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

This page is written by the game's inventor, Joe Joyce.

mini-Chieftain

Mini-Chieftain is a small step toward a chess version of a wargame. It is a deliberately simple game that introduces the concepts of "leaders" and "command control". These regulate the allowable pieces moved in a multimove turn. This game is a modest variant of Chieftain Chess. It is designed to introduce players to structure in multimove games. This game is being put out as a separate game page because it is the only "normal-sized" game in this series [so far] and so may actually garner a few players.

Setup


mini-Chieftain X

Click boards for presets


mini-Chieftain

Pieces

C - the Chieftain. This is the royal piece. It slides 1 or 2 squares. It may not jump. It may change direction during its move, but may not move back to the square it started from. It has the special power of activating pieces so they may move.

H - the Hero. It may move 1, 2, or 3 squares in a turn. This piece is a combination of wazir and dabbabah, able to move orthogonally only, in a straight line only, as either or both. When activated, it may slide 1; or jump 2; or slide 1 and jump 2; or jump 2 and slide 1, horizontally or vertically only.

S - the Shaman. This is the diagonal analog of the Hero. It slides 1 and/or jumps 2 in a diagonal line. This piece is a linear mover. It may not change directions during its move.

N - the standard chess kNight. It moves as in FIDE.

M - Man - the standard 1-step non-royal piece. It captures as it moves, 1 square all around.

Rules

Victory: The game ends when both Chieftains of one color are captured.

All pieces capture by replacement.

Movement: