Introduction
Chess has its origins in the Muslim game of Shatranj, which derives from the Indian game of Chaturanga. It is also related to Xiangqi in China, to Janggi in Korea, and to Shogi in Japan. Besides these and various other historical and regional relatives, many other games have been inspired by or based on Chess and its relatives. All of these games are similar to Chess yet also different from it in various ways. Thanks to computers and the internet, it is now possible to play several of these Chess variants without physical boards and pieces. This website – The Chess Variant Pages – is here for cataloging, discussing, and playing the many games that are based on, related to, or similar enough to Chess.
- What is a Chess Variant?
- The History of Chess Variants
- Why Should I Play Them?
- Where Can I Find Equipment or Opponents?
- Which are the Best?
- How Can I Design and Post my Own?
- Who are Behind the Chess Variant Pages?
Chess Variant Kits
- On Designing Good Chess Variants
- Chess Variant Construction Set
- House of Staunton Chess Variant Kits
- Diagram Designer
- Play Chess Variants with Game Courier
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Week ending Jul 14, 2018
Sentai Chess. Chess variant inspired by Power Rangers; precursor to Fusion Chess. By Fergus Duniho.
Double Moves. Move your opponent's pieces after moving your own. Author: Fergus Duniho. Inventor: Ronald Drinning.
A Guide to Fairy Chess. 
Book first published in 1967. Author: Anthony Dickins.
Leo. Moves on queen lines, but must jump once when taking. Author: Hans L. Bodlaender and Fergus Duniho. Inventor: T. R. Dawson.
- Lion Chess. Replaces the riders in Chess with hoppers. Author: Fergus Duniho. Inventor: Joseph Boyer.
Week ending Jul 07, 2018
- Flank Chess. Flank Chess with Achilles. (10x9, Cells: 90) By wdtr2.
- Mammoth Chess. Large Variant. (10x10, Cells: 96) Author: Fergus Duniho. Inventor: Kevin Begley.
Tags Listing. A listing of the tags used on our pages. Author: Ben M Reiniger.
- Chess Eccentricities. An old book on Chess variants from 1885. Author: George Hope Verney.
Week ending Jun 30, 2018
- Vavulin Creative Chess. Before the start of the game, every player, creates up with one rule for both players, which operates the whole game. By Dmitrii Vavulin.
- Pocket Shogi Plus. Shogi with a pocket and some new moves. By wdtr2.
- Pocket Shogi Copper. A Variant of Shogi with Copper General and Pocket. By wdtr2.
Week ending Jun 16, 2018
- Palace Shogi. A complicated hybrid of Shogi, Xiang Qi, and Chess. By Silvia Hollinshead.
Total items listed: 13