How to play Seirawan Chess : How To Play Seirawan Chess

How to play Seirawan Chess : How To Play Seirawan Chess

After an initial move from the back rank, a Hawk or Elephant piece can be placed into the vacated square.

How to play
Seirawan Chess

After an initial move from the back rank, a Hawk or Elephant piece can be placed into the vacated square.

Introduction

Seirawan Chess, also known as S-chess or Sharper chess, plays on a regular board but introduces two new pieces, the Hawk and the Elephant, which are are optionally placed once a home rank piece makes an initial movement.

This variant is played from the standard starting position of Standard Chess.

Moves of the Pieces

The Hawk and Elephant do not start on the board intially, but are introduced once a piece moves from the home rank. The Hawk or Elephant can then be optionally added to the board in the vacant square.

Only one Hawk and one Elephant can be added through this manner. The Hawk and Elephant cannot be placed to block check.

If the Hawk or Elephant are not introduced before all the home rank pieces have moved, then the opportunity to do so has passed.

Hawk
Hawk

The Hawk moves like a Bishop and Knight combined

The Hawk moves like a Bishop and Knight combined
Board is interactive - make a move
Elephant
Elephant

The Elephant moves like a Rook and Knight combined.

The Elephant moves like a Rook and Knight combined.
Board is interactive - make a move

Pawn Promotion

On reaching the 8th rank, a pawn can promote to a Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight, Hawk or Elephant.

The Elephant moves like a Rook and Knight combined.
Board is interactive - make a move
Castling is the same as Standard Chess
The Hawk and Elephant can be introduced after castling too.
Board is interactive - make a move

En passant rules remains the same as Standard Chess.

Check and Checkmate rules remain the same as Standard Chess.

Stalemate conditions remain the same as Standard Chess.

Draw conditions remain the same as Standard Chess.

Winning conditions remain the same as Standard Chess.

Attribution

  • Yasser Seirawan

  • Bruce Harper

Also Known As

Some chess variants are currently playable live and all will soon be available to play as daily/correspondence chess.

For chess variant suggestions please post to the site forums or on socials.

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