Go back
Chess Variants

Chess Variants

Only Chess

Clock
Vote Up
Vote Down

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.

Clock
Vote Up
Vote Down

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

Clock
Vote Up
Vote Down

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.

Clock
Vote Up
Vote Down

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.

Clock
Vote Up
Vote Down

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.

Clock
Vote Up
Vote Down

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.

Clock
Vote Up
Vote Down

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.

Clock
Vote Up
Vote Down

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.

Clock
Vote Up
Vote Down

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.

Clock
Vote Up
Vote Down

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.

Clock
Vote Up
Vote Down

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.

Clock
Vote Up
Vote Down

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.

Clock
Vote Up
Vote Down

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 .

Clock
Vote Up
Vote Down

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.

Clock
Vote Up
Vote Down

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. 🙄😉

Cookies help us deliver our Services. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn More.