Construction Chess

by João Pedro Neto

The idea for this variant is to give each player the possibility to construct his own chess army, the way they seem proper.

• All FIDE rules apply except in the following:
• In the beginning, each player has the King at his usual place, plus 15 more static pieces where the remaining FIDE army starts.
• Each player has the following available powers:
  • 3 Rook powers
  • 3 Bishop powers
  • 2 Knight powers
  • 8 Pawn powers (including the possibity to advance 2 squares in the 1st row for White or 8th row for Black. No en passant)
  • 2 Castling powers (a piece may swap positions with its King, if both are not in check. This power, once used, is removed)
• A static piece cannot move or capture (since it has no powers), and can be captured.
• At the first turn, White gives one of his powers to a certain static piece. Black does the same.
• After that, at each turn, each player can:
  • Move one piece (mandatory)
  • After moving, give one available power to any non-royal piece (a piece may receive two or more powers) (optional)
• Wins the one that mates the opposite King.
• No pawn promotion.

note: A Queen is made by adding a Bishop and a Rook power to a certain piece. This idea can be used with Betza's Different Armies concept. Just give each player the proper set of constructing powers for the army he chose.