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, and attempting to improve on the Chess aspects of locked midgames and few ways to regain material.

Play Swapper Superheroes Chess on Game Courier

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. White decides when to conclude the setup phase, by making a normal move.

The game board before the setup phase

Example position after the setup phase is complete

Pieces

Spearman

The Spearman moves and captures one square orthogonally. It can also swap places with a friendly piece or pawn, by the same movement pattern. (Estimated piece value: 1.5)

Valiant

The Valiant moves and captures by the leap of a Knight. The Valiant can also swap places with a friendly piece or pawn, also 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.

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. (Estimated piece value: 4+?)

Pawn, Knight, Bishop, Rook, Queen, King

Rules

The "fine print"

• As he does not capture any pieces, the Strongman can't put the opponent's king in check.
• 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.
• A pawn that has been displaced to the first rank by a swapper piece, can't move two squares forward directly from the first rank.
• 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, also to those that weren't added to the board in the setup phase.
• 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

Play the Game Courier version of this game! It enforces the rules and displays legal 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 due to their swap ability they can easily go behind the pawn range, so they are not in the way too much on the third rank. And for the symbolic aspect I have named them as various hero gestalts that could reasonably front an army, "cinematically".

Example setup (without Strongman or Mage) as an interactive diagram