Chess Games vs. Chess Variants

Equipment

How Equipment is Used

Pieces move from one location to another in a turn-based sequence according to non-random powers of movement. Powers of movement may be affected by location, as in Smess, or by the position of other pieces, as in Philosophers Chess, but they are never affected by random or analog factors.

Normally, only one piece is moved per turn, but two moves per turn may be allowed if the second move or both moves are limited. In Eight Stone Chess and Intergrid Chess, the second move is limited to a second set of pieces. In Centennial Chess, two moves are allowed only so long as a player hasn't captured any pieces. In Philosophers Chess, the second move is allowed only when a player has a certain piece, and the second move is limited to that piece and to one other. Moving more than this per turn (as in Progressive Chess), or moving all the pieces each turn (as in Feudal), removes the game from the class of genuine chess games.

All movement is from one discrete location to another. In games like Shogi, pieces held in hand may be considered to be in a single multiple-occupancy discrete location.

Some or all pieces have the power to capture enemy pieces. Capturing is normally done by occupying a piece's position, but other means are acceptable, so long as they are non-random and non-analog. For example, pieces may capture by jumping pieces (as the Chariot in Quang Trung Chess or the Long Leaper in Ultima), by exploding nearby them (as the Bomb in Bomberman Chess), by creating certain formations (as the Coordinator in Ultima), or by moving away (as the Withdrawer in Ultima). Random means would include D&D style combat between pieces, and analog means would include tossing pieces at each other and capturing any which get knocked down. Random and analog means of capturing make a game something other than a true chess game.

Captured pieces are either removed from play or eventually put back in play in some non-random way. For example, in Shogi, captured pieces are held in hand by the capturing player and may be replayed as his own pieces on subsequent turns. But the way in which Shogi handles the replay of captured pieces is not the only way possible.

Pieces may change to other pieces in some non-random, non-analog way. This might be through reaching a certain position, capturing a piece, making a move, or just transforming without changing location. The transformation of a piece is considered part of the move when the piece does move someplace, and it is considered as a move when no piece changes location.

The positions and identities of pieces are never hidden from players. Each player plays with full knowledge of all piece positions.

Object

In some Chess games, the game is won, or can be won, by reaching a certain position. This can be undertood as the equivalent of capturing an immobile royal piece or of promoting to a piece with unlimited powers of movement. The first idea makes sense of Feudal, which can be won by occupying your opponent's castle, and the second idea explains how Quang Trung Chess is won by reaching the back rank with a Pawn.

Games which must be won by occupying multiple spaces at the same time fall into a different class than chess games. For example, in Chinese Checkers, which is not any kind of chess game, the game is won by occupying the spaces in the opposite corner with all your pieces.

Chess Variants

True Chess Games Smess Shogi Cavalier Chess Ultima Sentai Chess Intergrid Chess

Other Chess Variants Giveaway Chess Stealth Chess Blackjack Chess Feudal Kriegspiel Chego

Discussion