X Chess
This page contains one or more presets for playing a game online with Game Courier, an online server for playing Chess variants by correspondence.
Click on one of the buttons to play a variant of X Chess:
Logs of X ChessIn X Chess 2, pawns promote on the 6th for Black 11th Rank for White.
Logs of X Chess 2In X Chess 3, Lia Pawns can make an initial double step forward, and they promote on the tenth rank for white, third rank for black, to any other piece (except the monarch).
Logs of X Chess 3
Ferz - Moves one diagonally. If a ferz passes the middle square, h8, the ferz promotes to a Renn Duke.
Lia Pawn - Moves orthogonally one square sideways or forward. Captures diagonally forward. If a Lia Pawn passes the middle square, h8, it promotes to a Twisted kNight.
Silver General - Moves one forward or one diagonally. If a silver general passes the middle square, h8, it promotes to a Harvester.
Berolina Pawn - Moves diagonally forward. Captures, but does not otherwise move, one space straight forward. Can move up to two squares initially. If the berolina pawn passes the middle square, h8, it promotes to Hornet.
Bishop-Pawn - Moves as pawn or bishop. As a pawn, it can move only forward, one square at a time. It can also move as a bishop, diagonally in any direction. If the bishop-pawn crosses middle square, h8, it promotes to Archabbott.
Right Patroller Bishop - Moves as bishop but only along edges of right side, including h8.
Left Patroller Bishop - Moves as bishop but only along edges of left side, including h8.
Crooked Bishop - Moves as bishop but rotates 90 degrees with each step, to make a jagged line.
Harvestman - Moves as wazir AND THEN as crooked bishop.
Hornet - Moves as harvestman OR crooked Bishop. Invented by Joerg Knappen for his Seenschach.
Bishop Wazir - Moves as wazir (one orthogonally) OR bishop.
Archabbott - Moves as dabbaba (jumping two orthogonally) OR wazir (one orthogonally) OR bishop. Invented by Eric Greenwood for his Archabbott Chess and Four Powers Chess.
Aanca - Moves first as wazir AND THEN as bishop.
Harvester - Moves as bishop OR aanca. Used by Ralph Betza for his Tripunch Chess.
Renn Duke - Moves as wazir, THEN bishop OR as bishop THEN wazir.
Renn Duke is closely related to the Aanca but slightly more flexible. Used by Eric Greenwood in his Renniassance Chess and other variants.
Reflecting Bishop - This colorbound bishop has momentum. It bounces off an edge square and continues turned 90 degrees. Once moved, it can not stop until it reaches a piece or one of the corners of the board, either stopping just behind a friendly piece or capturing an enemy.
Switching Reflecting Bishop - Moves as wazir AND THEN as reflecting bishop.
Cardinal - Moves as bishop or knight.
Twisted kNight - Invented by Joe Joyce. The following description of the Twisted kNight's movement is taken from his Atlantean Barroom Shatranj rules page: The Twisted kNight is "a bent 2-step elephantrider. Moves twice as an alfil or ferz. It slides 1 or jumps 2 squares diagonally, and then may do either again. [So it] can move 1, 2, 3, or 4 squares in a turn. It may change directions between steps. Null moves are not allowed."
Eagle Scout - Moves as crooked bishop (boyscout) or wazir.
Alibabarider-ferz - Moves as alfilrider or dabbabahrider OR moves ferz. Appears only in X Chess 3.
Rules
Object: Checkmate opponent's king. There is no castling.
Notes
Because the center is a dark square, control of the dark squares is key in this game. That's why there is no light squared bishop and all the colorbound pieces start on dark squares. Probably who ever controls the center will win the game, but be careful about sacrificing all your weaker pawns and pieces to get through the center, given that some of them will promote mightily if they can push through unscathed. Probably games will play out as bloody battles for control of the center, resulting in a win for the player who achieves control over it.
If passing through the center proves too much of an obstacle, one option for playing this game would be to use Shogi drops. Gary Gifford has suggested this possibility. Just place your captured pieces to-be-dropped on one of the sides of the board not covered by the Hourglass shape. Your opponent can use the other for his. Another would be to use Time Travel Chess rules.
The original version of this game included a Blood Orange, but it wasn't very popular, and it even got on my nerves after a while, so I removed it.
Joerg Knappen's Seenschach was a major inspiration for the development of this game.
This 'user submitted' page is a collaboration between the posting user and the Chess Variant Pages. Registered contributors to the Chess Variant Pages have the ability to post their own works, subject to review and editing by the Chess Variant Pages Editorial Staff.
By Jeremy Gabriel Good.
Web page created: 2006-07-29. Web page last updated: 2006-08-09
Harvester - Moves as bishop OR aanca. Used by Ralph Betza for his Tripunch Chess.Renn Duke - Moves as wazir, THEN bishop OR as bishop THEN wazir.Reflecting Bishop - This colorbound bishop has momentum. It bounces off an edge square and continues turned 90 degrees. Once moved, it can not stop until it reaches a piece or one of the corners of the board, either stopping just behind a friendly piece or capturing an enemy. Switching Reflecting Bishop - Moves as wazir AND THEN as reflecting bishop.Cardinal - Moves as bishop or knight.Twisted kNight - Invented by Joe Joyce. The following description of the Twisted kNight's movement is taken from his Atlantean Barroom Shatranj rules page: The Twisted kNight is "a bent 2-step elephantrider. Moves twice as an alfil or ferz. It slides 1 or jumps 2 squares diagonally, and then may do either again. [So it] can move 1, 2, 3, or 4 squares in a turn. It may change directions between steps. Null moves are not allowed."Eagle Scout - Moves as crooked bishop (boyscout) or wazir.Alibabarider-ferz - Moves as alfilrider or dabbabahrider OR moves ferz. Appears only in X Chess 3. This 'user submitted' page is a collaboration between the posting user and the Chess Variant Pages. Registered contributors to the Chess Variant Pages have the ability to post their own works, subject to review and editing by the Chess Variant Pages Editorial Staff.