Check out Janggi (Korean Chess), our featured variant for December, 2024.

Recognized Chess Variant: Pocket Knight

When I was a child, there were, besides orthodox chess, three variants I played: giveaway chess, bughouse, and pocket knight. Pocket Knight, the variant where players start with one knight besides the board that can be dropped instead of a turn, but which is otherwise similar to chess, is a more than a century old chess variant, played in many places in the world. The game is very close to orthodox chess, indeed, after both players have made their drop, then the game is not different anymore from orthodox chess. The possibility to drop a knight adds some additional possibilities for tactic play, while not changing the nature of the game too much.

Go to

Pocket Knight
WWW page made by Hans Bodlaender.
WWW page created: March 31, 2000.