Amazon Chess

In this game, all rules of the normal chess game apply, but Queens additionally may also move asKknights. This Queen is usually called an Amazon, hence the name of this game. The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants mentions that Thomas Long named this game Empress Chess in 1890. The February 1891 issue of British Chess Magazine includes Thomas Long's article on Empress Chess with a date of "1st January, 1891."

This simple rule change makes the queens much more powerful. It has a long history; in some parts of Europe at the end of the middle ages, this was the used rule in the chess game, as was usual at that time in those parts. However, the usual rule of queen movement won `the battle'; probably because with the amazon move, the queen becomes too powerful.

Setup

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Notes

Of the two games of Empress Chess described by Thomas Long, the one included with his February 1891 article had an illegal move on White's 10th move, and it had some blunders before that move. He published a second game in the March 1891 issue, which is reproduced here in Game Courier form:

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A game of Empress Chess (a.k.a. Amazon Chess) described by Thomas Long in The British Chess Magazine, March 1891, pp. 125-126, complete with his notations. 1. P e2-e4 1... p e7-e5 2. N g1-f3 2... n b8-c6 3. B f1-b5 3... a d8-e6 // The Empress Defense to the Ruy Lopez attack. 4. P d2-d3 4... b f8-e7 5. K e1-g1 5... p h7-h6 6. B c1-e3 6... n g8-f6 7. N b1-c3 7... k e8-g8 8. N c3-e2 8... p d7-d5 9. N e2-g3 9... p d5-d4 10. B e3-d2 10... b c8-d7 11. N g3-f5 11... r a8-d8 12. B b5-c6 12... a e6-c6 13. N f5-e7 // - Check! - // In the ordinary game the Black Queen would now be lost. // Also in the ordinary game, White could gain a Pawn, // viz. : K Kt takes K P; but here would lose a piece if // he captured that Pawn. 13... a c6-e7 14. P c2-c3 14... p d4-c3 15. A d1-c3 15... a e7-d6 16. N f3-e5 // White now wins a Pawn. 16... b d7-b5 17. R f1-c1 // An insidious move, tempting Black to take the King's // Pawn. 17... n f6-e4 // Falling into the trap. In the ordinary game this would have // been a brilliant move, recovering the Pawn; but now Black // loses a piece in this Empress form. 18. P d3-e4 18... a d6-d2 19. A c3-b5 19... a d2-e4 20. A b5-c7 20... r f8-e8 21. A c7-f7 // - Check! - 21... k g8-h7 // The Black King cannot go into the corner, as it is commanded // by the Empress (as a Knight). 22. R c1-c7 // Threatening mate on the move. 22... r e8-g8 // A slip. 23. N e5-d7 23... r d8-e8 // Threatening mate in two. 24. N d7-f6 // - Check! - 24... a e4-f6 25. A f7-f6 // - Check! - 25... k h7-h8 26. A f6-g6 // - Checkmate! White has won! - // This game well exemplifies the tremendous power of the Empress // (see pp. 59, 60, and 61, of B.C.M., February, 1891).

A similar, more recent game with changed queens move is Almost chess.