Bid Chess
(A Chess Variant with different armies)
Rules
- Choose colors randomly
- Pick a chess piece (or power or restriction). A possible random list follows.
- Each player submits a bid. The high bidder gets the piece. On ties, black gets the piece. The winning bidder must then give up men whose value equals his bid. Use values of P=1, N=3, B=3, R=5, Q=9. (Bids can be negative).
- Each player sets up his forces on simultaneously, behind a barrier, on his first three ranks. Pawns can't start on the first rank. Bishops must be deployed on opposite color squares.
- White's first move can not be a capture. Otherwise play proceeds normally.
If the man seems low in value, just bid for 2 or 3 of them. It is a good idea to discuss the ramifications of an unusual piece before bidding.
Send any questions or comments to (email removed contact us for address) .com
A sample list of chess pieces follows (using Henry Davidson's, A Short History of Chess). Feel free to create your own list.
Piece |
Power |
|
---|---|---|
1 |
Adjundant |
B+N |
2 |
Alfil |
Moves/captures with a 2-2 leap |
3 |
Bare King |
If you capture all your opponents men, you win |
4 |
Camel |
Leaps 2 squares diagonally |
5 |
Camel |
3-1 leaper |
6 |
Camel |
3-1 leaper |
7 |
Cannon |
Moves like R. Captures on R-lines, but must cross a piece to do so |
8 |
Cannon |
R |
9 |
Centaur |
R+N |
10 |
Centurion |
K+N |
11 |
Champion |
R+N |
12 |
Chancellor |
R+N |
13 |
Concubine |
R+N |
14 |
Counseller |
Non-royal King |
15 |
Courier |
B |
16 |
Crowned Rook |
R+K |
17 |
Decurion |
1 square diagonally |
18 |
Dragoon |
B |
19 |
Enlisting Captives |
Captured enemy pieces can reused and placed instead of moving. Captured Pawns must be placed in your half of the board |
20 |
Equerry |
B+N |
21 |
Gaja(Elephant) |
Moves/captures 1 square diagonally or 1 square forward |
22 |
Gazelle |
3-1 leaper |
23 |
General |
Q+N |
24 |
Giraffe |
4-1 leaper |
25 |
Griffon |
1 diagonal then any number orthogonal |
26 |
Guard |
R+N |
27 |
Jester |
1-0 leaper |
28 |
King's Leap |
Your K may move once like a N |
29 |
Lion |
4-0 leaper |
30 |
Mantri(Counseller) |
Moves/captures 1 square diagonally |
31 |
Marshall |
R+N |
32 |
Restricted Promotion |
Your Pawns may only promote to lost pieces |
33 |
Rhinocerus |
B+N |
34 |
Sacrifice |
If your K is checkmated you may have it exchange places with another piece and continue play |
35 |
Scout |
B |
36 |
Single-Move Pawn |
Your Pawns lack the double move |
37 |
Sow |
Non-royal King |
38 |
Sow |
Leaps 2 squares diagonally |
39 |
Stalemate=Win |
If you stalemate your opponent, you win |
40 |
Unicorn |
B+N |
41 |
Vizier |
4-1 leaper |
Written by Roger Cooper. HTML conversion by David Howe.
WWW page created: October 5, 1998.