Check out Symmetric Chess, our featured variant for March, 2024.

This page is written by the game's inventor, Erez Schatz.

Duel Chess

By Erez Schatz

This variant is played on two boards, the Main board, which is a 5X7 board without the middle square, and the Duel board, which is a 3X3 board.

The Boards and Setup

There is no square c4.
         +---+---+---+---+---+
      7  |:d:| n |:k:| b |:r:|         
         +---+---+---+---+---+      
      6  | p |:p:|   |:p:| p |     
         +---+---+---+---+---+       +---+---+---+ 
      5  |:::|   |:::|   |:::|     3 |   |:::|   |
         +---+---+---+---+---+       +---+---+---+ 
      4  |   |:::|###|:::|   |     2 |:::|   |:::|  
         +---+---+---+---+---+       +---+---+---+
      3  |:::|   |:::|   |:::|     1 |   |:::|   |
         +---+---+---+---+---+       +---+---+---+ 
      2  | P |:P:|   |:P:| P |         X   Y   Z
         +---+---+---+---+---+
      1  |:D:| N |:K:| B |:R:|
         +---+---+---+---+---+      

           A   B   C   D   E








Rules

The game on the Main board is played like FIDE Chess, except for the changes described below.

Board Notes

The concept of this variant came when I imagined the way the boards are positioned, with the Duel board located above the Main board (positioned on a supporting column which is based on the Main board's middle square), while my art skills are heavily limited, here's an ASCII diagram of what the Duel Chess board should look like:
                   +---+---+---+
                  /   /:::/   /
                +---+---+---+
               /:::/   /:::/-+---+---+---+  
             +---+---+---+  /:k:/ b /:r:/
            /   /:::/   /-+---+---+---+
          +---+---+---+p:/   /:p:/ p /
               +- | | |-+--+---+---+       
              /:::| | |:::/   /:::/
            +---+-| | |-+---+---+
           /   /::| |  /:::/   /
         +---+---+---+---+---+        
        /:::/   /:::/   /:::/
      +---+---+---+---+---+
     / P /:P:/   /:P:/ P / 
   +---+---+---+---+---+
  /:D:/ N /:K:/ B /:R:/
+---+---+---+---+---+
Another way of playing Duel Chess is by using an orthodox 8X8 board (placing a border between the Main and Duel boards), with an upside-down Rook as the Dabbabah.

Duel Chess was designed for the 43-squares contest. However, it could be also played on 7X7 board with 6 Pawns, 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights and a King; or on a 9X9 board with 9 Pawns, 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights, 2 Queens (or a Marshal or a Cardinal instead of one, or both Queens) and a King. The Duel Board is always 3X3. As a side rule for the larger versions, a player that manages to fill the Duel board with 9 pieces of the opponent's colour, wins.


Written by Erez Schatz.
WWW page created: April 3rd, 2003.