Unusual Chess
Changing the rules of chess is actually a fairly common practice. Often it is used to postulate problems, especially in a computer science setting, though when played in a real game, it is used to test the mettle of the players. Changing the rules can change the basis on which strategies are made, and require players to think quickly on their feet. There are hundreds of different types of chess, and no doubt many more can be invented for the pleasure of the players, however, the following rule changes make games that are both practical and clever, and require a chess player with the ability to strategize quickly and effectively.
1. Refusal Chess
In this type of chess, a player is allowed to refuse the opponent’s play. If the play is refused, the opponent then makes another play which the opponent cannot refuse. This requires both strategy in chess and strategy in reading your opponent’s preferences.
2. Benedict Chess
Named after the well-known traitor Benedict Arnold, pieces that are “captured” in this form of chess stay on the board but change colors.
3. Progressive Chess
This type of chess is often played by people playing long-term games, such as chess by mail. Each move is progressively one longer step. For instance, in the beginning of the game, white makes one move, followed by black making two moves, then back to white who makes three, and so forth.
4. Extinction Chess
In this type of chess, the players agree upon a single piece that is to go extinct. The object of the game, and the only way to win, is thus to capture each of that type of piece. If the object is the king, the game changes very little. If the object, however, is pawns, all pawns of one color must be captured by the opposite side for that side to win.
5. PlunderChess
PlunderChess is a type of chess where a piece that captures another piece is allowed to temporarily have the power of the captured piece for one move in the future, though this power can be declined. The official game is a copyrighted game and comes with “vests” for each of the pieces to wear, representing the potential other power the piece can hold. If the piece wearing the “vest” captures another piece, the capturing piece can either divest itself of the original power in favor of the newly captured piece’s power, or keep the older “vest” and forfeit the power of the newly captured piece.
6. Three Checks Chess
This type of chess is won only when one player has placed the other player’s king in check three times. Anatoly Karpov, the legendary chess great, is said to be particularly good at this form of chess.