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Magicpawns Chess

This page contains one or more presets for playing a game online with Game Courier, an online server for playing Chess variants by correspondence.

In Magicpawns Chess any piece can change place with a friendly pawn. If a piece can move to a square occupied by a friendly pawn, then the piece and the pawn can change place. There is one restriction: pieces on the first rank are not allowed to change place with a pawn because then the pawn would end up on the first rank. Otherwise regular rules apply.

Endgames can be quite exciting because of the many tactical possibilities and also because pawns can advance very fast due to the change-place move. In the middlegame the pawns tend to become more active. The pieces are now less constrained by the friendly pawns. Weak pawn chains can be easily repaired.



In this position you would expect the knight on c6 to be pinned. But it can go to e5 and change place with the pawn. As this constitutes one move the knight has a way of escaping the pin. This special case is important to remember. See next position.


Position after 1...Ne5; Pc6 (change place).



The following preset will automatically add the replaced pawn to the square from which the piece moved. The preset makes a reasonably good validity check of moves. Moves are automated, including castling and the 'en passant' move. Pieces can be moved by pointing and clicking. When promoting a pawn, it will automatically turn into a Queen. Should you prefer another piece then you must type it manually (e.g., add N a8; capture a7). Use small piece-letters for black. E-mails to your opponent are generated, but you can play online by intermittently pressing the browser's update button.


Magicpawns Chess



You can also download a Zillions implementation here.

See also my other Game Courier presets.




This 'user submitted' page is a collaboration between the posting user and the Chess Variant Pages. Registered contributors to the Chess Variant Pages have the ability to post their own works, subject to review and editing by the Chess Variant Pages Editorial Staff.


By M Winther.
Web page created: 2006-07-24. Web page last updated: 2006-07-24