Scramble
Chess masters often complain that chess openings are very boring and predictable. This chess variant aims to solve that problem.
Setup
Each player has 18 pieces.
The initial setup is an empty board. After placing all pieces on the board the setup should look like this, with Pawns in the centre and the other pieces all around the border:
1) Version 1;
2) Version 2;
Pieces
Each player has 18 pieces (1 King, 4 Pawns, 4 Knights, 4 Bishops, 3 Rooks, and 2 Queens).
Rules
1) Stage 1; Placing the pieces on the board
Players take turns placing their pieces on the board one by one in this order: Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight.
The high value pieces are placed around the border of the chessboard, while Pawns are placed in the 4x4 square in the middle of the board.
The two central squares on each side of the board are reserved for the Kings. Players are not allowed to place pieces there untill the two Kings are on the board. The diagram bellow shows that now it's time to bring the Kings on the board.
Now both Kings are on the board.
The remaining pieces are placed on the board.
Now we place the two extra pieces. White places a Bishop, and black is forced to place a Knight because a Bishop will have the white King in check.
At this point the Pawns are placed on the board in the central 4x4 square. Pawns are the only pieces that have to be placed in their own half of the board.
2) Stage 2; Play the game
In the second stage both players take turns trying to checkmate the enemy King.
All chess rulles apply except there is no castling.
Additional rules:
- Pieces that move orthogonally (Queens and Rooks) are not allowed to be placed next to the reserved squares in the next few moves. This is to allow for both Kings the chance to come into the game.
- If too many "reserved squares" are under attack by pieces of the same color, players have to make sure that at least one square per King is "safe"(not under direct attack).
- When placing Pawns on the board, they also have to block eventual attacks on Kings coming from across the board.
- Long range pieces (Queens, Rooks, and Bishops) have to be placed on the board in such a way that at least two "reserved squares" are safe for placing the Kings.
- Short range pieces (Knights and Pawns) will have to balance the board against too much control of the long range pieces.
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By Florin Lupusoru.
Last revised by Florin Lupusoru.
Web page created: 2024-02-06. Web page last updated: 2024-02-08