Check out Atomic Chess, our featured variant for November, 2024.

This page is written by the game's inventor, Moses Snell-Feikema.

Open Chess

by Moses Snell-Feikema

Open Chess is a large chess variant played on a 12x12 board that I invented. (I got the idea for the more open arrangement from Chinese-Chess)

New or changed pieces

Rook- Can also do a non-capturing King-move.

Bishop- Can also do a non-capturing King-move.

Guard- Jumps 2 squares in any direction, or does a non-capturing King or Knight move.

Pawn- May move forward and diagonally forward 1 square or capture diagonally forward 1 square.

Chancellor- Moves like a Rook and a Knight. Can also do a non-capturing King-move.

Duke- Moves like a Bishop and a Knight. Can also do a non-capturing King-move.

Changed Rules

In addition the checkmate, you may also win by eliminating all of the opponents pieces except for his King. You may promote a pawn when it reaches the 10th (11th?) rank into any captured piece.

Opening setup

This is a preliminary picture of the opening setup, but unfortunately it still is wrong: blacks queen and king have switched positions. The right diagram can be found below:

R N B C G K Q G D B N R
- - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - -
P - - P - P P - P - - P
- - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - -
P - - P - P P - P - - P
- - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - -
R N B D G Q K G C B N R

(Rook, Knight, Bishop, Duke, Guard, Queen, King, Cardinal, Pawn)

Please email me if you find any problems or have any suggestions about this game! (email removed contact us for address) h3ww.com

Written by Moses Snell-Feikema, (email removed contact us for address) h3ww.com.
WWW page created: September 15, 1997. Last modified: April 9, 1999.