
Variations
Here are some variations I've made of the game. Some might be as playable as Cavalier Chess, and some might not be so playable. There are reasons why I didn't choose any of these as the official version of Cavalier Chess, but they still remain fairly interesting. You may play most of these with the ZRF file I wrote for Zillions of Games.
Free Promotion
In this variation, Cavaliers promote with the same freedom as Pawns do
in Chess. A Cavalier promotes to any superior piece of the player's
choosing except the Knight King. Gameplay is probably comparable to
official Cavalier Chess.
Knight Promote
In this variation, Cavaliers promote to Knights. This will probably
hurt gameplay in the endgame, because it will make it harder to make
checkmate.
Lighthorses
This variation replaces Nightriders with Lighthorses. Lighthorses move as Queens or Knights but may capture only as Knights. They are approximately equal in value to Nightriders.
Lightriders
This variation replaces Paladins with Lightriders. Lightriders move as Queens or Nightriders but may capture only as Nightriders. they are approximately equal in value to Paladins.
Knight Queen
In this variation, the Queen adds the moves of a Knight to her usual
power of movement, moving like a Rook, Bishop, or Knight. I believe
this makes the Queen too powerful and hurts gameplay.
Knights Chess
In this variation, Cavaliers are replaced with Knights. Knights
promote as Cavaliers do, and all other rules of Cavalier Chess
apply. I believe this hurts gameplay, because Knights cannot block
each other.
Promotion only to Captured Pieces
In this variation, a Cavalier promotes to any of the player's superior
pieces that has already been captured. In the unlikely event that none
have been captured, it promotes to a Knight or waits to promote. I
have not implemented this variation, because Zillions does not yet
seem to have the capability to allow promotion like this.
Hybrids with Chess
I have implemented some hybrids with Chess. Most of these are lopsided
games, where one side is more likely to win than the other. I have
implemented them more for curiosity than because I think they are
great games. It is interesting to find out what effects these
combinations of Chess and Cavalier Chess have on gameplay.
Infantry vs. Cavalry
In this variation, a set of Cavalier Chess pieces is pitted against a
set of Chess pieces. The Chess side abides by the rules of Chess, and
the Cavalier side abides by the rules of Cavalier Chess. The object is
to checkmate your opponent's King or Knight King, depending upon which
side you play. I have implemented two versions of this, so that Red
and White can each be played with either set of pieces. With adequate
play, the Cavalier side should win.
Infantry and Cavalry I & II
These are two hybrids designed around the same theme. In Infantry & Cavalry I, each side begins with Cavalier Chess pieces on the first rank and Pawns on the second rank. In Infantry and Cavalry II, each side begins with Chess pieces on the first rank and Cavaliers on the second rank. In both variations that I've implemented, Pawns and Cavaliers both promote to Cavalier Chess pieces.
Mixed Infantry and Cavalry
This is a lopsided hybrid of Infantry and Cavalry I & II. It pits the
forces from one of these games against the forces from the other. One
side gets Chess pieces and Cavaliers, and the other side gets Cavalier
pieces and Pawns. I believe the Cavalier side with Pawns is stronger
than the Chess side with Cavaliers, because its third rank is doubly
protected, whereas the other side's third rank is unprotected. I have
implemented two versions of this, so that Red and White can play with
each set of pieces.
This page was made and written by Fergus Duniho, creator of Cavalier Chess.