1. EDMONTON ALBERTA
    Joined
    30 Sep '05
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    16 Apr '08 18:19
    Hello everyone! I was wondering if I could get some feedback as to your favorite chess variants, and thoughts about chess variants.

    There are different types of variants.
    One type involves the same board, same pieces, but different rules.
    Another type involves the same board but different pieces.
    There is a type with a different board but same pieces.
    And then there are games inspired by chess with both different pieces and a different board.

    What would you look for in a good game that is similar to chess?

    What elements from chess would you like to preserve in a variant? Tactical play, positional play or both?
    What elements would you like to add in a variant? More complex board? Different types of pieces? New rules? New movements? Maybe elements from other games?

    http://www.chessvariants.com/rindex.html
    Here is a list of variants.
  2. Standard memberJonathanB of London
    Curb Your Enthusiasm
    London
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    04 Nov '07
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    4259
    16 Apr '08 18:22
    Originally posted by ChessJester
    Hello everyone! I was wondering if I could get some feedback as to your favorite chess variants, and thoughts about chess variants.

    There are different types of variants.
    One type involves the same board, same pieces, but different rules.
    Another type involves the same board but different pieces.
    There is a type with a different board but same piec ...[text shortened]... ments from other games?

    http://www.chessvariants.com/rindex.html
    Here is a list of variants.
    Of the many things that confuse me about life chess variants are right up there on the list.

    I just don't get it at all. Chess is a great game. Why anybody wants to play a game that is like but not quite chess is beyond me.


    Those, for what they are worth, are my thoughts on chess variants. Still, they seem to be very popular so I'm obviously missing something. I just don't know what that something is.

    J
  3. EDMONTON ALBERTA
    Joined
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    10841
    16 Apr '08 18:41
    Originally posted by JonathanB of London
    Of the many things that confuse me about life chess variants are right up there on the list.

    I just don't get it at all. Chess is a great game. Why anybody wants to play a game that is like but not quite chess is beyond me.


    Those, for what they are worth, are my thoughts on chess variants. Still, they seem to be very popular so I'm obviously missing something. I just don't know what that something is.

    J
    I think its the spice of life my friend!

    I'm going to step out on a limb here... but the majority of "board gamers" are most likely not confined to chess players. They would include risk players, monopoly, backgammon, etc...

    So, thats why I think variants are somewhat popular, because they try to bridge the gap between chess and other board games, and they try to spice the game up for casual observers and aficionados alike.
  4. Joined
    06 Mar '08
    Moves
    412
    16 Apr '08 18:44
    Sometime team chess is great fun (eg. bughouse). I think, Jonathan, that what you are missing is the point- chess is an amazing game, but sometimes if you play the same friends at your club you end up playign similar games each time. With chess variants you introduce difference and often learn from theory anyway.
  5. Sigulda, Latvia
    Joined
    30 Aug '06
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    4048
    16 Apr '08 18:56
    Originally posted by Bifrost
    Sometime team chess is great fun (eg. bughouse). I think, Jonathan, that what you are missing is the point- chess is an amazing game, but sometimes if you play the same friends at your club you end up playign similar games each time. With chess variants you introduce difference and often learn from theory anyway.
    For me it's (bughouse) like a Lesley Nielsen movie. It's stupid but I still watch it.
  6. Joined
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    Moves
    412
    16 Apr '08 19:01
    Originally posted by kbaumen
    For me it's (bughouse) like a Lesley Nielsen movie. It's stupid but I still watch it.
    Bughouse is good fun but you have to realise how it differs from chess in terms of strategy. Well, that's my opinion anyway. Each to his own.
  7. Sigulda, Latvia
    Joined
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    16 Apr '08 19:14
    Originally posted by Bifrost
    Bughouse is good fun but you have to realise how it differs from chess in terms of strategy. Well, that's my opinion anyway. Each to his own.
    I tried to play before a blitz (5/0) tourney. I couldn't get the pieces needed during the blitz tourney.
  8. Joined
    06 Mar '08
    Moves
    412
    16 Apr '08 19:16
    Originally posted by kbaumen
    I tried to play before a blitz (5/0) tourney. I couldn't get the pieces needed during the blitz tourney.
    🙂 Well it all depends on how good your partner is at giving you pieces.
  9. Sigulda, Latvia
    Joined
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    4048
    16 Apr '08 19:19
    Originally posted by Bifrost
    🙂 Well it all depends on how good your partner is at giving you pieces.
    The blitz tourney was ordinary chess so I had no partner. That was the reason of my confusion. Anyway, I've never liked it (bughouse) too much. One day I might try 960 but only if I get bored of the ordinary chess which I doubt.
  10. Joined
    06 Mar '08
    Moves
    412
    16 Apr '08 19:23
    Originally posted by kbaumen
    The blitz tourney was ordinary chess so I had no partner. That was the reason of my confusion. Anyway, I've never liked it (bughouse) too much. One day I might try 960 but only if I get bored of the ordinary chess which I doubt.
    Oh yeah, I knew about the blitz, I was simply making an observation.
    I like 960, but no variant beats the original. At least until someone Kasparov/Fischer+ comes along and finds a forced win or proves White is in zugzwang.
  11. Standard memberDragon Fire
    Lord of all beasts
    searching for truth
    Joined
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    30390
    16 Apr '08 19:52
    I've been having a look at

    http://www.schemingmind.com/

    For normal chess and the forums it is no where near as good as this site but the variants sure are fun to try.
  12. Standard memberJonathanB of London
    Curb Your Enthusiasm
    London
    Joined
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    16 Apr '08 19:55
    Originally posted by ChessJester
    I think its the spice of life my friend!
    It's not that I don't like variety ... in the past I've played Risk, Diplomacy, Scrabble, and all sorts of other games. When I want to play a game different to chess I play a different game.

    Bughouse...

    there's a guy at our club plays at quite a high level (e.g. in the following link he's taking on Aronian - that's FIDE world top 10 Aronian)

    http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.com/2007/07/i-beat-aronian-says-andrew-stone-sort.html

    Looks kind of fun but still I never caught the, um, bug.


    And as for games with the same old opponents at the club tending to go the same way after a while ... well that never happens to me.


    I suppose me and the rest of the world will just have to agree to differ on this one.
  13. Joined
    26 Sep '07
    Moves
    600
    16 Apr '08 22:30
    This is one of my favorite chess variants:
    http://chess.computerwebservices.net/titan.php

    A large 12x12 board with entire new set of pieces (in addition to the standard ones) .

    Chess variants - (the chess-like ones) are fun to play when you get bored with playing the same opening lines all the times. In fact my interest in chess variants started when I was searching for an exotic opening to try out .
  14. Dublin
    Joined
    07 Feb '05
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    8227
    17 Apr '08 19:42
    My favourite is cylindrical chess where the a and h files are effectively connected so a bishop could move from h4 to a5 for example.
  15. Joined
    06 Mar '08
    Moves
    412
    17 Apr '08 19:47
    Originally posted by Schumi
    My favourite is cylindrical chess where the a and h files are effectively connected so a bishop could move from h4 to a5 for example.
    The pieces would fall off the board. 🙄😉
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