Swapper Superheroes Chess
Swapper Superheroes Chess is played on a normal chess board with the normal pieces and rules, but with the addition of one or more "swapper" pieces -- pieces which can swap places with other pieces (or pawns).
Swapper Superheroes Chess is designed to be rather easy to get into for normal Chess players, while hopefully adding some new dimensions of piece interactions. Attempting to improve on the Chess aspects of locked midgames and few ways to regain material.
Setup
Before the game proper, the players take turns dropping swapper pieces on the third and sixth ranks respectively -- white goes first and then black has to drop a piece of the same kind. More than one of the same kind of swapper piece may be introduced.
The game board before the setup phase
Example position after the setup phase is complete
Pieces
Spearman
The Spearman moves, captures, or swaps places with a friendly piece or pawn, one square orthogonally. (Estimated piece value: 1.5)
Valiant
The Valiant moves, captures, or swaps places with a friendly piece or pawn, by the leap of a Knight. (Estimated piece value: 4)
Karateka
The Karateka moves or captures one square diagonally. The Karateka can also swap places with a piece or pawn of either color, by moving one square orthogonally. (Estimated piece value: 2)
Strongman
The Strongman moves to an empty square one square orthogonally or diagonally, or swaps places with a piece or pawn of either color by the same movement pattern. The Strongman can't be captured, and does not capture any pieces. As he does not capture any pieces, the Strongman can't put the opponent's king in check.
Mage
The Mage moves to an empty square one square orthogonally, or swaps places with a piece or pawn of either color by the same movement pattern. But when the Mage swaps places with an opponent's piece or pawn, then that piece switches color. Even though the Mage kind of doesn't capture in the regular way, the Mage can check the opponent's king (threatening to switch its color). Even though a Strongman can't be captured, a Mage can switch places with an opponent's Strongman, switching its color. (Estimated piece value: 4?)
Pawn, Knight, Bishop, Rook, Queen, King
These move the same way as in ordinary chess.Rules
Same general rules and objective as in normal Chess.
The "fine print"
- A pawn that has been displaced to the first rank by a swapper piece, can't move two squares forward.
- A pawn on the second rank may move two steps forward even if it's not its first move in the game. And could then be captured en passant.
- Pawns can promote to swapper pieces as well.
- A pawn that is displaced to its promotion rank by a swapper piece, does not get to be promoted.
- A king or rook that has been displaced by a swapper piece, can't participate in castling.
Notes
I have created a Game Courier preset for this game, which enforces the rules and shows legal moves as well. But I don't know how to link it from here. And the notation is broken, so please use the mouse interface. I attempted to use 'rewritemove' to correct the notation but it appears to rewrite all successive moves.
Design Notes
- The swap ability of these pieces, especially the Strongman, might be of use for unlocking closed game positions.
- I think the Strongman adds tension to the game due to not being capturable.
- The Mage is probably more of an endgame piece, useful for regaining material.
- All these pieces are designed with a starting position on the third rank of a normal chessboard in mind. So they have rather short range, and for the symbolic aspect I have named them as various hero gestalts that could reasonably front an army, "cinematically".
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By Martin Nilsson.
Last revised by Martin Nilsson.
Web page created: 2024-06-20. Web page last updated: 2025-01-25