawn and piece.
Pritchard says this may come from Argentina. |
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| Arktur Chess | Random first ranks, two kings. |
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| Arrow Pawn Chess | Pawns do not promote but have expanded moves. |
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| Assassin Chess | Shoot chess without royalty and with pawns that cannot be shot by line movers. |
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| Assault Chess | Play twice; which can win as White against a weakened Red faster? |
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| Atlantis Chess | You may sink an edge square instead of moving a unit |
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| Atomic Pawn Chess | One time in ten, a pawn explodes just after moving |
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Avalanche Chess![]() | Advance the opponent's pawns. Popular variant. | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Avalanche Chess 2![]() | As before, except that the red king and queen are switched. Some say this makes a better game. |
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| Aviation Chess | Knight pawns move and capture as bishops and can leap any number of units |
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| Bachelor Chess | All pieces promote. Win in the usual way or by joining king and queen. |
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| Balaklava Chess | All non-royal units can make non-capturing knight moves |
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| Balbo Chess | Odd-shaped board, bishops as powerful as knights. |
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| Bank of Scotland | Scotch Progressive Chess, with an extra move per turn for each time your side has checked the opponent. | |
| Only a check ends a sequence early. |
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| A check or a move to a square under attack both end a sequence early. |
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| Bankhouse Chess | Buy units back from the opponent, or bribe units you have captured to change sides. |
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| Barasi Chess | Pieces cannot move backwards; pawns are Berolina |
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| Bastardo | Four players, each playing alone, on an ordinary board |
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| Bastille Chess | Win by emptying opponent's castle. |
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| Batak Chess | Indonesian culture where chess is very popular |
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| Battle Chess | Move as many of your units as you like, once each, each turn. Win by capturing the enemy king. |
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| Bear Chess | Russian variant with new piece |
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Beirut Chess | One unit is secretly carrying a bomb |
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| Benedict Arnold Chess | No captures, but units attacked by the mover are flipped. |
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| Bennie Prince's Chess | Units not under attack may be removed and returned, one at a time |
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| Berolina Chess | Pawns move diagonally and capture straight ahead |
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| Berolina Grid Chess | Popular with NOST. |
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| Besiege Chess | Large variant with White on either side, Black in center |
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| Bicapture Chess | You may capture, and be checked by, your own units |
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Big Board Chess![]() | Large set with setup phase. |
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| Billiards Chess | Bishops and queens bounce off the edges |
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| Bird's Chess | Large variant by the grandmaster |
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Bishop Chess | Bishops do not capture and cannot be captured. Win by getting your bishop to the end rank. |
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| Black and White Chess | Two moves per turn, the first from a white square, the second from a black square. |
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| Blackburne's Proposal | QR becomes a marshall, QB becomes a pegasus, and KB becomes a queen are enhanced. |
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Blackjack Chess | If the point value of your remaining units totals 21, you win. |
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| Black Hole Chess | Units falling into the central black hole may be recovered. |
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| Blind Shogi |
Japanese kriegspiel. |
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| Blockade Chess |
A unit may only capture one of its own kind. Popular at U. of Oslo. |
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| Blood Brothers Chess | Pieces defend others of their kind regardless of location. |
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Blue Chess![]() | Commemorates Deep Blue vs. Kasparov. |
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Blue Chip | A blue chip blocks the opponent's next move. |
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Bomb Chess | Queen's Rook moves as king and can explode |
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| Bomber Chess I | Pawns can be made to explode. |
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| Bomber Chess II | Pawns can be made to explode, and always explode when captured. |
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| Bomber Chess III | Pawns and pieces can be made to explode. |
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| Booster Pawn Chess | Pawns push friendly pieces. |
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| Brickchucking Chess | Pieces can only move forward, but attack the king in any direction. |
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| Brusky Hexagonal Chess | Hexagonal variant from the 1960's. |
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| Brotherhood Chess | A piece cannot capture one of its own kind. |
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| Buczo's Chess | 10 x 10 variant with optional underpromotion |
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| Bug Eyed Monster Chess | A non-royal unit may make any move which, in FIDE chess, some other unit could make and it could not make. |
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Bughouse Chess![]() | Two boards. Units captured move to opposite board. Popular variant. | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Burmese Chess![]() | Most popular form in Burma. |
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| Butters Chess | Capture by moving adjacent rather than by displacement. |
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| Byzanatine Chess | Circular 16x4 Shatranj variant. |
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| Byzanatine Chess II | A different account of the old circular game. |
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| Caissa | Christiaan Freeling's game with a royal queen. |
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| Cambodian Chess | Historic 9x9 game. |
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| Canadian Chess | Captured units are replaced immediately. Not really a Canadian regional game. |
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| Canadian Chess II | Queens are replaced as rooks, rooks as bishops, etc. Pawns are not replaced. |
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| Canadian Progressive Chess | Usually Canadian Chess is played progressively. |
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| Cannon Chess | Rooks and Bishops move and capture after the style of Chinese cannons. |
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| Capablanca Chess | 8x10 board variant by the grandmaster. |
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| Capablanca Chess 10x10 | 10x10 board variant by the grandmaster. |
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| Capapranka Chess | A cap renders a square and any occupant non-functional. |
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| Capped Pawn Chess | White must checkmate with a move of the KBP or lose. The toughest odds given in chess. |
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| Capricorn Chess | Rooks capture by moving adjacent to enemy units. |
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Capture the Flag Chess![]() | As in the kids' tag game | ![]() |
| Capturing Progressive Chess | Scotch Chess, but if no capture is made the count drops back to one |
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| CardChess | Proprietary game with board 10x10 and four suits of chess cards. Many different games are possible. | ![]() |
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| Carnivore Chess | Each turn, also move an uncapturable predator. |
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| Carrera Chess | 10x8 version described in 1617 | ![]() |
| Cavalier Chess | All units except the queen enhanced knight-like. | ![]() |
| Cavalry Chess | Enhanced moves for all pieces |
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| Centaur Chess | Backwards moves only as knight | ![]() |
Center of Attention Chess | You also win by getting your king to one of the four central squares. |
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| Centerless Chess | No center pawns or squares | ![]() |
| Central Chess | Move twice per turn, once in center and once on edge |
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| Chad | Christiaan Freeling's simple game of complex strategy. |
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| Chameleon Chess | Begin with 16 pawns which evolve. | ![]() |
| Chance Chess | Classic proprietary game. Randomizer determines what unit(s) you may move. Free move out of check. | ![]() |
| Chancellor Chess | Classic 9x9 board with rook-knight. | ![]() |
Chaos Chess![]() | Random starting positions | ![]() ![]() |
| Chatty Chess | Four-handed game using normal board and pieces |
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| Chaturanga | Oldest known form of chess |
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| Chaturanga for Four | Ancient partnership game, sometimes said to be the oldest form of chess. I have presented a modern version played in India in recent times. |
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Chaturanga for Four -- Machiavellian Version![]() | Cutthroat new version. |
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Chazz![]() | King and pawns |
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Cheapmate Chess | You may make one illegal move in order to checkmate. |
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Cheapo | Once during the game, you can move a unit twice |
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| Checkers Chess | Pieces may not move backwards until they have visited the opposite side of the board. |
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| Check Force Chess | The player giving check decides how the opponent escapes. |
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Checkless Chess![]() | You may not check unless it is mate. |
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Chelma![]() | Chess-Halma combination with no royal unit. |
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Chesapeake Four-Handed Chess![]() | Based on Chessapeak Challenge, arguably the best commercial four-player chess game. |
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| Cheshire Cat Chess | When a unit leaves a square, the square vanishes. |
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Cheshire Cat Chess, 10 x 10![]() | When a unit leaves a square, the square vanishes. |
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Cheskers![]() | The most popular cross between checkers and chess. |
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| Chess Addresses | Place the enemy units, then return your own to their squares of origin. |
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| Chess Draughts | Captures are mandatory; a unit which can continue capturing must do so on the same turn. |
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| Chess in the Third Dimension | Three-D proprietary game from Skor-Mor. |
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| Chess Merels | Lining up three units in a row captures the last enemy unit moved. |
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| Chess with Reserves | Load your units during the game |
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| ChessMate | Cards determine what units you may use. |
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| Chessenat | Game from Columbia with custodial captures. |
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| Chessence | Units move and capture depending on their proximity to their colleagues. |
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| Chessers | Pieces may ride pawns to the end ranks. |
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Chessgi![]() | Captured units become yours to drop onto the board |
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| Chessky | Dice rolls determine how the units move |
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Chex![]() | Board is made of cards which must stay connected. |
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| Chicken Chess | Losing Benedict Arnold chess. |
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| Chimera Chess | Chimeras cannot capture or be captured, but swap positions with the enemy units which they displace |
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Chinese Chess (Xiangqi)![]() | Number of players is probably comparable to FIDE chess players. |
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| Chitty Chatty Chess | Four-handed game for beginners |
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| Choiss | Build a board from tiles prior to placing units. |
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| Church Chess | Seven bishops |
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| Ciccolini's Chess | Large variant from the early 1800's |
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| Cincinnati Four-Way Chess | Contemporary idea with relatively small central area |
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| Circe Chess | Classic variant in which pieces are returned to their squares of origin if possible. |
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| Circe Progressive Chess | The usual way in which Circe chess is played today. |
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| Circe Vulcanici | Progressive Circe chess, units returning as in the standard non-progressive game, waiting if necessary until the square becomes open. |
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| Circean Chess | Large variant in which pawns evolve into kings. |
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| Circular Chess | Update of Byzantine Chess. At least one club is dedicated to this game. |
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| Citadel | Early 1900's board game. |
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| Citadel Chess | Classic variant of Shatranj. |
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| Cleopatra Chess | No captures, but units attacked by the moving queen are flipped. |
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| Clockwork Orange Chess | Units are returned unable to capture. |
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| Coalition Chess | Alternative setup. No capturing across the midline. |
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Codrus
Chess | Captures are mandatory. Win by forcing the opponent to capture your king. |
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| Cohen's Error Chess | Columbia Cannon Chess, only with Korean style cannons. |
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| Coin Chess | A coin on the board must mirror the moves of a unit, limiting the possibilities. |
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| Colorbound Chess | Checkmate either king with a colorbound army. |
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Columbia Cannon
Chess![]() | Runners must leap one unit to move of capture; knight is 1,0 or 2,0 jumper. |
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| Compact Chess | Small version popular in South Africa. |
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| Confederation Chess | Pieces can merge and separate. |
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Congo
| Successful game invented by a seven-year-old. |
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Connect
Chess![]() | Win by connecting opposite ranks with a chain of mutually supporting units. |
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| Continuation Chess | A capturer may continue in the same direction for a maximum of two captures. |
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| Contramatic Chess | You must not check the opposing king, or leave him in check. You may move into check. |
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| Conversion Chess | I chose this one to represent the entire family of co-chess variants. |
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| Coregal Chess | King and Queen(s) are royal. |
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Coregal Chess 2 | King and Queen(s) are royal. Queens may not cross a square under attack. |
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| Corner Chess | Fast-paced variant without pawns. |
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| Corner Chess II | Tony Paletta's modern version of Farmer's Chess. |
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| Corner Rook Skirmish | Except for rooks, all units begin one square forward |
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| Coronation Chess | Bishop and rook can fuse to replace the queen. |
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| Corridor Chess | Setup by Tony Paletta. |
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| Counter Chess | Units may not capture those taller than they are. Win by moving your king to an opposite corner. |
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| Courier Chess | Early German version |
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| Crazyhouse Chess | One-board Bughouse |
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| Creation Chess | Pieces on the far rank may give birth to hybrids. |
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| Creative Chess | Load your own units as you like |
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| Credo Chess | Hexagonal variation commemorating 500 years of English chess publication. |
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| Cripple Chess | The king may move only to capture. |
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| Cross Chess | Popular in Australia |
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| Crown Chess | Place your own units on the board, starting with the king, then queen, then rooks, etc. |
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| Crush Chess | After every 10 moves, the perimeter disappears. |
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| Cuban Chess | Large version from Havana |
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| Cursed Chess | Squares where you have slain an enemy become uncrossable |
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| ForChess | Four players, each playing alone, on an ordinary board |
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| Cylinder Chess | First and eighth files connect |
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| Dabbabante Chess | 2,0 runner need not stop for intervening units |
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| Dark Chess | You can see only the squares to which you could move. |
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| Dead Square Chess | Captures destroy both units, the square, and all neighbors. |
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| Decima | Win by occupying the back rank, with weaker units scoring more. |
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| Decimal Four-Handed Chess | Fast-moving experimental partnership games by V. R. Parton. | |
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| Defender Pawn Chess | Pawns can move (but not capture) any distance backwards |
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Defensive Chess | Red cannot move beyond fourth rank. White must checkmate within 50 moves. |
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| Deployment Chess | Place units on markers which disappear if crossed by a friend or occupied by any unit. Won a variants contest. |
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Descent Chess![]() | Start with king and center pawns. Add your other units when and where you choose. |
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| Desertion Chess | After moving, units recruit adjacent enemies. Winner is the last player able to move. |
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| Detente 007 | You move three times in sequence, the middle one being an enemy unit. |
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| Diagonal Quadrant Chess | Different setup and pawn moves |
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| Diamond Chess | Normal set and board, different setup and pawn moves |
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| Diamond Chess II | Diamond-shaped board made up of triangles. |
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| Diana Chess | Miniature chess game from the late 1800's. |
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| Dice Chess I | Move the unit indicated by the roll of a six-sided die. Win by capturing the enemy king. |
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| Dice Chess V | If you cannot move the unit shown on the six-sided die, you lose. First five moves are as in orthochess. |
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Disguised King I![]() | A secret royal pawn must be protected. |
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Disguised King II![]() | Win by capturing the secret royal pawn. |
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| Displaced Grid Chess | A Grid Chess variant that allows kings to visit corners, etc. |
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| Dodo Chess | Win by getting your king to the opposite side. |
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| Domination Chess | Win by occupying the center |
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| Don't Cross Midnight | Chess on a rotating planet; units may not cross the International Date Line |
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Double Chess | Move on either of two boards. |
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| Double Knight Chess I | A second pair of knights replaces the bishops. |
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| Double Knight Chess II | A knight not capturing may move again at once. |
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Double Move Chess #1
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Double Move Chess #2![]() | Balanced Marsailles Chess. A check or mate ends your turn. |
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| Double Move Chess #3 | Bennekom Chess. On each move (except White's first), you move the same unit twice if you can. A check on the first move ends the turn. |
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| Double Trouble Chess | White has only king and bishop but moves twice per turn. |
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| Double Wide Chess | Two adjacent full chessboards. |
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Dragon Chess![]() | Large version by Gary Gygax |
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| Dragonfly Chess | Small version with pieces in hand. |
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| Dunsany's Chess | One side has 32 pawns instead of the usual pieces |
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| Duo Chess | Two boards, units moving freely to the corresponding squares |
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| Dutch Billiards Chess | Billiards chess with pocketed pieces returned to their squares of origin. |
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| Dutch Chess | Pawns start on the back ranks and move as queens |
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Dynamo Chess![]() | Units push and pull one another. Some bugs may remain in the program. |
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| Dynasty Chess | Capture both king and queen, whose moves vary |
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| Earthquake Chess | Center of board runs down a fault. |
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| Echexs | Hexagonal chess for three players. |
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| Echos | Small variant in which you promote and demote your units. |
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| Echo Chess I | If possible, make a second move with a matching unit in the same direction and distance as the first move. It may be a capture if and only if the first move was. |
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| Echo Chess II | If possible, make a second move with a matching unit in the same direction and distance as the first move. The rule on capture is relaxed. |
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| Eclipse Chess | Units in the eclipse zone cannot move or give check. |
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| Edgehog Chess | Queens may move only to or from edges of the board. |
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| Eight Kings Chess | Checkmate any one of them to win. |
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| Emperor Chess | The king may move to, and only to, any square under attack by his forces and not the opponent's. |
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Emperor of China![]() | Chess-Halma combination with royal king. |
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| Endgame Chess | First pawn to promote becomes king. |
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| English Progressive Chess | In each series, all mobile units must be moved before any unit may be moved
again |
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Enjoyable Hour Chess![]() | Three-Dimensional Chess |
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| Enlarged and Improved Chess | Early large-board variant from Holland |
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| En Passant Chess | All pieces can capture and be captured en passant |
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| Entourage Chess | Any piece (not pawn) adjacent to the king is also royal |
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| Epiphany Chess | Three Kings. |
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| Episcopal Chess | Capture both opposing bishops to win |
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| Erosion Chess | Units erode after eight moves |
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| Escalation Chess | Getting a unit captured lets you move twice on the next turn. |
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| Ethiopian Chess | African variant with distinct mobilization phase |
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European Chess![]() | Four different armies. |
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| European Chess With Checks | Four different armies. This variant, unlike the tabletop version in which personal interactions and diplomacy are most of the fun, requires avoiding check when possible. |
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| European Chess With Flags | In this variant of European Chess, there are no royal units, but each side has a flag which if carried to an opponent's corner wins for that opponent. |
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| European Chess -- King of the Hill | In this variant of European Chess, there are no royal units, and one scores by keeping one's units in the center four squares. Ten points wins. |
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| European Chess With Lightning | In this variant of European Chess, each time a unit is captured by conventional means, the identity of both armies changes. |
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| Exchanger Chess | Knights can move to a square occupied by another friendly unit and exchange places with it. |
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Exotic Pieces![]() | Menagerie of pieces, old and new. Have fun! | ![]() ![]() |
| Explosion Chess | Whatever units the mover attacks disappear; if the mover is attacked, it also disappears. | ![]() |
| Extended Queen's-Side Castling | Restrictions on queenside castling are relaxed. |
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Extinction Chess![]() | Capture all of any kind of unit. Popular variant. |
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Falcon Chess![]() | New version completes logical sequence of basic pieces |
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| Fast Track Chess | Pawns may underpromote before they advance to the opposite rank. |
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| Farmer's Chess | Medieval four-sided variant; "Four Seasons Chess" |
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| Feint Chess | Seven of each side's units can check but not capture. |
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| Feudal Chess | Four player game on 9x9 |
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| Fianchetto Chess | Bishops and Rooks exchange starting squares. |
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Fischer Random Chess![]() | Random symmetric starting positions. |
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| Fish Chess I | Pawns can move backwards |
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| Fish Chess II | Pawns can move and capture backwards |
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| Fishaway Chess | Giveaway lumberjack chess. |
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Five Up Chess![]() | Three-Dimensional Chess |
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Five Star Chess I | You can also win by getting five of your own units in a new row. |
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| Five Star Chess II | You can also win by completing a row of five units composed from either side. |
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| Five Tigers Chess | Variant of Chinese Chess. Red can make two pawn moves per turn but has no cannons, knights, or rooks. |
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| Flip Chess | Thirty-eight square variant with the option to change the identity of the unit that was just moved. |
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| Flip Shogi | Acclaimed variant; flip chess with units that may be dropped provided they give attack. |
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| ForChess | Partnership game on a crowded 8x8 board |
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Foreign Policy Chess![]() | Peacekeepers are a third army. |
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| Fortresses | Odd shaped board. |
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Four Player Chess -- Standard![]() | The Verney-Hughes implementation. |
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| Four Player Chess | One of many possible setups. Capture an opponent's king and control the remaining units. |
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| Four Player Chess III | Another popular setup for four players. |
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| Four Way Two-Team Chess | Chess for four, with partners. |
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| Four Way Free-For-All Chess | Chess for four, no partners. |
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| Frankfurt Chess | Capturer becomes a unit of the type captured. |
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| Freak Chess | Place your king into a random setup |
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| Free Castling Chess | Liberalized rules on castling. |
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| Free Placement Chess | Choose your own starting position. |
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| Free-For-All Chess | Move either side's units. |
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| French Revolution Chess | Short game with your pawns facing the enemy. |
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| Full Chess | Random symmetric starting positions. Different castling rules from Fischer's proposal. |
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| Full House Chess | Load a second army before beginning. |
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| Fuller's Proposal | Bishops can also move and capture as knights. |
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| Fusion Chess A | Pieces merge and separate | ![]() ![]() |
| Fusion Chess B | Pieces merge and separate. This time, royalty may cross a square under attack. |
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| GalaChess | Hexagonal variation from 1980. |
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| Gambler's Chess | Mover is determined randomly |
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| German Rules c. 1420 | ![]() |
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| Ghost Chess | The ghosts of captured units reappear. |
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| Glory Chess | A pawn on the seventh rank checks. |
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Glinski's Hexagonal Chess![]() | The most popular hexagonal variant. |
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| Gothic Chess | Large version. |
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| Grand Acedrex | Classic large board setup from medieval Spain. |
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| Grand Chess | Considered among the best of the large-board setups. |
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Grand Crossing Chess | Win by getting your king to the opposite side. |
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| Grasshopper Chess | Row of grasshoppers behind the pawns. |
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| Grasshopper Chess II | The queen becomes a grasshopper. |
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| Gravity Chess | Moved unit attracts |
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| Gravitational Chess | Major units fall back toward the friendly side |
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| Greater Chess | Large variant from the 1940's |
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| Greek Progressive Chess | You may make one more move per turn than your opponent just did. Not really a Greek regional game. |
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Grid
Chess![]() | Moves and attacks must cross one of the grid lines. Popular variant. |
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| Gridlock Chess | Two-move turns. If after the second move, there are three of your units in a 2x2 area, they are removed. Stalemated players lose. |
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| Gryphon Chess | Units are promoted on each move. |
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| Gryphon Chess II | Units are promoted on each move. |
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Guard
Chess (Variant) | Units guarded by units, other than the king, are immune to attack. |
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| Haigh's Chess | 12 x 8 version. |
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| Half Chess | 4x8 board, plays well. |
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| Handicap Chess | As in golf, stronger units are given relative limits on who they can capture. |
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| Hawaiian Chess | Pacific Island variant |
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| Hazlewood's Hexagonal Chess | Proprietary game from the 1980's. |
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| Hecatomb Chess | One king and 31 queens on each side |
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Heraldic Chess I![]() | Heraldic set plus sixteen cards per hand. |
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| Heraldic Chess II | Heraldic set plus ten cards per hand. |
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| Heraldic Chess III | Heraldic set plus six cards per hand. |
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| Heraldic Chess IV | Heraldic set plus two twelve-sided dice. |
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| Heraldic Extinction Chess | Win by capturing any piece plus its pawn |
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| Hermit Chess | A randomly-moving opponent moves more than once per turn. |
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| Hero Chess | The king's pawn is replaced by a unit which mimics the move of any friendly unit on the board. |
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| Hexachess | Proprietary hexagonal variant |
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| HexChess | Tony Paletta's hexagonal variant. |
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| Hexes | Mike Loyfield's variant on a hexagon-based board. |
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| Hidden Target Chess I | Know which enemy species to eliminate to win, but not which one of yours is vulnerable. |
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| Hidden Target Chess II | Don't know which enemy species to eliminate to win, but do know which one of yours is vulnerable. |
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| Hidden Target Chess III | Double Blind. |
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| Home Base Chess | Captured units return to original squares if unoccupied. |
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| Hopple-Popple Chess | Knights and bishops swap capturing moves. |
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Hostage Chess
| To return one of your captured units, give back an enemy prisoner of equal or greater value. Very good game. |
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| Howell's Chess | Enlarged board with open edge files. |
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| Hunter-Falcon Chess | Two new kinds of runner are added only during the course of the game. |
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| Hurricane Chess | Move as many of your units as you like, once each, each turn. You must escape from check on the first move of your turn. |
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Hyperspace Chess![]() | Units travelling more than 1 square go through hyperspace. |
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| Hypnotic Chess | If you attack an opposing unit, you may also move it. |
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| Ice Age Chess | Blocks of ice cover the board at intervals |
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| Identific Chess | Place undifferentiated units, then choose who they are after they have moved. |
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| Idle King Chess | Kings do not appear on the board until the 13th turn, and can only move if in check. |
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| Imitating Chess | Units move according to the FIDE move of the last enemy unit |
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| Imitator Chess | A neutral piece must legally imitate your move. It may not capture. |
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| Immobilizer Chess | The immobilizer does not capture, but renders adjacent enemy units unable to move. |
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| Imperial Chess I | Proprietary version for four on a round board. |
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| Imperial Chess II | Proprietary version on a round board. |
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| Imperial Chess III | Proprietary version for four players. |
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Incognito Chess![]() | The king, a secret piece, and a secret pawn are all royal and must be protected. |
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| Indian Chess | Some local variant rules from the colonial period |
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| Indian/Turkish Grand Chess | Large variant from the 1700's |
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| Insane Chess | Units mutate randomly. |
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| Insane Chess II | Units mutate randomly. This time, you know what the unit will become. |
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| Interregnum Chess | No king or queen; win by promoting a pawn; captured units replaced. |
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| Intrigue Chess | Capturing a particular pawn places the enemy king on the board. |
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| Iron Guard | Non-capturable guard replaces White queen. |
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Iron Knight | Non-capturable knight |
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| Italian Miniature Chess | 5x5 game as played in Italy |
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| Italian Miniature Losing Chess | 5x5 losing-chess as played in Italy |
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| Italian Miniature Progressive Chess | 5x5 progressive game as played in Italy |
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Italian Progressive Chess
![]() | You may only check on your last move of your series.
Popular variant. |
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| Janus Chess | Large board variant. |
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Japanese Chess
![]() | Shogi, the extremely popular Japanese variant.
I have used conventional symbols, mostly. |
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| Joari-Joara | West Indian variant in which
a guarded unit may be captured only if it gives discovered check.
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| Joust Chess | Two knights. Squares cannot be revisited. |
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| Joyful Chess | One special square enhances a piece's powers, the other diminishes them |
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| Juggernaut Chess | Unstoppable destructive unit moves at random. |
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| Junta Chess | The king and his knights are the junta. |
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Kamikaze I | Capturing units are removed, except kings |
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Kamikaze II | Capturing units are removed, kings may not capture |
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| Kamikaze III | If the lone queen checks, she wins. |
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| King and Pawns | White moves twice but has only king and pawns. The king must escape check on the first move. |
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| White moves twice but has only king and pawns. The king need not escape check on the first move. |
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| King with a Shotgun Chess | Twice each game, a king may shoot down a rank or file |
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| King with a Shotgun Chess II | Twice each game, a king may shoot down a rank, file, or diagonal |
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Kinglet | Win by capturing all opposing pawns |
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Kingmaker Chess | The first pawn to reach the opposite rank promotes to the enemy king. |
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| King's Corner Chess | Random setup with kings in opposite corners. |
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| King's Fortress Chess | Random setup with king's in opposite corners and extra pawns in front of them |
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| KnightMate Chess | The knight, not the kings, is royal. |
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| Knight Odds Chess | White starts without the queen's knight. |
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Knight Relay Chess![]() | Knights confer their movement ability on units they defend. Popular variant. |
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| Knight Supreme Chess | Rooks and Bishops are replaced by Knights in the opening array. |
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Knightrider Bouncy Chess![]() | Diagonal runners bounce off the walls; knights are knightriders. |
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Chess II |
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| Knights Chess | Rooks, Bishops, and Queens can also move as knights. |
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| Konigsridder | Three attacking players and one defending player. |
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Korean Chess
![]() | Still some bugs in the program. |
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| Korkser Chess | Local rules in parts of Germany.
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Kriegspiel
![]() | Opponent's units are invisible. Very popular. |
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| Kriegspiel Variants | ||
| Original Kriegspiel | Know what type of unit was captured. | |
| American Kriegspiel | See where pawn captures possible. | |
| Discreet Kriegspiel | No information on pawn captures or checks. | |
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One-Eye
| Sighted side lacks queen, both knights, and one bishop. | |
Pickle Pot
| Sighted side lacks both rooks, both knights, and one bishop. | |
| Welbeck Kriegspiel | Place your units as you like. | |
| Mafeking Kriegspiel | Place your units as you like; knights are scouts. | |
| Assassin Kriegspiel | Place your units as you like; knights see adjacent enemies; if you deliver checkmate by any unit except a queen, you lose. |
| Lambeth Conference Chess | Bishops bouncing off the walls. |
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| Las Vegas Fun Chess | Game with dice, rules by George Koltanowski |
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| Last Rook Chess | King and last remaining rook are both royal |
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| Leandro's Chess | You can move any number of units one time each per turn, providing you do not capture, check, or escape from check. |
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| Legan's Chess | Normal set and board, different setup and pawn moves |
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| Leo Chess | Queen must jump a screen to capture |
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| Levantine Chess | One unit is immune to capture if it is not attacking.
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| Lias's Proposal | Pawns may move, but not capture, one square sideways. |
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| Lion Chess | Queen, rook and bishops are cannons that must jump to capture. Promotion is to orthochess units. |
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| Loonybird Chess | Christiaan Freeling's small-board game with pieces which capture differently from their normal moves. |
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| Lord of the Rings Chess | Based on the fantasy trilogy. |
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| Los Alamos Chess | Used for the first computer chess program. |
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Losing Chess | Captures are mandatory, object is to be unable to move. |
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Losing Chess II | Captures are mandatory, stalemate draws. |
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Losing Chess III | Captures are mandatory; checkmating or having bare king wins. |
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Losing Chess IV | Captures are mandatory, being checkmated or having bare king wins. |
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| Losing Sphinx Chess | Losing chess in four dimensions. |
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| Ludus Chessunculus | Small hexagonal variant with single- and double-hoppers. |
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| Lumberjack Chess | Pieces move according to their current file. First check wins. |
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| Machine Gun Chess | Attacked units are removed. The object is to remove all enemy units. |
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| Mad Threeparty Chess | Chess for three. Each opponent has a king which you may check by a move, and one which you must not check by a move. |
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| Madcap Chess | If a capture is available, the player must capture, and continue capturing as long as possible with the same unit. |
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| Madrasi Chess | Units of opposite color and identical kind which attack one another cannot move or give check. |
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| Maelstrom Chess | All 64 squares are initially occupied |
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| Mage Chess | Queen can swap with any friendly unit |
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| Mage Chess II | Queen can swap with any friendly or enemy unit |
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| Magic Carpet Chess | Two teleporting devices. |
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| Magna Carta Chess | White has royal archbishop and royal marshall instead of a king. |
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| Magnet Chess | Moved unit attracts and repels |
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| Maharaja and Sepoys I | Lone king, moving as queen+knight, versus an army |
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| Maharaja and Sepoys II | Lone king, moving as queen+knight, versus an army. The maharaja cannot cross check. |
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| Manchurian Chess | Widely-played regional variant on Chinese Chess |
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| March Hare Chess | Each side moves first a black unit, then a white unit. |
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| Martian Chess | Edgar Rice Burroughs |
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| Maya Chess | Indian variant in which a defended unit (not king or pawn) moves according to the defender(s). |
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| McCooey's Hexagonal Chess | A recognized hexagonal variant. |
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| Meares's Proposal | Bishops can also move and capture one square orthogonally. |
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| Mecklenbeck Chess | Pawns promote on 6th rank |
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| Mecklenburg Chess |
Classic 16x8 version for four |
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Medusa Chess![]() | Non-capturing medusas petrify enemy units |
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| Melee Chess | Large variant, win by entering enemy castle |
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| Mercenary Pawn Chess | Use either side's pawns to capture units |
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| Mesmer Chess | If you attack an opposing unit with your mesmerist piece, you may also move it. |
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| Metamorphing Chess | Pieces upgrade when escaping, downgrade when capturing |
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| Metamorpin'-Fusion A | Pieces are likely to proliferate |
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| Metamorpin'-Fusion B | Pieces are likely to proliferate. Here, royalty can cross squares under attack. |
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| Mexican Chess | Large variant from Mexico with 3,1 jumpers.
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Mexican King Chess | Win the usual way or by making it safely to Mexico. |
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| Michell's Proposal | Pawns may underpromote on next-to-last rank. |
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| Michelson's Chess | Each side moves first a red unit, then a white unit. |
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| Mideastern Chess | Actually a California variant resembling "Tamurlane" chess |
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| Millennium Chess | 8x15 proprietary version with two kings. |
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| Mimic Chess | The mimic may not jump, but may capture a hostile or friendly unit. |
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| Mimikri | Proprietary game from 3M. You know the identities of only one side's units. | |
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| Mimotaur Chess | Mimotaurs move as queens, may only capture a unit as that unit captures, cannot capture each other. |
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Minefield Chess | Two of your squares have hidden mines that can destroy an enemy unit when it lands. |
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| Miniature Chess | From an old Martin Gardner column in "Scientific American" |
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| Ministers Chess | Two queens on each side on a 9x9 board, available commercially |
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| MiniShogi | Japanese 5x5 version |
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Missile Chess![]() | Each unit can rifle-capture once. |
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| Mock Chess | No royal piece, mandatory captures |
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| Modern Chess | Latin American 9x9 version |
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| Modern Chess (Revised) | Latin American 9x9 version; one bishop
must begin with a one-square orthogonal move |
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| Monarch Hexagonal Chess | Proprietary hexagonal variant. |
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| Mongolian Chess | "Shatar", the major form of chess played in Mongolia for centuries |
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Mongredian Chess | Both bishops on queenside, both knights on kingside. |
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Monkey Do Chess![]() | If possible, make a second move with any unit in the same direction and distance as the first move. |
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| Monkey Done. The second move must be a side-to-side mirror image. | ||
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Monkey Did. The second move need only be the same distance. | ||
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Monkey Does. The second move need only be in the same direction.
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| Monochrome Chess | All units are of the same color. Win by accumulating captures. |
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| Monster Chess | White's normal army faces Red's king and four pawns; Red moves twice per turn |
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| Morley Chess | Large board with the usual pieces. |
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Moroccan Chess | If you have one or more captures, you must make a capture.
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| Morton's Chess | Partnership chess for four, with each army vulnerable to attack by only one opponent. |
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Moscow King Chess | Board starts empty. You place some of your army or move a unit. Kings go on first. |
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| Mountain King Chess | First king to reach the center square of an 11 x 11 board wins | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| Mouterde's Chess | Board with side extensions. |
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Move-and-a-Half Chess![]() | Each normal move gives credit for half of a future bonus move. |
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| Mrs. Graycheck's Chess | Pawns promote only to a unit already captured. Kept third-graders' sets intact. |
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| MultiMate Chess | Win by checkmating either side. |
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| Mummy Chess | Kings can move only to castle or escape check. |
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| Mutation Chess (New Zealand Style) | Units other than kings transform into whatever they capture. Queens do not move to give check. |
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| Mysore Chess | Large variant by an 18th century Indian king. |
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| Narrowness Chess | Lots of pawns |
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| Nemesis Chess | New pieces move only toward the enemy king |
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| NeoChess | For four players on an 8x10 board. |
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| NeoSchaak | Load your own units, onto the first two ranks, as you like during the game |
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| Neuter Queen Chess | A non-capturable, non-capturing queen may be moved by either side. |
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| Neutral King Chess | Each side tries to capture the sole king. |
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| New York Twins Chess I | Large board with two kings. Checkmate either one.
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| New York Twins Chess II | Large board with two kings. Capture one, then checkmate the other.
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| New Zealand Chess | Knights and rooks swap capturing moves. |
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| Nightrider Chess I | No knights in the usual position; queen is replaced by a nightrider. |
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| Nightrider Chess II | Knights move as nightriders. |
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| Nine Riders Chess | Each piece is a rider | ![]() |
| Ninny Chess | Classic board game | ![]() ![]() |
No Entry Chess![]() | Bar the opponent's access to one square after each of your moves. | ![]() |
| Nommenspiel | Kriegspiel variant where only the squares to which the opponent moves are revealed. |
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| Non-Prise Chess | Only kings and pawns can capture queens, rooks, bishops, or knights |
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| Noris Schach |
Popular German proprietary game from the 1970's. |
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| Norwegian Chess | Q/N and B/R transform after each move.
Only like units can capture units.
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| Nuisance Chess | Co-chess variants in which empty cosquares are occupied by neutral units which may be captured but not crossed. |
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| Null Chess | Squares on which captures have taken place can no longer be visited or crossed after they are vacated. |
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| Numericron Chess | Score points by attacking enemy units |
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| Oblong Chess | Ancient 16x4 variant of Shatranj. Several initial setups exist. |
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| Occupation Chess | Win by occupying an outpost in enemy territory for one move. Pawns promote by capturing, and prisoners can be exchanged and returned to action. |
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Omega Chess
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| Orphic Chess | Adding pieces may displace a pawn. No non-capturing moves before you add your king. No more pieces added after the king. |
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| Outpost Chess | Win by occupying a designated square in enemy territory for one move. |
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| OverKnight Chess | Knights instead of pawns. They promote. |
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| Parachute Chess | Landing units may not attack any opposing unit. |
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Parallel Worlds Chess![]() | Three Boards. Two have the regular setup, while the third is a twilight zone. Units transfer. |
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| Patrol Chess | A unit may not capture or give check unless it is supported by a friendly unit. |
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| Patt-Schach | Start with an illegal move from a stalemated position. |
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Patzer Chess | If you can check, you must do so. |
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| Pawn Collector Chess | Pick up counters on the empty squares. |
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| Pawn Massacre Chess | White pieces, but not pawns, swap setup positions with red pieces. |
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| Pawn Odds Chess | White starts without the king's bishop's pawn. |
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| Pawn Progression Chess | Pawns on advanced ranks move differently. |
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| Pawns Game | Tests whether eight somewhat advanced pawns are worth a queen. |
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| Peasant Revolt Chess | Pawns vs. knights. |
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| Perfect Chess | Rook, bishop, knight, plus each of the four compounds ("perfect"). |
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| Peruvian Army Chess | A second board has aircraft that can bomb the orthochess board.
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| Petite Chess | 6x5 variant from the 1930's |
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| Phantom Chess | Capturers (except kings and queens) vanish and reappear on your next-vacated square |
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| Philosopher's Chess | Winner of the 40 squares contest |
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| Pin Chess | Pinned pieces do not give check |
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| Plaid Chess | Progressive Grid chess. |
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Pocket Knight Chess
![]() | Drop an extra knight on the board. Popular variant. |
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Pocket Knight Chess II
| Drop the Queen's Knight on the board. Popular variant. |
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| Pocket Knight Chess III | Two pocket knights. |
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| Portuguese Progressive Chess | You can move each unit once at most in a series.
Not really a Portuguese regional game. |
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| Power Chess | Seven queens on each side. |
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| Power Chess II | Eight extra pieces |
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| Pre-Chess | Place your first rank as you choose before the game begins |
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| Prisechec | Proprietary game with prison squares |
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Presto Chess | First check by a unit which cannot be captured wins |
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Progressive Absorption Chess![]() | Very popular in Italy. |
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| Progressive Fischer Random Chess | Progressive chess with random setups |
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| Progressive Losing Chess | Captures are mandatory; try to lose all your units. Number of moves per turn increases. |
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| Progressive Mutation Chess | Units transform into the kind captured. Number of moves per turn increases. |
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| Progressive Take-All Chess | Very popular in Italy. |
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| Progressive 007 Chess | Move opponent's units alternately with yours. |
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| Promethean Chess | Units visiting the home squares of others leave behind duplicates. |
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| Promoters Chess | Promote any unit landing next to the enemy promoter to any captured unit. |
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| Provocation Chess | Getting checked gets you an extra move. Getting a unit captured gets you an extra move. These can be additive. |
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| Proximity Chess | You must move one of the closest units to the destination of the last opponent's unit. |
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Push Chess![]() | Capture only by pushing units off the edge. More people play Dynamo Chess nowadays. |
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| Quantum Chess | Move any non-observed unit to any non-observed empty square. |
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| Quatrechess | Score by getting units to the opposite edge. |
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| Queen Odds Chess | White starts without the queen. |
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| Queen of Canada | Captured queens are replaced by the capturing side. |
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| Quest Chess | Sides make ten moves in a sequence. Each unit moves a maximum of one time. The opponent gets one move to respond to captures or checks. |
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| QuickChess | Proprietary game from Amerigames. | |
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| Racetrack Chess | Rooks and queens can follow concentric tracks on an expanded board. |
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| Racing Kings Chess | Kings race from Rank 1 to Rank 8 |
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Rainbow Chess![]() | Each side must occupy at least one square of each of six colors. |
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| Rampage Chess | Any unit may move to any square that is guarded. |
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| Random Files Chess I | Move from a random file if you can | ![]() |
| Random Files Chess II | Move to or from a random file if you can | ![]() |
| Random Pieces Chess | Best of 20 rounds with armies of varying strengths | ![]() ![]() |
| Ranson's Chess | Classic variant with an amazon which may move only four times. |
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| Rapid Fire Chess | A unit captures all the units it attacks, without moving |
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| Re | Load units, only captures permitted, scored by surviving units. |
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| Re2 | No capturing until all units are loaded. |
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| Ready Chess | Take a turn to recharge a unit that has captured. |
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Recaptureless Chess | A unit which has just captured is itself invulnerable to capture for the move. |
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| Recruiter Chess | Capturer recruits on adjacent squares |
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| Recycle Chess | You may capture your own units and replace them on the board |
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| Red Castle Chess | Red king and QR cannot move except to castle, which wins for Red |
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Reflex Chess![]() | Force your opponent to checkmate. |
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| Reform Chess I | Load your own units |
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| Reform Chess II | King and Queen Pawns are special |
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Refusal Chess![]() | You may refuse one enemy move per turn. |
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Refuse Once Chess | You may refuse one enemy move per game. |
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| Removal Chess | Remove an enemy knight after move 6, a bishop after move 12, etc. |
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| Reinforcements Chess | Captured units change sides and are replaced immediately. |
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| Renezans Chess | Proprietary game, 9x9, in which the occupant of the center square can move as any piece. |
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Repatriation Chess![]() | Pairs of captured units are returned to the board. |
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| Reserve Chess | Units may be removed from the board and dropped back in later. |
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| Rettah Chess | King can move as any piece but must capture its attacker. |
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Revelation Chess | The object is to obtain four knights of your color on the board. |
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| Reverso Chess | White king and queen are reversed in the initial position. |
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Richard Goode's 3D Chess![]() | Three-Dimensional Chess |
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Rifle Chess![]() | Units capture without moving |
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Riga Chess![]() | Escort King and Queen to the opposite side of the board. Not really a regional variant. |
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| Riley's Four Army Chess | Several ways to win. |
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River Chess | Win by getting any unit to the opposite side of the board. |
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| Rolling Kings Chess | Kings move by themselves. |
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| Roman Chess | 10x10 variant available commercially |
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| Romanchenko's Chess | New chessboard with sides displaced |
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| Rook Odds Chess | White starts without the queen's rook. |
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Rook Square Chess | Enemy rook squares are royal |
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Rotary Chess![]() | Christian Freeling's game, offered as a development of "Ploy". |
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| Rotation Chess | Every ten turns, you switch and play the other player's units. |
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| Round Chess III | Queens and rooks may move around concentric tracks. |
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| Royal Magician | As king and wizard (who replaces queen) advance across the board, new units are added. |
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| Royal Pawn | The king's pawn is royal instead of the king. |
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| Royal Stables | Seven Knights |
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| Rubble Chess | Clear squares by moving. |
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Russian Fortress Chess![]() | Old four-handed chess game, with a considerable
following in pre-communist Russia as well as elsewhere. |
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| Russian Progressive Chess | End odd turns by moving an enemy unit |
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Russian Stacking Chess![]() | Revival of a classic Russian variant.
Stack units rather than capturing.
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| Russian Symmetric Chess | Russian 9x9 variant.
Each bishop can make one orthogonal king's move.
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| Rutland's Chess | 14x10 version |
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| Sanctuary Chess | Win by getting two units to the far rank, both immune to capture. No royal unit. |
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| Schachdame Chess | Pawns, a bishop, and a royal queen. |
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| (Paul) Schooling's Chess | Units transform when they capture |
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| Scorpion King Chess | King can also move as grasshopper |
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Scotch Chess
![]() | Number of moves increases each turn. Popular variant. |
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| Scotch Modern Chess | A check or move to a guarded square ends the series. Not really a Scotch regional game. |
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| Secret Agent Chess | You may take control of a predesignated opposing minor piece. |
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Secret Service Chess | If the king in in check, a secret service agent must exchange places with him if possible. |
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| Self Eliminator | You may capture your own units |
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| Sentinel Chess | The sentinel becomes a secondary army of up to eight pawns. |
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| Seven Knights Chess | Unusual army for Red |
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| Shafran's Hexagonal Chess | A classic hexagonal variant from Russia. |
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| Shakti | Christiaan Freeling's simple, elegant game with disappearing squares. |
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| Shatranj | Arabian chess, ancestral to the Western forms. |
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Shoot Chess![]() | Rifle chess with mandatory captures. |
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| Shrapnel Chess | Nearest units at 45 degree angles from line of capture are also destroyed. |
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| Shrink Chess | Emptied rows and columns vanish permanently | ![]() ![]() |
| Shrink Chess II | Emptied edge rows and edge columns vanish permanently | ![]() |
| Shuffle Chess 1 | Normal sets, king and rooks on their usual squares, white and black need not match, bishops balance |
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| Shuffle Chess 2 | Normal sets, randomly placed, no castling, white and black match, bishops need not balance |
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| Shuffle Chess 3 | Random units, white and black match, no castling, bishops need not balance. |
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| Shuffle Chess 4 | Random pieces, bishops (if any) balance, white and black need not match, no castling. |
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Siberian Chess![]() |
Very nice chess variant with jump captures, from Altai in Siberia.
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| Skirmish Chess | Armies start one rank forward each. |
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Slater's Chess | Fast four-player game using the standard board. |
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| Slippery Center Chess | Units slide over the center squares. |
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| Sniper Chess | Rooks, bishops, and knights do not capture as they move. |
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Snowplow Chess | Rooks, bishops, and queens may continue moving in the same direction after they capture. |
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Soccer Chess![]() | Kick the ball into the enemy goal. |
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| Spanish Rules 1283 | ![]() |
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| Spanish Rules 1500 | ![]() |
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| Speed Game | 6x5 variant from Holland |
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| Sphinx Chess | Four dimensions. |
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| Split Board Chess | Swap halves of the board every 5 moves | ![]() ![]() |
| Sputnik Chess | Rooks, bishops, and knights on the enemy half of the board get free moves. | ![]() |
| Standoff Chess | A check only works if it could be carried out by the defender without the attacker then being in check. |
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| Start-Again Chess I | Each unit may return to its original square if unoccupied. |
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| Start-Again Chess II | Each unit may return to its original square if unoccupied, or (unless it is a pawn) the starting square of its enemy counterpart. |
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| Static Chess | Take turns placing a unit so that none attacks another. | ![]() |
Stealth Chess![]() | You must guess which opponent unit is which. |
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| StereoSchach | One of the most popular 3D chess games. |
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Stochastic Chess![]() |
Place or move squares in addition to units.
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| Stratomic Chess | Tactical nuclear missiles may be deployed after a piece is captured in the ordinary way. |
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| Strip Chess I | Remove an article of clothing each time you are checked. Rated PG-13. |
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| Strip Chess II | Remove or replace articles of clothing as units are captured. Rated PG-13. |
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| Strip Chess I | Remove an article of clothing each time you are checked. You WIN if you lose all your clothing. Rated PG-13. |
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| Strong Pawns Chess | Pawns move and promote as minor versions of the pieces they represent. |
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| Sudden Death Chess | If you do not capture, you must remove one of your own units. |
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| Super Chess I | Big proprietary game for four. Pawns meet their opponents as in orthochess. |
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| Super Chess II | Proprietary game from the 1970's. |
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| Super Chess III | Big proprietary game with archers and cyclopses. |
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| Super King | King moves as queen but cannot move across a square under attack |
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| Super Knights | If a knight does not check on its first move, it may make a second move during a turn. |
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| Sun Tzu Chess | Dark Chess plus Chessgi plus Fischer Random. |
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Swap Chess I | Friendly units may swap places |
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| Swarm Chess | Each of your units must move each turn if possible. |
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Switching Chess | Adjacent friendly units may swap places |
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| Symmetry Breaking Chess | Units become defined as they are selected and moved |
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| Synchronous Chess | The two sides truly move simultaneously. |
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| Syrian Chess 1850 | ![]() |
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| Tag Chess | Units which attack the mover are captured |
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| Take Me Chess | You may require that your last-moved unit be captured by a particular opposing unit, when possible. Object is to lose your units and be unable to move. |
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| Tamerlane Chess | Old Persian large-board game, widely-played in medieval times |
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Tandem Chess | Bughouse variant where both boards score and a dropped unit may not give check. |
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Tank Chess
![]() | Tanks, bombs, and nukes. My favorite. |
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| Tank Chess II | Only the Queen's Rook is a tank. |
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| Three-Way Chess | Chess for three on a four-way board. |
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| Teamster Chess | Pawns pull the friendly piece behind them. |
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| Tedco Chess | Three-Dimensional Chess |
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Teleport Chess![]() | Each piece (not king or pawn) may teleport once to any vacant square. |
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| Termination Chess | Each side must move once with a piece and once with a pawn each turn. |
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| Tesche Chess for Three | Survivor wins. | ![]() ![]() |
Thai Chess
![]() | Usual variant played in Thailand |
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Three Check Chess | If you deliver check for the third time, you win. |
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Three-Dimensional Chess
![]() | 5 x 5 x 5 board, the most popular of the 3D variants |
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| Tibetan Chess | Non-royal black capturers assume the identities of the captured white units. No relationship to real Tibetan culture. |
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| Tiger Hunt | White army, complete except for its queen, against a lone Q+Kt | ![]() ![]() |
Tile Chess![]() | Popular chess game with tiles which must remain connected. |
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Tim's 3D Chess
| Two kings on each side
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Toilet Roll Chess![]() | Disguise your units. If challenged, they must be revealed. If it moved illegally, the move must be withdrawn. If it moved legally, challenger forfeits the move. |
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| Too Many Bishops | Place an enemy bishop after your own move |
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| Toystore Chess | Five pieces, no pawns. |
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| Transcendent Chess | Random ordering of first ranks. |
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| TransChess | CoChess variant. You must move any non-royal unit on a cosquare to an empty square of your choosing. |
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| Transpose Chess | Sideways board, promote your pawns quickly |
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| Trap Door Chess | Once moved, a unit disappears if it is not moved again within 5 moves |
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| Trap Door Chess II | Two boards, with trap doors and mattresses |
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| Triangular Chess | George Dekle Sr., 1986. | |
| Rooks and bishops run in only three directions. |
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| Runners have more extended movements. |
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| TriC | Chess for three on a hexagonal board. Large proprietary game. |
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| TriChezz | Chess for three on a circular board. Classic proprietary game. |
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| Trigon Chess | Chess for three on a board of triangles. Modern proprietary game. |
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| Triplet Chess | Each turn, move a king, a pawn, and another piece; win when opponent cannot |
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| Triscacia | Chess for three. |
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| Triscacia II | Chess for three on a 10 x 10 board. |
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| Tritabula | Progressive chess in three boards. Units may transfer. |
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| Triumvirate Chess | Win by defeating each of three knights, the last transforming into the king. |
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| Troja | Proprietary game with stacking. |
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| Trophy Hunt Chess | Capture one of each of the four opposing major units. |
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| Troy | Hexagonal variant from a Dutch game club. |
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| Tsunami Chess | Variant of Avalanche Chess, pawns move toward your side |
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| Tula Chess | Russian local variant |
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| Turncoat Chess | Random units turn traitor. |
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| Turnstyle Chess | Four player variant. Each team member controls half the board. |
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| Tutti Frutti Chess | Eight different pieces. |
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| Twenty Knights Chess | Red's 20 knights must mate White within 50 moves. |
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| TwiKnight Chess | Once per game, you can move a single knight twice. |
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| Twilight Chess | Win by mate, stalemate, taking all pawns, taking all rooks and queens, or taking all bishops and knights. |
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| Twin Chess | Two of each kind of piece. |
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| Twin Chess II | Two of each kind of piece. Another setup. |
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| Twinkle Chess | Alternately remove and replace an enemy pawn after each move. |
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| Twinkle Chess II | Remove and replace enemy pawns. |
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| Twinmove Chess | First a pawn, then a piece. |
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| First an optional pawn move, then a mandatory piece move. |
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| Twin Orthodox | Two kings on a 10x10 board. |
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| Twins Chess | Units of a kind move and are captured together. |
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| Two Fisted Chess | Double-move chess. You must move different pieces of the same kind. King and queen are of the same kind. No penalty if you cannot make the second move. |
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| Two Kings Chess | Win by checkmating either one. |
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Ultima Chess![]() | Popular game using the same units, with one rook upside-down |
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Unachess![]() | Add your units when and where you choose. |
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| Unachess II | Landing units may not check. |
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| Uncertainty Chess | Omnidirectional pawns promote at will to the pieces. |
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| Union Chess | Pieces can fuse into stronger units. |
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| Unirexal Chess | Which player can win faster, given a queen in place of a king? |
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| Upside Down Chess | Based on promoting pawns |
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| UrChess | Some likely primitive features are restored |
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Valdskak![]() | Icelandic version. Supported units cannot be captured. |
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| Vanishing Square Chess | Random squares are first marked, then vanish. |
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| Verney's Four-Handed Chess | The original popular four-handed version |
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| Viennese Chess | Free placement with a screen |
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| Warp Chess | Ranks 3 and 6 mirror each other, as do 4 and 5. |
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| Warlord Chess | Knights move as gryphons; queens move as gryphons or bishops |
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| Wellisch's Hexagonal Chess | Hexagonal chess for three players. |
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| Welschen Schach |
Unusual setup and promotion rules.
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| Wild Chess 7 | King and three pawns. |
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| Wild Chess 8 | Leads to an open position. |
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| Wild Chess 9 | Royalty passes between the king and his guard |
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Wildebeest Chess![]() | Game with several kinds of jumpers; one of the more-often played large-board variants. |
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Wolf Chess![]() | Older European game with unusual pieces. | ![]() |
| Wuss Chess | The queen becomes a non-capturing royal piece that must move if threatened. |
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| Xadrez Rex | Hexagonal variant from Brazil. |
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| Xenophobic Chess | Win by penetrating enemy territory |
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| Yeoman Chess | Pawns can move diagonally backwards and capture straight back |
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| Zen Chess | Capture enemy units according to their moves. Checkmate king as usual. |
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| Zip Chess | Pawns may move any number of square forward. |
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| Zombie Co-Chess | Co-Chess variant |
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Zoo Chess![]() | Capture four kinds of opposing units |
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Yahoo
Chess
Variants
Chess Central. Janet Pickard is a cyberfriend.
Hans Bodlaender Chess Variants -- web's principal site
| Visitors to www.pathguy.com reset Jan. 30, 2005: |
These are simple illustrations rather than strong opponents. Bug reports? -- thank you!
Help yourself to my little cartoons of chess pieces. You can find
a set here. These are already in widespread
use, with my permission, and I am glad for the chance to share.

Meet Ed
