Check out Balbo's Chess, our featured variant for October, 2024.

Since Java is no longer supported in most browsers, our Java applets probably will not run unless you install an extension that will run them. We recommend installing the CheerpJ Applet Runner extension on Edge, Chrome, or another Chromium browser. If your browser still does support Java, and you're not using this extension, make sure this site is listed in your Java exceptions list. You should find this in the Security tab of your Java control panel.

Bear Chess

If you had a Java-capable browser, you could play Bear Chess here.
Keys "s"=save "l"=load "b"=back once

Mikhail Sosnovsky, 1985. Popular variant in Russia. The bear moves as a knight, or jumps 2 in any direction. Other call this kind of piece a "squirrel", hence the image.

Hans Bodlaender's Chess Variants
Hans Bodlaender's Chess Applet

Ed's Chess Variants

These are simple illustrations rather than strong opponents.

Bug Reports -- Thank you! Keep them coming!

Written by Ed Friedlander


WWW Page Added: Sunday, December 30, 2001