The Classified Encyclopedia of Chess Variants
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White and Black Chess
In the March/April 1998 issue of Nostalgia, the bulletin of NOST, John McCallion describes this variant,
which he attributes to V. R. Parton.
Rules
The game is played using the rules and setup of orthodox chess, but now, each turn
consists of two moves. First, the player moves a piece that stands on a
white square, and then the player moves a unit that stands on a black
square. It is the color of the square that the piece is on before it is
moved that counts. Castling is always possible either as first or as
second move of a turn. It is allowed to move the same piece twice, if
the colors of the squares it goes to permit it. For instance, white can
start the game by moving Nb1-c3; Nc3-e5 (not necessarily a good move,
however.)
When the first move of a turn gives check, the players turn is ended and
he does not get his second move. Check must be parried with the first
move of the turn - however, a check can be removed by moving a piece
from a black square, in which case the first move (from a white square)
is lost.
Improvement
McCallion and Ernest Park played that white has only a single move (from
either a white or black square) on his first turn. Such a rule (which is
more common in similar chess variants) helps to reduce the opening
advantage of white, and hence is recommended.
Black & White chess
McCallion gives in his article a second variant, that is a small
modification of White and Black chess. In this variant, a player first
moves a piece from a white square, and then a piece from a black square.
Knights may not move to g4 and g5 (to make too easy early attacks by the
knights impossible.) All other rules are as in White & Black chess.
Written by Hans Bodlaender.
WWW page created: March 23, 1998.
Last modified: Monday, December 22, 2008
