I programmed these to show some of the many chess variants, rather than to be strong opponents. I could have added longer look-aheads, but this would have caused delays and taken up too much memory. Other chess applets exist and are also weak. Some of these applets recognize draw by repetition / perpetual check. Others fail to do so; again this is to save space and loading time.

The applet at André Heuner's Site is much stronger than mine. He also has some variants

I have tried to choose the ones that are actually popular with players. I welcome your suggestions. Green stars mark those that are very easy to learn and play casually.

I am presently looking for a Java programmer who can help me develop these into a site where people can play one another online. I expect to have access to an in-house server where I can run a Java server application sometime later this year.

There are also variants on checkers, including Byelorussian Cheskers. You can find these at other sites.

Click here for Judtho, by a psychiatrist in training who has a new approach to cooperative-vs.-competition in four-player chess.

Lambeth Conference Chess Bishops bouncing off the walls.

Las Vegas Fun Chess Game with dice, rules by George Koltanowski



Last Rook Chess King and last remaining rook are both royal

Leandro's Chess You can move any number of units one time each per turn, providing you do not capture, check, or escape from check.

Legan's Chess Normal set and board, different setup and pawn moves

Leo Chess Queen must jump a screen to capture

Levantine Chess One unit is immune to capture if it is not attacking.

Lias's Proposal Pawns may move, but not capture, one square sideways.

Lion Chess Queen, rook and bishops are cannons that must jump to capture. Promotion is to orthochess units.

Loonybird Chess Christiaan Freeling's small-board game with pieces which capture differently from their normal moves.

Los Alamos Chess Used for the first computer chess program.



Losing Chess Captures are mandatory, object is to be unable to move.

Losing Chess III Captures are mandatory; checkmating or having bare king wins.

Losing Chess IV Captures are mandatory, being checkmated or having bare king wins.

Losing Sphinx Chess Losing chess in four dimensions.

Ludus Chessunculus Small hexagonal variant with single- and double-hoppers.

Lumberjack Chess Pieces move according to their current file. First check wins.

Machine Gun Chess Attacked units are removed. The object is to remove all enemy units.

Mad Threeparty Chess Chess for three. Each opponent has a king which you may check by a move, and one which you must not check by a move.

Madcap Chess If a capture is available, the player must capture, and continue capturing as long as possible with the same unit.

Madrasi Chess Units of opposite color and identical kind which attack one another cannot move or give check.

Maelstrom Chess All 64 squares are initially occupied

Mage Chess Queen can swap with any friendly unit

Mage Chess II Queen can swap with any friendly or enemy unit

Magna Carta Chess White has royal archbishop and royal marshall instead of a king.

Magnet Chess Moved unit attracts and repels

Maharaja and Sepoys I Lone king, moving as queen+knight, versus an army



Maharaja and Sepoys II Lone king, moving as queen+knight, versus an army. The maharaja cannot cross check.



Manchurian Chess Widely-played regional variant on Chinese Chess



March Hare Chess Each side moves first a black unit, then a white unit.

Martian Chess Edgar Rice Burroughs

Maya Chess Indian variant in which a defended unit (not king or pawn) moves according to the defender(s).

Meares's Proposal Bishops can also move and capture one square orthogonally.

Mecklenbeck Chess Pawns promote on 6th rank

Mecklenburg Chess Classic 16x8 version for four



Medusa Chess II Medusa chess on an 8x8 board

Medusa Chess III Medusas can also capture

Melee Chess Large variant, win by entering enemy castle

Mercenary Pawn Chess Use either side's pawns to capture units



Mesmer Chess If you attack an opposing unit with your mesmerist piece, you may also move it.

Metamorphing Chess Pieces upgrade when escaping, downgrade when capturing

Metamorpin'-Fusion A Pieces are likely to proliferate

Metamorpin'-Fusion B Pieces are likely to proliferate. Here, royalty can cross squares under attack.

Mexican Chess Large variant from Mexico with 3,1 jumpers.

Mexican King Chess Win the usual way or by making it safely to Mexico.



Michell's Proposal Pawns may underpromote on next-to-last rank.

Michelson's Chess Each side moves first a red unit, then a white unit.

Mideastern Chess Actually a California variant resembling "Tamurlane" chess



Millennium Chess 8x15 proprietary version with two kings.

Mimic Chess The mimic may not jump, but may capture a hostile or friendly unit.

Mimikri Proprietary game from 3M. You know the identities of only one side's units.

Mimotaur Chess Mimotaurs move as queens, may only capture a unit as that unit captures, cannot capture each other.

Minefield Chess Two of your squares have hidden mines that can destroy an enemy unit when it lands.

Miniature Chess From an old Martin Gardner column in "Scientific American"

Ministers Chess Two queens on each side on a 9x9 board, available commercially

MiniShogi Japanese 5x5 version



Missile Chess

Each unit can rifle-capture once.

Mock Chess No royal piece, mandatory captures

Modern Chess (Revised) Latin American 9x9 version; one bishop must begin with a one-square orthogonal move



Mongolian Chess "Shatar", the major form of chess played in Mongolia for centuries



Mongredian Chess Both bishops on queenside, both knights on kingside.

Monkey Do Chess

If possible, make a second move with any unit in the same direction and distance as the first move.



Variant I Monkey Done. The second move must be a side-to-side mirror image.

Variant II Monkey Did. The second move need only be the same distance.

Variant III Monkey Does. The second move need only be in the same direction.

Monochrome Chess All units are of the same color. Win by accumulating captures.

Monster Chess White's normal army faces Red's king and four pawns; Red moves twice per turn

Morley Chess Large board with the usual pieces.

Moroccan Chess If you have one or more captures, you must make a capture.

Morton's Chess Partnership chess for four, with each army vulnerable to attack by only one opponent.

Moscow King Chess Board starts empty. You place some of your army or move a unit. Kings go on first.





Mountain King Chess First king to reach the center square of an 11 x 11 board wins





Move-and-a-Half Chess

Each normal move gives credit for half of a future bonus move.

Mrs. Graycheck's Chess Pawns promote only to a unit already captured. Kept third-graders' sets intact.

MultiMate Chess Win by checkmating either side.

Mummy Chess Kings can move only to castle or escape check.

Mutation Chess (New Zealand Style) Units other than kings transform into whatever they capture. Queens do not move to give check.

Mysore Chess Large variant by an 18th century Indian king.

Narrowness Chess Lots of pawns

Nemesis Chess New pieces move only toward the enemy king

NeoChess For four players on an 8x10 board.



NeoSchaak Load your own units, onto the first two ranks, as you like during the game

Neuter Queen Chess A non-capturable, non-capturing queen may be moved by either side.

Neutral King Chess Each side tries to capture the sole king.

Nightrider Chess I No knights in the usual position; queen is replaced by a nightrider.

Nine Riders Chess Each piece is a rider

Ninny Chess Classic board game



No Entry Chess

Bar the opponent's access to one square after each of your moves.

Nommenspiel Kriegspiel variant where only the squares to which the opponent moves are revealed.

Non-Prise Chess Only kings and pawns can capture queens, rooks, bishops, or knights

Noris Schach Popular German proprietary game from the 1970's.



Norwegian Chess Q/N and B/R transform after each move. Only like units can capture units.

Nuisance Chess Co-chess variants in which empty cosquares are occupied by neutral units which may be captured but not crossed.

Null Chess Squares on which captures have taken place can no longer be visited or crossed after they are vacated.

Numericron Chess Score points by attacking enemy units

Oblong Chess Ancient 16x4 variant of Shatranj. Several initial setups exist.

Occupation Chess Win by occupying an outpost in enemy territory for one move. Pawns promote by capturing, and prisoners can be exchanged and returned to action.

Orphic Chess Adding pieces may displace a pawn. No non-capturing moves before you add your king. No more pieces added after the king.

Outpost Chess Win by occupying a designated square in enemy territory for one move.

OverKnight Chess Knights instead of pawns. They promote.

Parachute Chess Landing units may not attack any opposing unit.



Parallel Worlds Chess

Three Boards. Two have the regular setup, while the third is a twilight zone. Units transfer.

Patrol Chess A unit may not capture or give check unless it is supported by a friendly unit.

Patt-Schach Start with an illegal move from a stalemated position.

Patzer Chess If you can check, you must do so.

Pawn Collector Chess Pick up counters on the empty squares.

Pawn Massacre Chess White pieces, but not pawns, swap setup positions with red pieces.

Pawn Odds Chess White starts without the king's bishop's pawn.

Pawn Progression Chess Pawns on advanced ranks move differently.

Perfect Chess Rook, bishop, knight, plus each of the four compounds ("perfect").

Peruvian Army Chess A second board has aircraft that can bomb the orthochess board.

Petite Chess 6x5 variant from the 1930's

Phantom Chess Capturers (except kings and queens) vanish and reappear on your next-vacated square

Philosopher's Chess Winner of the 40 squares contest

Pin Chess Pinned pieces do not give check

Pocket Knight Chess

Drop an extra knight on the board. Popular variant.

Pocket Knight Chess II Drop the Queen's Knight on the board. Popular variant.

Portuguese Progressive Chess You can move each unit once at most in a series. Not really a Portuguese regional game.



Power Chess Seven queens on each side.

Pre-Chess Place your first rank as you choose before the game begins

Prisechec Proprietary game with prison squares



Presto Chess First check by a unit which cannot be captured wins

Progressive Fischer Random Chess Progressive chess with random setups



Progressive Losing Chess Captures are mandatory; try to lose all your units. Number of moves per turn increases.



Progressive Mutation Chess Units transform into the kind captured. Number of moves per turn increases.



Progressive 007 Chess Move opponent's units alternately with yours.



Promethean Chess Units visiting the home squares of others leave behind duplicates.

Promoters Chess Promote any unit landing next to the enemy promoter to any captured unit.

Provocation Chess Getting checked gets you an extra move. Getting a unit captured gets you an extra move. These can be additive.

Proximity Chess You must move one of the closest units to the destination of the last opponent's unit.

Push Chess

Capture only by pushing units off the edge. More people play Dynamo Chess nowadays.

Quantum Chess Move any non-observed unit to any non-observed empty square.

Quatrechess Score by getting units to the opposite edge.







Queen Odds Chess White starts without the queen.

Queen of Canada Captured queens are replaced by the capturing side.

Quest Chess Sides make ten moves in a sequence. Each unit moves a maximum of one time. The opponent gets one move to respond to captures or checks.

QuickChess Proprietary game from Amerigames.

Racetrack Chess Rooks and queens can follow concentric tracks on an expanded board.



Racing Kings Chess Kings race from Rank 1 to Rank 8

Rainbow Chess

Each side must occupy at least one square of each of six colors.

Rampage Chess Any unit may move to any square that is guarded.

Random Files Chess I Move from a random file if you can

Random Files Chess II Move to or from a random file if you can

Random Pieces Chess Best of 20 rounds with armies of varying strengths



Ranson's Chess Classic variant with an amazon which may move only four times.

Rapid Fire Chess A unit captures all the units it attacks, without moving

Re Load units, only captures permitted, scored by surviving units.



Re2 No capturing until all units are loaded.



Ready Chess Take a turn to recharge a unit that has captured.

Recaptureless Chess A unit which has just captured is itself invulnerable to capture for the move.

Recruiter Chess Capturer recruits on adjacent squares

Recycle Chess You may capture your own units and replace them on the board



Red Castle Chess Red king and QR cannot move except to castle, which wins for Red

Reflex Chess

Force your opponent to checkmate.

Reform Chess I Load your own units

Reform Chess II King and Queen Pawns are special

Refusal Chess

You may refuse one enemy move per turn.

Refuse Once Chess You may refuse one enemy move per game.

Removal Chess Remove an enemy knight after move 6, a bishop after move 12, etc.

Reinforcements Chess Captured units change sides and are replaced immediately.

Renezans Chess Proprietary game, 9x9, in which the occupant of the center square can move as any piece.

Repatriation Chess

Pairs of captured units are returned to the board.

Reserve Chess Units may be removed from the board and dropped back in later.

Rettah Chess King can move as any piece but must capture its attacker.

Revelation Chess The object is to obtain four knights of your color on the board.

Reverso Chess White king and queen are reversed in the initial position.

Rifle Chess

Units capture without moving

Riga Chess

Escort King and Queen to the opposite side of the board. Not really a regional variant.

River Chess Win by getting any unit to the opposite side of the board.

Roman Chess 10x10 variant available commercially

Romanchenko's Chess New chessboard with sides displaced

Rook Odds Chess White starts without the queen's rook.

Rook Square Chess Enemy rook squares are royal

Rotary Chess

Christian Freeling's game, offered as a development of "Ploy".

Rotation Chess Every ten turns, you switch and play the other player's units.

Round Chess III Queens and rooks may move around concentric tracks.

Royal Magician As king and wizard (who replaces queen) advance across the board, new units are added.

Royal Pawn The king's pawn is royal instead of the king.

Rubble Chess Clear squares by moving.

Russian Fortress Chess

Old four-handed chess game, with a considerable following in pre-communist Russia as well as elsewhere.



Russian Progressive Chess End odd turns by moving an enemy unit





Russian Stacking Chess

Revival of a classic Russian variant. Stack units rather than capturing.

Russian Symmetric Chess Russian 9x9 variant. Each bishop can make one orthogonal king's move.

Sanctuary Chess Win by getting two units to the far rank, both immune to capture. No royal unit.

Schachdame Chess Pawns, a bishop, and a royal queen.

Scorpion King Chess King can also move as grasshopper



Scotch Chess

Number of moves increases each turn. Popular variant.



Scotch Modern Chess A check or move to a guarded square ends the series. Not really a Scotch regional game.

Secret Agent Chess You may take control of a predesignated opposing minor piece.

Secret Service Chess If the king in in check, a secret service agent must exchange places with him if possible.

Self Eliminator You may capture your own units

Sentinel Chess The sentinel becomes a secondary army of up to eight pawns.

Seven Knights Chess Unusual army for Red

Shafran's Hexagonal Chess A classic hexagonal variant from Russia.

Shakti Christiaan Freeling's simple, elegant game with disappearing squares.

Shatranj Arabian chess, ancestral to the Western forms.



Shoot Chess

Rifle chess with mandatory captures.

Shrapnel Chess Nearest units at 45 degree angles from line of capture are also destroyed.

Shrink Chess Emptied rows and columns vanish permanently



Shrink Chess II Emptied edge rows and edge columns vanish permanently



Shuffle Chess 1 Normal sets, king and rooks on their usual squares, white and black need not match, bishops balance



Shuffle Chess 2 Normal sets, randomly placed, no castling, white and black match, bishops need not balance



Shuffle Chess 3 Random units, white and black match, no castling, bishops need not balance.



Shuffle Chess 4 Random pieces, bishops (if any) balance, white and black need not match, no castling.



Siberian Chess

Very nice chess variant with jump captures, from Altai in Siberia.



Skirmish Chess Armies start one rank forward each.

Slater's Chess Fast four-player game using the standard board.

Slippery Center Chess Units slide over the center squares.

Sniper Chess Rooks, bishops, and knights do not capture as they move.

Snowplow Chess Rooks, bishops, and queens may continue moving in the same direction after they capture.

Soccer Chess

Kick the ball into the enemy goal.

Speed Game 6x5 variant from Holland

Split Board Chess Swap halves of the board every 5 moves



Sputnik Chess Rooks, bishops, and knights on the enemy half of the board get free moves.

Standoff Chess A check only works if it could be carried out by the defender without the attacker then being in check.

Start-Again Chess I Each unit may return to its original square if unoccupied.

Start-Again Chess II Each unit may return to its original square if unoccupied, or (unless it is a pawn) the starting square of its enemy counterpart.

Static Chess Take turns placing a unit so that none attacks another.

Stealth Chess

You must guess which opponent unit is which.



StereoSchach One of the most popular 3D chess games.

Stochastic Chess

Place or move squares in addition to units.



Stratomic Chess Tactical nuclear missiles may be deployed after a piece is captured in the ordinary way.

Strip Chess I Remove an article of clothing each time you are checked. Rated PG-13.



Strip Chess II Remove or replace articles of clothing as units are captured. Rated PG-13.



Strip Chess I Remove an article of clothing each time you are checked. You WIN if you lose all your clothing. Rated PG-13.



Strong Pawns Chess Pawns move and promote as minor versions of the pieces they represent.

Sudden Death Chess If you do not capture, you must remove one of your own units.

Super Chess I Big proprietary game for four. Pawns meet their opponents as in orthochess.



Super Chess II Proprietary game from the 1970's.

Super Chess III Big proprietary game with archers and cyclopses.

Super King King moves as queen but cannot move across a square under attack

Super Knights If a knight does not check on its first move, it may make a second move during a turn.

Sun Tzu Chess Dark Chess plus Chessgi plus Fischer Random.





Swap Chess I Friendly units may swap places

Swarm Chess Each of your units must move each turn if possible.

Switching Chess Adjacent friendly units may swap places

Symmetry Breaking Chess Units become defined as they are selected and moved

Synchronous Chess The two sides truly move simultaneously.

Tag Chess Units which attack the mover are captured

Take Me Chess You may require that your last-moved unit be captured by a particular opposing unit, when possible. Object is to lose your units and be unable to move.

Tamerlane Chess Old Persian large-board game, widely-played in medieval times





Tandem Chess

Bughouse variant where both boards score and a dropped unit may not give check.



Tank Chess II Only the Queen's Rook is a tank.

Three-Way Chess Chess for three on a four-way board.

Teamster Chess Pawns pull the friendly piece behind them.



Teleport Chess

Each piece (not king or pawn) may teleport once to any vacant square.

Termination Chess Each side must move once with a piece and once with a pawn each turn.

Thai Chess

Usual variant played in Thailand



Three Check Chess If you deliver check for the third time, you win.

Three-Dimensional Chess

5 x 5 x 5 board, the most popular of the 3D variants



Tibetan Chess Non-royal black capturers assume the identities of the captured white units. No relationship to real Tibetan culture.

Tiger Hunt White army, complete except for its queen, against a lone Q+Kt



Tile Chess

Popular chess game with tiles which must remain connected.



Toilet Roll Chess

Disguise your units. If challenged, they must be revealed. If it moved illegally, the move must be withdrawn. If it moved legally, challenger forfeits the move.

Too Many Bishops Place an enemy bishop after your own move

Transcendent Chess Random ordering of first ranks.

TransChess CoChess variant. You must move any non-royal unit on a cosquare to an empty square of your choosing.

Transpose Chess Sideways board, promote your pawns quickly

Trap Door Chess Once moved, a unit disappears if it is not moved again within 5 moves

Trap Door Chess II Two boards, with trap doors and mattresses

Triangular Chess George Dekle Sr., 1986.

Triangular Chess I Rooks and bishops run in only three directions.

Triangular Chess II Runners have more extended movements.

TriC Chess for three on a hexagonal board. Large proprietary game.



TriChezz Chess for three on a circular board. Classic proprietary game.

Trigon Chess Chess for three on a board of triangles. Modern proprietary game.



Triplet Chess Each turn, move a king, a pawn, and another piece; win when opponent cannot

Triscacia Chess for three.

Triscacia II Chess for three on a 10 x 10 board.

Tritabula Progressive chess in three boards. Units may transfer.

Triumvirate Chess Win by defeating each of three knights, the last transforming into the king.

Troja

Proprietary game with stacking.

Trophy Hunt Chess

Capture one of each of the four opposing major units.

Troy Hexagonal variant from a Dutch game club.

Tsunami Chess Variant of Avalanche Chess, pawns move toward your side

Turncoat Chess Random units turn traitor.

Turnstyle Chess Four player variant. Each team member controls half the board.



Twenty Knights Chess Red's 20 knights must mate White within 50 moves.

TwiKnight Chess Once per game, you can move a single knight twice.

Twilight Chess Win by mate, stalemate, taking all pawns, taking all rooks and queens, or taking all bishops and knights.

Twin Chess Two of each kind of piece.

Twin Chess II Two of each kind of piece. Another setup.

Twinkle Chess Alternately remove and replace an enemy pawn after each move.

Twinkle Chess II Remove and replace enemy pawns.

Twinmove Chess First a pawn, then a piece.

Twinmove Chess II First an optional pawn move, then a mandatory piece move.

Twin Orthodox Two kings on a 10x10 board.

Twins Chess Units of a kind move and are captured together.



Variant 1

1. King and queen are twins



Variant 2

2. Twin queens both start on same square



Variant 3

3. Twin queens only



Variant 4

4. Twins can occupy the same space



Variant 5

5. Move separately, captured together



Variant 6

6. Move together, captured separately



Variant 7

7. A piece and its pawn move together



Variant 8

8. A piece and its pawn are captured together



Variant 9

9. A piece and its pawn move and are captured together.

Two Fisted Chess Double-move chess. You must move different pieces of the same kind. King and queen are of the same kind. No penalty if you cannot make the second move.

Two Kings Chess Win by checkmating either one.

Ultima Chess

Popular game using the same units, with one rook upside-down

Unachess

Add your units when and where you choose.

Unachess II Landing units may not check.

Uncertainty Chess Omnidirectional pawns promote at will to the pieces.

Union Chess Pieces can fuse into stronger units.

Unirexal Chess Which player can win faster, given a queen in place of a king?

Upside Down Chess Based on promoting pawns

UrChess Some likely primitive features are restored

Valdskak

Icelandic version. Supported units cannot be captured.



Vanishing Square Chess Random squares are first marked, then vanish.

Viennese Chess Free placement with a screen

Warp Chess Ranks 3 and 6 mirror each other, as do 4 and 5.

Warlord Chess Knights move as gryphons; queens move as gryphons or bishops

Wild Chess 8 Leads to an open position.

Wild Chess 9 Royalty passes between the king and his guard

Wildebeest Chess

Game with several kinds of jumpers; one of the more-often played large-board variants.

Wolf Chess

Older European game with unusual pieces.



Wuss Chess The queen becomes a non-capturing royal piece that must move if threatened.

Xadrez Rex Hexagonal variant from Brazil.

Xenophobic Chess Win by penetrating enemy territory

Yeoman Chess Pawns can move diagonally backwards and capture straight back

Zen Chess Capture enemy units according to their moves. Checkmate king as usual.

Zip Chess Pawns may move any number of square forward.