DISCLAIMER: The ideas expressed on this page are the creative work of its author, Charles Gilman, and they might not be shared by others responsible for this website. They do not represent any convention, consensus, or standard regarding piece names.
Index B to Man and Beast
Each entry starts with the name or prefix in capitals, linked to the Piececlopedia page if an established piece, followed by the plural in plain text if irregular. Then comes the geometry, with a link to the Man and Beast page - square also covers cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism, all covers those plus 2d hex and 2d/3d pentagonal ones, and hex covers xyrixa/hex-prism. Then comes the definition in plain text. The name's origin, if more than random and neither a Piececlopedia piece nor obvious, is in italics. Compounds of two oblique leapers always have one of a set of endings designed to avoid duplicate names for mixed-range and part-symmetric versions. Unless specified as royally-restricted a piece is capturable. The phrase "capturing as" means exclusively unless prefixed with "also". When a move can be "repeated" it means without capturing on any but the last instance. DQR stands for Defaulting to Queen (square) or Rook (hex). Names combining component names are marked ¢. FO pieces' symmetric counterparts are marked §.
New in 2016 under this letter: Balanophis, Boffin
New in 2015 under this letter: Bistro
The acknowledgments, overview, and glossary to the series can be found here.
Pieces
BABIRUSA cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Horn+Tusk, an Indonesian pig whose tusks take on hornlike qualities
BABOON cubic Bandicoot+Bystander ¢.
BACCHUS hex-prism Baker+Zemel ¢.
BACK-REFLECTING piece square one whose backward move can continue after the back rank as the forward move with the same (if any) sideways/up/down component.
BACKBEAT cubic/xyrixa Wideplayer+Loremaster, from the rhythmic beat of much popular music.
BACKING oblique piece square hex one restricted to those moves at 90° (square) or 60° (hex) intervals starting with the first to the left of straight forward, binding it to one in its SOLL of the board's cells, for example a Backing Knight to 1 in 5 squares, from a term in weather forecasting.
BADBABA hex 2-step Curved linepiece on 6-stage circuit, reversing first 3 letters, or 2 consonants, of Dabbaba whose Curved rider it is.
BADDOCK square Bump+Blotccoward, extrapolated from Haddock.
BADGER hex-prism Bearranker+Skunkfiler on Glinski-level, vice versa on Wellisch-level, and Bearcolumner+Skunkleveller on hex-ranked, from its carnivore-based components
BAGATELLE hex-prism Baker+Barnowl ¢.
BAGMAN hex-prism Saltire capturing as Oven, extrapolated from Ragman but just as appropriately menial in itself.
BAHARLEQUIN hex-prism Rapanda+Bear, adding first letters of Balloon.
BAILIFF hex-prism Unicorn capturing as Dicorn, from official notorious in Scotland.
BAJJ square Gimel+Gyroscope, extrapolated from Hajj.
BAKE square Bump+Blotcrevisionist, extrapolated from Hake.
BAKER, BAKOCK hex-prism symmetric 1:root 12 leaper, Baker+Trainer, first from the "Baker's dozen", twelve large loaves and one small, and a Lewis Carroll character, second short for Bakered Hillock.
BALAKLAVA piece, BALAKRIDER piece square one that can also make noncapturing Knight, Nightrider moves.
BALANOPHIS pentagonal-prism Urotheca+Wazir, as snake sharing Besieger's initial.
BALBOA, BALCONY cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Balloon+Dabbaba ¢, Balloon+Elk ¢.
BALE square Bruegel with first step replaced by a Wazir one, alternating between two paths of the Nightingale, by analogy to the Proselyte.
BALF Balves hex-prism FO 2:root 48 leaper, extrapolated from Calf.
BALIBUT square Bumpreservist+Blotcrevisionist, extrapolated from Halibut.
 | BALLADE cubic/hex Cannonball+Slingstone, suffixes of Cannonball and Cannonade. |
BALLCOCK, BALLOON cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Bandit+Tusk ¢, Bear+Raccoon, second partly by analogy to Pantaloon, partly from Kipling's Baloo the bear.
BALUCHITHERE hex-prism 41° Wazir-Rumbaba alternator, EMD Heffalumpwise.
BAMMING hex-prism symmetric 2:root 48 leaper, extrapolated from Lemming.
BANDERSNATCH piece all one whose move must be along a line whose previous cell (the one from which it or its rider would continue from through its starting cell) must be occupied, by a piece of any army, which survives the move, in conjunction with Jabberwock and Jubjub.
BANDICOOT cubic symmetric 7:5:2 leaper, in conjunction with other marsupial names.
BANDIT cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Bearcub+Raccooncub, as -N to -T switch on Balloon §.
BANDLER hex-prism Ratifier+Vocalist, extrapolated from Handler.
BANDOLIER cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Bandit+Antler ¢.
BANDYMAN Bandymen square Blotch+Bump, extrapolated from Handyman.
BANK xyrixa dual to the FO 10:5:1 leaper, as attribute of Vole §.
BAPRINCE hex-prism Viwazir+Ferz, adding first letters of Baron.
BARBINGER cubic Unicorn+Ginoe, extrapolated from Harbinger.
 | BARC square Helmrevervist+Helmcoward, reversing Crab. |
BARDNESS, BARDSHIP square FO 23:7 leaper, Bump+Baste, extrapolated from Hardness, Hardship.
BARMAID hex-prism Aurochs+Baker ¢.
BARNOWL hex symmetric pure-hex root-39 leaper dual to cubic Bandicoot, in conjunction with other bird names.
BARNSTORMER hex-prism 30° Trebuchet-Eunuch alternator, EMD Barnowlwise.
 | BARON 3d Ferz+Viceroy, as masculine lord for compound of single-step pieces. |
 | BARONESS 3d Rook+Baron, as feminine of Baron for its Rook compound. |
 | BARRACK cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Musket+Spear+Mill, as a place where armed men stay. |
BARRIDAN cubic Queen+Ginoe, extrapolated from Harridan.
BARRISTER hex-prism Unicorn+Landlord, as a public official and a Lewis Carroll character.
BARTEBEEST square Gimelranker+Giraffiler, extrapolated from Hartebeest.
BASILICA square Bishop+Gazelle, as religious name starting with the B of Bishop and with a voiced S sounding like the Z of Gazelle later on.
BASTE square FO 15:8 leaper, extrapolated from Haste.
 | BAT square Ox+Bittern, from Leaping Bat Chess. |
| BATMAN Batmen hex Warrant capturing as Inspector, as an army servant, i.e., version of Steward. |
BAYHORSE hex-prism Packet+Drummer, in conjunction with other -horse types for Packet compounds.
BAYLINE hex FO root-156 pure-hex leaper, extrapolated from Leyline.
BAYMAKER hex-prism Underscore+Sceptic, extrapolated from Haymaker.
BCRINOLINE, BCYCLOPS, BDUKE cubic Brook+Raccoon, Unicorn+Fwazir, Fwazir+Viceroy, adding respective initials of Buffoon/Behemoth/Baron.
BEADMAN Beadmen square Baste+Bardness, extrapolated from Headman.
 | BEAK square Mitre+Dabchick, from beak shape of mitre. |
 | BEAR square Bishop restricted to make odd numbers of moves and various leaping versions, extrapolated from Panda from some bears being black and some white and the piece being colourbound. |
BEATIFIED piece all one requiring an intervening piece in a noncapturing move, punning on Canonised.
BEAVER square Bison+Trilby, by analogy with Squirrel.
BECKY, BEDBUCK cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Bearcub+Key ¢, Bear+Dybbuk ¢.
BEDDER square Bear+Dabbaba ¢.
BEEHIVE hex-prism Zebra+Baker ¢.
BEGGAR cubic symmetric 8:7:1 leaper, one of many names alluding to weakness of high-SOLL leapers.
 | BEHEMOTH cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Unicorn+Elephant, in conjunction with other imaginary creatures for Unicorn compounds. |
BELICOPTER square Giraffe+Gimel+Gyroscope+Gymel, extrapolated from Helicopter.
BELLBOY hex-prism Saltire+Rumchick, as lesser official than Bellman §.
BELLEROPHON square Bruegel+Bale, with all destinations of the Gryphon, by analogy to the Proselyte.
BELLGIRL hex-prism Wing+Bellboy, as feminine of Bellboy for Wing compound.
 | BELLMAN Bellmen hex-prism Viceroy+Rumbaba, as wearer of tricorn hat as well as Lewis Carroll character. |
BELTER cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Bearcub+Imp.
BENEFACTOR hex-prism Marquis+Dadchick, as a lord leaving a legacy as a father.
BEORNING xyrixa dual to the symmetric 9:6:5 leaper, as a fictional people noted for their honey cakes.
BERRING, BERZ square Bumpreservist+Blotccoward, Stripreservist+Stripcoward, extrapolated from Herring, Barc.
 | BESIEGER cubic/hex Unicorn+Wazir, one attacking a castle as reverse of enhanced Rook, in conjunction with Heretic and Usurper. |
BETTONG hex symmetric root-57 pure-hex leaper dual to cubic Beggar, as another marsupial for a piece with the same SOLL as the Numbat and Wombat.
BEZRA square 3:2 Curved linepiece on 8-stage circuit, reversing first 3 letters, or 2 consonants, of Zebra whose Curved rider it is.
BEZSHAL xyrixa/hex-prism Finch+Bezra, reversing first 3 letters, or 2 consonants, of the Zebshal.
BEZU square Bezra+Mezel, reversing first 3 letters, or 2 consonants, of Zebu whose Curved rider it is.
BFIELDMOUSE cubic Fieldranker+Broadfiler.
BHAROLAIS hex-prism symmetric 2:root 48 leaper, extrapolated from Charolais.
BHERETIC xyrixa Unicorn+Wferz, adding initial of Besieger.
BI- square/hex takes a leaper with 3, 4, or 5 times the coprime move and doubles it. Thus where the Trebuchet is a 3:0 leaper the Bitrebuchet is a 6:0 one.
BIBLICIST square Bishop+Bison, as religious name starting with B of Bishop and with B of Bison later on.
BIGSHOT cubic/xyrixa Giraffe+Feaster.
BIJECTOR piece all one that can move as an Injector or an Ejector.
BIJOU square Bittern+Bimel ¢.
BILLOCK hex-prism Cedilla+Secret, extrapolated from Hillock.
BILOBAR square piece making Ferz step preceded by required Tusk leap, in conjunction with other astronomical names.
BIMEL square symmetric 9:7 leaper dual to the Bittern, extrapolated from Camel.
BINNY square Grir+Mirg, extrapolated from Hinny.
BIRCH cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Mitre+Lurch.
BIRDBRAIN square Falcon with first step restricted to directions indicated on each cell, as avian-based term of abuse for someone dimwitted.
BIRDINAL square Bishop+Bittern, extrapolated from Cardinal.
BIRETTA square Mitre+Cannonball, as a clerical hat and make of gun.
BIRTH cubic FO 6:4:1 leaper, xyrixa, hex-prism dual of FO 9:4:3 leaper, FO 4:root 37 leaper, as event attended by Midwife §.
 | BISHOP square piece moving any distance through empty intermediate cells along all standard diagonals. |
 | BISON square Camel+Zebra. |
BITCHER cubic/Tetraheral/hex-prism Baron+Trapezium, from Baron and -switcher.
BITRUDER piece all one that can move as an Intruder or an Extruder.
 | BITTERN square symmetric 8:1 leaper, in conjunction with other bird names for pieces in near-orthogonal directions starting with the 6:1 Flamingo. |
BLAST cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Cedilla+Muncher, from a nuxlear explosion in reference to Nucleus §.
 | BLESSING cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Bishop+Sling, as a religious term ending with the -ing of Sling. |
 | BLOTCH square FO 4:1 leaper, as attribute of Giraffe §. |
BOA pentagonal Crooked Bishop alternately turning left and right, but more slightly than the cubic Boyhexer, as snake sharing Bishop's initial.
 | BOAR square Ferz+Tusk, from move suggesting tusks protruding from snout. |
 | BOATER cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Mitre+Horncoward, from the face-to-face cubic Boater's "rowing eight" directions. |
BOCBLER hex 4-step Curved linepiece on 6-stage circuit, reversing first 3 letters, or 2 consonants, of Cobbler whose Curved rider it is.
BOCISON square Rose+Mezel, reversing first 3 letters, or 2 consonants, of Cobison whose Curved rider it is.
BOFFIN cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Bear+Unicorn ¢.
BOLDFACE square Haste+Bump ¢.
BOLLERER cubic Unicorn+Giique, extrapolated from Hollerer.
BOMBER, BONNET cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Bishop+Zombie ¢, Horn+Bearcub, secolnd as -N to -T switch on Boffin §.
BOOMERANG hex 60° Curved Sling, from a weapon whose path curves.
BOOZEUP cubic/hex-prism Eniv+Vump, from excess of the fruit of the vine.
BOSTEL, BOTEL cubic Rook+Giique, Rook+Ginoe, extrapolated from Hostel, Hotel.
BOTSPUR square Blotch+Baste, extrapolated from Hotspur.
BOTTOM-REFLECTING piece cubic one whose downward move can continue after the bottom level as the upward move with the same (if any) forward/backward/sideways component.
BOUNCER hex-prism Mitre+Bellboy, as provider of candles for Excommunicator §.
BOVERCRAFT square Giraffe+Gyroscope, extrapolated from Hovercraft.
BOWMAN Bowmen square a Quantum Chess piece intermediate beteween the Advancer forms of the Knight and Moo.
BOY- square adds to a coprime square-board linepiece the dueller of whichever of itself or its dual is colourbound, or to a compound of dual linepieces the dueller of the colourbound component.
BOYCOTT hex-prism Picketranker+Docketfiler on Glinski-level, vice versa on Wellisch-level, and Picketcolumner+Docketleveller on hex-ranked, from its having a subset of the Picketline move.
BOYDEN square Queen+Giique, extrapolated from Hoyden.
BOYHEXER cubic 60° and 120° Crooked Bishop.
 | BOYSCOUT square 90° Crooked Bishop. |
BRAIN, BRAINBOX square King and Grandpasha respectively, restricted to directions indicated on each cell, from Take the Brain and extrapolated from a slang term for a clever person.
BRASS- 3d/hex adds Saltire move to symmetric orthogonal pieces, adds Wazir moves to FO ND pieces, and makes orthogonal component of Countwise pieces symmetric, a yellow alloy by analogy to the Gold- pieces for whose SD it substitutes the ND.
 | BRASSGENERAL 3d/hex Wazir+Saltire. |
BRAWLER cubic/hex Musketball+Millstone, suffixes of Mesketball and Musketeer.
BREADTH cubic FO 5:5:3 leaper, xyrixa dual of FO 10:3:3 leaper, as attribute of Broadwayman §.
BREAKER hex-prism Point capturing as Rumchick, extrapolated from Broker.
BREAKERED piece hex-prism piece capturing as piece related as Rumbaba/Rumchick to Wazir/Point, from previous entry.
BRER- as unprefixed piece adds Dingo to Wolf, Coyote to Fox, Hyena to Jackal, from Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus stories.
BRIDE cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Princess+Key, in conjnuction with Matron.
BRIDESMAID hex Newlywed+Vacillator, as in "always the bridesmaid...".
 | BRIGADIER hex Forewazir+Pointreservist, as the next military title below the General that has all 6 hex orthogonals. |
BROADCASTER hex-prism Dicorn+Baron, as a powerful rôle in modern society.
BROADWAYMAN Broadwaymen cubic symmetric 5:5:3 leaper, xyrixa dual of symmetric 10:3:3 leaper, in contrast to the Highwayman sharing its SOLL.
BROCK cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Bear+Eunuch.
BROGOP square Bishop+Trebuchet, substituting letters of Frog (Ferz+Trebuchet) for the fish of a bishop's mitre, pictured as man in hypothetical mitre with froglike legs attached.
 | BROKER cubic/hex Point capturing as Saltire, in conjunction with the Pawn for whose SD it substitutes the ND - as in pawnbroker, and a Lewis Carroll character. |
BRONZE- hex-prism adds Point move to symmetric HD pieces, adds Rumbaba moves to FO orthogonal pieces, and makes HD component of Viscountwise pieces symmetric, in conjunction with other reds for part-symmetric Rumbaba compounds.
BRONZEFOOTMAN Bronzefootmen, BRONZEFOOTWOMAN Bronzefootwomen, BRONZEGENERAL, BRONZRIDER hex-prism Contrafootman+Breaker, Contrafootwoman+Breakrider, Rumbaba+Point, Dicorn+Wing.
BROOD hex-prism Mitre+Dadchick, in conjunction with Clutch and Fledgling for similar Mitre compounds.
BROODINESS cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Stork+Midwife.
 | BROOK cubic Rookranker+Bishofiler, adding initial of Bishop and chosen with Stockbrook in mind. |
BRUEGEL or BRUEGHEL square 90° Crooked Bear, in the sense that it turns only where it can stop and so alternates between two paths of the Angel, by analogy to the Proselyte.
BSTARLING cubic Brook+Sling, adding initial of Blessing.
BSTEEL xyrixa Wferz+Saltire, adding initial of Brass.
BUCEPHALUS, BUCLOWN, BUCOLUMBINE hex-prism Bishop+Rapanda, Unrook+Bear, first as Alexander the Great's horse, rest adding first 2 letters respectively of Buffoon, Boffin.
BUDGIE hex-prism FO 3:root 28 leaper, as a smaller bird starting with same letters as Bustard §.
 | BUFFALO square Knight+Camel+Zebra./tr> |
BUILDER square Ruthless Converting-from-Reserve Injector [Queen], from Builder Chess.
BULGE cubic hex-prism Hump+Cloak.
BULK, BULLFROG cubic/hex Saltire+Trechick, Viceroy+Trebuchet, by analogy to Frog/Frock, Toad/Toke, Newt/Nuke.
BUMBLE square Fagin restricted to directions indicated on each cell, as a character from the same novel as Fagin whose name refers to his incompetent manner.
BUMMOCK hex-prism Echo+Voice, extrapolated from Hummock.
BUMP, BUREAUCRAT square FO 5:3 leaper dual to the Blotch, Curate+Lamel, first extrapolated from Hump, second as a formal though not necessarily ecclesiastic person.
BURGLAR cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Keyrider+Thief, from a kind of thief.
BURROW xyrixa dual to the FO 11:2:1 leaper, as attribute of Zokor §.
BURTLER cubic Bishop+Ginoe, extrapolated from Hurtler.
BUS square Bearcub+Tusk ¢.
BUSHMAN square Cross capturing as Superpoint, from Outback Chess.
BUSTARD hex-prism symmetric 3:root 28 leaper, in conjunction with other bird names for pieces with same SOLL as Flamingo.
BUSTLER cubic Bishop+Giique, extrapolated from Hustler.
BUTLER cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Ferz capturing as Viceroy, extrapolated from Steward.
BUTTRESS square Ox+Bimel, as something robust.
BYDBUK hex Badbaba+Nueuch, reversing first 3 letters, or 2 consonants, of Dybbuk whose Curved rider it is.
BYSTANDER cubic symmetric 8:7:2 leaper, one of many names alluding to weakness of high-SOLL leapers.
This 'user submitted' page is a collaboration between the posting user and the Chess Variant Pages. Registered contributors to the Chess Variant Pages have the ability to post their own works, subject to review and editing by the Chess Variant Pages Editorial Staff.
By Charles Gilman.
Web page created: 2011-02-01. Web page last updated: 2011-03-26