Check out Balbo's Chess, our featured variant for October, 2024.

This page is written by the game's inventor, Ralph Betza.

One or Two

A short note on a small new idea: Each move you may choose to play one move or two. If you play one move, the ordinary FIDE rules apply. If you play two moves, you choose the two pieces that are to be moved, but your opponent chooses which to move first and where the pieces go to.

You must choose two pieces that each have more than one move available, so that your opponent does in fact have a choice. For example, in the opening position, suppose you choose to move the Ph2 and the Ng1; one of Black's choices is h2-h4 and Ng1-h3, but he cannot choose Ng1-h3 blocking the Ph2 (he can move either piece first, but if the N moves first it must go to f3; or if the P goes first and stops at h3, the N has no choice; but Black had a choice, so the doublemove is legal).

You will not often choose to make a doublemove in this game, but must always think about it; and that is the idea of the game.

Compare with Compromise Chess and Refusal Chess.

The fool's mate is faster than in FIDE Chess: W can mate on move 2.

Written by Ralph Betza.
WWW page created: May 23, 2001.