CHECK 11 ~ Original Vision ~

 Since 2014, I decided to do what I like the most in life, games. As a fighting game player, my first choice for a game to design was a fighting game. The result was an interesting game system but when I started thinking about all the resources I would need to start, work and finish that game, I realised that it would be better if I start with something less resourceful.

 While I was doing research in game design in fighting games, I discovered Sirlin website and Chess 2. I read the rules and started playing it, loving the idea of different armies to choose from before the game like in fighting games. The more I played Chess2 the more I realised that it had a lot of good ideas. But it feels to me that some things were off : There was a lot more that could be add to the old chess than that. So I started working on a variant.

 I asked 3 questions to myself. What things I can add to chess universe :
1) that would satisfy my frustrations as a casual player and a fan
2) that are cool, original, simple and fun to understand
3) that could please to a maximum of players
But the most important thing in my eyes was to follow the spirit of old chess, so that every player could feel at home while playing it.

I started with an objective of 5 new factions and it became 10 factions as the designing process was ongoing. With the standard chess set, there were 11 factions in total. Hence the name of the variant.

There are the 7 current factions that have passed the last balance check and update.

  1) AFRODITE (Impulsive Radiance)

  2) CYBORG (Hack n Boom)

  3) ELEMENT (Nature Force)

  4) HOLOGRAM (Soul Illusion)

  5) LILIT (Brave Minion)

  6) ORTHODOX (Lovely Classic)

  7) ROYALE (Valiant Heart)

Setup

 Same as in standard chess.

See [CHECK 11 ~ Original Vision ~ rulebook] !

Pieces

 Same as in standard chess. The behavior of some pieces may change with the faction chosen by a player.

See [CHECK 11 ~ Original Vision ~ rulebook] !

Rules

General rules

 Each player chooses one of these 7 factions at the start of the game.

 A player wins when he captures the opponent king, or when he reaches his opponent backline with his king.

 Staying or moving into check is not illegal.

 There is no castle nor capture en passant rule.

 The pawn can only promote into a rook, a bishop or a knight.

Factions rules

1) ORTHODOX

 * Every piece moves as their standard counterpart.

2) AFRODITE

 + The king on the line, the column or one diagonal of its queen can move without capturing as a standard queen.

 - The queen cannot capture.

3) HOLOGRAM

 + The king can take its queen place and its queen is eliminated and taken out.

 - The queen cannot capture.

4) ROYALE

 + The rook and the bishop can move without capturing as a standard king.

 - The queen cannot capture and cannot be captured.

5) ELEMENT

 + The queen can move through one friendly piece.

 + The bishop can capture 2 pieces side-by-side in the same path.

 + The knight can move without capturing twice the same way.

 - The rook cannot capture. It can push one space away one friendly or enemy piece while moving.

6) LILIT

 + The pawn on the line, the column or one diagonal of its queen, at sight, can move without capturing 2 spaces orthogonally and can capture 2 spaces diagonally.

 - The queen moves 2 spaces maximum.

6) CYBORG

 + The rook eliminates enemy pieces at its side orthogonally after capturing.

 + The bishop cannot capture but prevents enemy pieces at its side diagonally from moving.

 - The queen cannot capture and cannot be captured.

Trance rules

 The trance is a state in which a faction can pass to acquire additional powers.

 The trance of a faction can only be activated once during the game and at any time.

 The trance of a faction ends whenever the faction is captured.

1) ORTHODOX

 ++ The rook and the bishop can move without capturing as a standard king.

2) AFRODITE

 ++ The king on the line, the column or one diagonal of its queen can capture as a standard queen.

3) HOLOGRAM

 ++ The queen can capture one space away.

4) ROYALE

 ++ The rook and the bishop can capture as a standard king.

5) ELEMENT

 ++ The bishop can capture 2 pieces in the same path.

 ++ The knight can move without capturing twice in any direction.

3) LILIT

 ++ The pawn on the line, the column or one diagonal of its queen, at sight, can move as its queen.

3) CYBORG

 ++ The rook eliminates enemy pieces on its line and its column at sight after capturing.

 ++ The bishop prevents enemy pieces on its diagonals at sight from moving.

See [CHECK 11 ~ Original Vision ~ rulebook] !

Notes

For more (larger introduction, basic strategy, gameplay samples,...) check my blog at divinephantasm.blogspot.com!