Check out Janggi (Korean Chess), our featured variant for December, 2024.

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

Hybrids

By Artem Shvorin

 

Introduction

The main idea of this variant is that ordinal pieces may form complex pieces called hybrids.

Board

Standard board.

Setup

Standard setup.

Pieces

Standard pieces.

Rules

The following rules describe all the differences between hybrids and orthodox variants:

  1. Queens are replaced by Guards ((0,1)- and (1,1)-leaper).
  2. Prime pieces (i.e. Rook, Bishop, Knight, Guard) are able to form so called hybrids. A prime piece A can move to a square occupied by some friendly prime piece B. As a result a new hybrid piece appears. The hybrid can move by the same way as A either B does. A hybrid may be also disjointed, any piece it consists of can move by itself.
    1. Only prime pieces (neither King nor Pawns) can form a hybrid.
    2. Equal pieces can also form a hybrid.
    3. No more than two prime pieces can form a hybrid.
  3. Pawns may be promoted into any prime piece. (It is forbidden to promote into a hybrid).
  4. Castling is forbidden.

Notes

Rules 1, 2.3, 4 are subjects to discuss. It may be interesting to cancel some of these restrictions and have sub-variants.

Computer Play

A project hybrids is dedicated to hybrids variant. Currently it contains only a chessboard (no engine) written on python. It is possible to play human vs. human only.

Equipment

Standard equipment.

Credits