Dealer's Chess
This was inspired somewhat by Hans Bodlaender's Pick-the-Team Chess, where several disparate pieces are brought together and the two players take turns choosing one to add to their team.
I thought, "What if the teams weren't chosen, but distributed randomly? How would that work?"
When some of my online shopping took me to a product on Amazon called Faerie Chess, which included reference cards for how each piece moved, I had my answer: each piece would have its own reference card with a picture and diagram, and the armies would be chosen that way.
Setup
This game (at least, if it's going to be played in person with physical pieces) requires some extra at-home creation before anything can start.
Advance Preparation
For each available piece, there should be a white version, a black version, and a reference card.
It stands to reason that the pieces themselves will have to be available, and you may use whatever means you prefer for making them. Some people prefer modifying existing pieces; others like to buy from specialty shops; others prefer to 3D-print theirs. Fairy chess fans have been doing this for years.
Printing out your own cards, on the other hand, is probably a new experience for most. Perforated cardstock is available from Amazon and most office-supply stores. I recommend using those that divide into 2 x 4 cards, measuring 2¾ x 4¼ inches (from Imperial 8½x11" letter-sized paper); this is the assumption on the sample PDFs I provide below.
The Game Proper
The cards come in three groups: Royal cards, Piece cards, and Pawn cards.
To keep the Royals interesting, there should be at least three different Royal pieces available (the sample cards below number six). Each player takes one card at random, and the corresponding piece is placed in the center of the back row, on the opposing color.
There must be a minimum of 16 Piece cards; the sample cards number 40, so the players may either agree on 16 to choose from, use the entire selection, or anything in between. Then each player is dealt seven of the cards; these will be the pieces that fill out the back row.
By probability, the two armies should be reasonably close in combined strength. However, if either player feels that one side is unreasonably more powerful than the other, then the cards may be returned to the deck, which is then reshuffled and seven cards dealt out again.
Each player then takes the pieces corresponding to the cards given. These pieces fill out the back row.
Generally speaking, the back-row pieces may be put into whatever order the player wishes, though a few guidelines are recommended:
- The tallest of these pieces should go in the center space next to the Royal.
- The other pieces should be arranged with the taller pieces on the inside.
- Where two (or more) pieces are the same height, the one with the more rooklike move should go on the outside.
The players should also take, and set aside, the dopplegangers of their opponents' Pieces (but only the regular pieces, not Pawns or Royals).
Then two more cards are taken from the Pieces stack, and each player takes both of those pieces to keep in hand (see Captures and Promotions below).
Finally, the Pawn cards are dealt out, eight per player, and each player takes the eight corresponding Pawns and arranges them on the second row in any order desired.
Alternate: Simplified
This is a version that can be played with conventional pieces; only the cards are needed.
The Royal piece is chosen as above. Each player draws seven Piece cards, as above; the one that seems most powerful becomes the Queen, and the player chooses three others to be the Bishop, Knight, and Rook, discarding the rest. Then three Pawn piece is drawn by each player, and each selects one of the three; all of the player's Pawns will move like that one.
Promotions are done as in standard Chess (ignore the special rule below).
Alternate: 10 x 10
This could also be played on a 10x10 board, with each player getting 9 back-row Pieces and 10 Pawns.
Alternate: 12 x 12
And of course it can be played on a 12x12 board, using all of the available Pawns, plus 23 back-row Pieces on each side set into two back rows.
Again, while the players may arrange their pieces however they like, there's one additional recommendation: sliders and long leapers should go in the back, and shorter, limited movers in front of them.
Since this would require more pieces than available in the "starter kit," either an Expansion Set will be needed, or both players start with two each Bishops, Knights, and Rooks, and those cards removed from the deck. That will leave six cards left over after setup, and all six can be used as starter pieces in hand.
Pieces
The players may use any selection of pieces that suits them, as long as it's mutually agreed on. To get things started, I'm providing a set of PDF files for several (relatively) simple pieces, including the standard Chess pieces.
A few quick notes on notation and terminology used here (for those who may not be familiar):
- "Orthogonally" means horizontally or vertically, like a Rook, as opposed to diagonally like a Bishop.
- Phrases like "slides diagonally" or "slides orthogonally" mean that the piece may keep going until it hits an obstacle.
- A leap of (X,Y) is measured by going orthogonally Y spaces, then making a right-angle turn and going X spaces. (In these listings, X is always the smaller number.)
- "Outward" means away from the piece's starting point.
Royals
The sample Royal pieces are:
- Chef - Moves one or two spaces sideways, or one space diagonally.
- King - Moves one space in any direction.
- Pharaoh - Moves without capture to any adjacent space, or leaps (1,3) only to capture.
- Pope - Moves one space orthogonally, or two spaces (non-leaping) diagonally.
- President - Moves one or two spaces orthogonally.
- Rex - Makes a (1,2) non-leaping move.
- Shogun - Moves one space orthogonally, or captures with a (1,2) leap.
That's seven, which should be plenty even though the sheet generates eight cards. The eighth can be left blank, in case you want to create something yourself by hand.
All of these pieces carry the same Royal abilities and restrictions: capable of castling, must stay out of check, etc.
A PDF of the Royal cards, along with STF files for all seven pieces, can be found here.
Pieces
The sample list of regular Pieces are (listed alphabetically):
- Alfil - Leaps two squares diagonally.
- Alibaba - Leaps two spaces orthogonally or diagonally.
- Antelope - Leaps (3,4).
- Archbishop - Slides diagonally, or leaps (1,2).
- Aurochs - Leaps (1,2) or (1,4)
- Bishop - Slides diagonally.
- Bison - Leaps (1,3) or (2,3)
- Buffalo - Leaps (1,2), (1,3), or (2,3).
- Camel - Leaps (1,3).
- Cannon - Slides orthogonally, but must leap over another piece to capture.
- Chancellor - Slides orthogonally, or leaps (1,2).
- Cheetah - Leaps to any square three spaces away.
- Dabbaba - Leaps two spaces orthogonally.
- Ferz - Moves one space diagonally.
- Giraffe - Leaps (1,4).
- Gnu - Leaps (1,2) or (1,3).
- Gryffon - Moves one square orthogonally; then may continue sliding outward diagonally.
- Guard - Moves one space in any direction.
- Guardian - Moves without capture one space diagonally, or moves with required capture one space orthogonally.
- Impala - Leaps (1,2) or (3,4).
- Kirin - Moves one space diagonally, or leaps two spaces orthogonally.
- Knight - Leaps (1,2).
- Lion - Moves one space in any direction, or leaps to any square two spaces away.
- Mastodon - Moves one space in any direction, or leaps two spaces diagonally or orthogonally.
- Minister - Moves one space orthogonally, leaps two spaces orthogonally, or leaps (1,2)
- Nightrider - Makes repeated leaps of (1,2) in a straight line.
- Phoenix - Moves one space orthogonally, or leaps two spaces diagonally.
- Queen - Slides diagonally or orthogonally.
- Rhinoceros - Moves one square diagonally; then may continue sliding outward orthogonally.
- Rook - Slides orthogonally.
- Ship - Moves one space diagonally, then may continue sliding orthogonally forward or backward away from the starting point.
- Snake - Moves one space forward or backward, then may continue sliding outward diagonally.
- Squirrel - Leaps to any square two spaces away.
- Steward - Moves without capture one space orthogonally, or moves with required capture one space diagonally.
- Threeleaper - Leaps three spaces orthogonally.
- Turtle - Slides up to four spaces orthogonally or diagonally, or leaps two spaces in those same directions.
- Unicorn - Slides diagonally, or makes repeated leaps of (1,2) in a straight line.
- Vao - Slides diagonally, but must leap over another piece to capture.
- Wazir - Moves one space orthogonally.
- Zebra - Leaps (2,3).
A PDF of the Piece cards, along with STF files for all 40 pieces, can be found here.
The backs of the cards are in a separate file for two reasons: one, to save space, since printing them out merely means printing the one page five times; and two, for use with Expansion Sets.
Expansion Sets
I've begun the process of creating Expansion Sets for this game, in case anyone wants them (also because I find them quite fun to make!).
Expansion Set #1: Simple Variants features the Abbot, Admiral, Amazon, Camelrider, Castellan, Centauride, General, High Priestess, Hospitaller, Marquis, Missionary, Priest, Sorcerer, Templar, Wizard, and Zebrarider.
Expansion Set #2: Intermediate Variants features the Boxer, Centaur, Duchess, Indrik Lady in Waiting, Left Knight, Muezzin, Nao, Narrow Knight, Okapi, Queen Mother, Right Knight, Simurgh, Thaumaturge, and Wide Knight.
Expansion Set #3: By Any Other Name (pieces whose names describe their moves) features the B4ND, Bede, Double Cross, Fibnif, Fiveleaper, Forfer, Fourleaper, Foursquare, Gerfod, Heaert, N2R4, NARF, Root-N25 Leaper, Round, Sniff, and Zero.
Pawns
The Pawns in the "starter kit" are:
- Arrow Pawn - Moves one or two spaces orthogonally without capturing; or one space diagonally, only to capture.
- Berolina Pawn - Moves one space forward diagonally (two for the opening move) without capturing, or one space directly forward to capture.
- Chicken Pawn - Moves one space directly forward (two for the opening move) without capturing, or one space diagonally forward to capture; if under attack slides backward directly or diagonally.
- Enhanced Pawn - Moves one space directly forward (two for the opening move) without capturing, or one space diagonally or sideways to capture.
- Fish Pawn - Moves one space directly forward (two for the opening move) or backward without capturing, or one space diagonally forward to capture.
- Gold Pawn - Moves one space orthogonally, or forward diagonally.
- Horse Pawn - Leaps (1,2) directly forward (that is, two spaces forward, and one to the side). No en passant.
- Iron Pawn - Moves one space directly or diagonally forward.
- Japanese Pawn - Moves one space forward diagonally (two directly forward, without capturing, for the opening move).
- Korean Pawn - Moves one space orthogonally forward or sideways.
- Lance Pawn - Leaps (1,2) directly forward (that is, two spaces forward, and one to the side), or without capturing sidways and forward (one space forward, and two to the side). No en passant.
- Left End Pawn - Moves without capturing one space directly forward (two for opening), or one space diagonally forward and to the right and then orthogonally forward or to the right; or forward diagonally, only to capture.
- Linebacker Pawn - Moves one space directly or diagonally forward (two for the opening move). Cannot capture, but pushes an enemy piece to the empty square just beyond.
- Mecklenbeck Pawn - Moves one space directly forward (two for the opening move) without capturing, or one space diagonally forward to capture. Promotes at the opponent's Pawn Row.
- Mongolian Pawn - Moves one space directly forward (three for the opening move) without capturing, or one space diagonally forward to capture.
- Patient Pawn - Moves one space directly forward without capturing, or one space diagonally forward to capture; opening move may be two spaces directly forward, or one directly forward and a second diagonally forward, to capture.
- Piglet Pawn - Moves one space diagonally forward (leaping two spaces for the opening move), or one space directly or diagonally backward without capturing.
- Right End Pawn - Moves without capturing one space directly forward (two for opening), or one space diagonally forward and to the left and then orthogonally forward or to the left; or forward diagonally, only to capture.
- Scorpion Pawn - Moves one space directly forward (two for the opening move) or leaps (1,2) sideways and forward (one space forward, and two to the side) without capturing, or one space diagonally forward to capture.
- Silver Pawn - Moves one space diagonally, or directly forward.
- Standard Pawn - Moves one space directly forward (two for the opening move) without capturing, or one space diagonally forward to capture.
- Torpedo Pawn - Moves one or two spaces directly forward without capturing, or one space diagonally forward to capture.
- Zabel Pawn - Moves one space directly forward (two for the final move to promotion) without capturing, or one space diagonally forward to capture.
- Zombie Pawn - Moves one space directly or diagonally forward, or without capture directly backward; a piece capturing it becomes a Zombie Pawn (but does not change color).
Except where noted otherwise, all Pawns can capture or be captured en passant, and promote upon reaching the farthest row.
A PDF of the Pawn cards, along with STF files for all 24 pawns, can be found here.
As with the Piece cards, the card backs are in a separate file, and for the same reasons.
Expansion Sets
There also are Expansion Sets for the Pawns.
Pawn Expansion Set #1: Mecklenbeck Pawns contains Mecklenbeck versions of the Berolina, Enhanced, Fish, Gold, Linebacker, Mongolian, Silver, and Zombie Pawns. They move the same as the non-Mecklenbeck versions, but promote on the opponent's Pawn Row. There wasn't room to include this information on the cards; it should be taken as given from the name "Mecklenbeck."
Pawn Expansion Set #2: Filling Out includes the Copper, Luna, and Luna-Berolina Pawns, along with Mecklenbeck versions of those three plus the Korean and Patient Pawns.
Rules
Once play commences, the rules are whatever both players are used to when playing chess, subject to changes and exceptions for the individual pieces (most notably some of the Pawns), and the bit about Capturing and Promotions below.
Castling is used, since it's really dependent on the Royal piece; whatever pieces the player puts in the corner are the castling partners.
Both players are encouraged to keep the piece cards on hand for reference, and to allow their opponents to examine the information on the cards if needed.
Capturing and Promotions
A captured piece is taken by the capturing player, and its doppleganger placed in hand (along with those that were drawn at the beginning). The player whose piece was captured should also hand over that piece's reference card.
When any Pawn reaches the back row (or, in the case of Mecklenbeck Pawns, the opponent's Pawn Row), that piece can immediately promote to any piece in the player's hand. If the player chooses one of the pieces that was drawn at the beginning, the other player may not promote to that piece.
Big Deck Option: If there are several Piece Cards left over, the players may set aside the above rule, and use a Draw Stack and Disacard Pile instead.
The undealt Piece Cards are placed in a Draw Stack next to the board. When a piece is captured, it's set aside and its card is placed face-up in a Discard Pile. Then, when a Pawn promotes, the player draws three cards from the top of the Draw Stack, and chooses from those which the Pawn promotes to. The cards for the other two choices are put into the Discard Pile.
Should the Draw Stack get down to fewer than three cards, any remaining cards are put on the Discard Pile, the cards are shuffled, and they're placed face-down into a new Draw Stack.
Notes
The name, of course, is a vague pun on the phrase "dealer's choice," and refers to how the pieces are dealt to each player at random.
Future Expansions
I probably will continue add themed 8-, 16-, and occasionally 24-card "expansion sets." Possible themes for future sets could include those with food names, those with animal names, those with weird special abilities, etc. I'm open to requests, suggestions, or even offers to make further sets.
There also will probably be more future expansions for the Pawns. These might include military ranks, Cazaux pawns (like his Troll, they have other moves that cannot be used to reach the promotion line), and more.
As they develop, these will be linked in the Piece and Pawn sections above.
Outlier Graphics
Because this game uses no graphics on its own, but does make use of virtually any conceivable fairy chess piece, I'm using its folder as a "dumping ground" of sorts for a sort of "extended Alfaerie" collection. This includes the entire set used by the Play-Test Applet, several from the Alfaerie Chess Graphics Expansions Sets on this site (batch-converted from GIF to PNG), and a few that I made myself (most by combining or modifying existing graphics, but a few from scratch). I use it as a "clearing house" of sorts where I can direct Interactive Diagrams, Game Courier Presets, and others so there's only one directory for them (and me) to worry about.
Anyone else is welcome to use this directory as well.
These graphics are not yet uploaded as of this writing; that will happen either before or shortly after this game is approved, and a table or two will be put here to show all the ones that aren't available on the PTA. Others will then be welcome to use the directory as well, or take some of my work for use in their own games.
Some notes on that, though:
- The piece name on the list isn't necessariliy the name on the graphic. If you're wanting to reference the list (as opposed to copying the graphics for your own use), do an "open image in new tab" (or some other trick) to see the image name. Or, ask for a recommendation in the Comments!
- I wish I'd gone through them all before uploading, and made sure they were all the same size instead of ranging from 35 to 48 pixels. You have my apologies for that negligence.
- This list is dynamic; I'll likely upload more as time goes by, and include move recommendations for many that are currently in the "miscellaneous" pile.
- If you see something in the lower part of the list and know the XBetza for it (and it isn't already represented on the upper part by something else), let me know in the Comments. Just specify which piece, and what the XBetza should be.
- If you know of an icon that you'd like to see included here, put a link in the Comments. (This includes any that you personally have made!) If there's an XBetza move to go with it, be sure to include that.
- If you're the creator of an icon (or more than one) that you see here and you'd rather it wasn't included, let me know in the Comments and I'll take it out.
(For now, the list will be in the Comments.)
This 'user submitted' page is a collaboration between the posting user and the Chess Variant Pages. Registered contributors to the Chess Variant Pages have the ability to post their own works, subject to review and editing by the Chess Variant Pages Editorial Staff.
By Bob Greenwade.
Last revised by Bob Greenwade.
Web page created: 2023-08-31. Web page last updated: 2023-08-31