The Chess Variant Pages

Discover and Play Various Games Similar to Chess

Chess has its origins in the Arabian game of Shatranj, which goes back to the Indian game of Chaturanga.

It is also related to Xiangqi in China, to Janggi in Korea, and to Shogi in Japan.

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.

Cylindrical Chess is our featured variant for March, 2023.

Thanks to computers and the internet, it is now possible to play several of these Chess variants without physical boards and pieces.

Game Courier ChessV Zillions-of-Games Fairy-Max Computer Programs

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.