Wikipedia

Almost chess

abcdefgh
8
a8 black rook
b8 black knight
c8 black bishop
d8 black chancellor
e8 black king
f8 black bishop
g8 black knight
h8 black rook
a7 black pawn
b7 black pawn
c7 black pawn
d7 black pawn
e7 black pawn
f7 black pawn
g7 black pawn
h7 black pawn
a2 white pawn
b2 white pawn
c2 white pawn
d2 white pawn
e2 white pawn
f2 white pawn
g2 white pawn
h2 white pawn
a1 white rook
b1 white knight
c1 white bishop
d1 white chancellor
e1 white king
f1 white bishop
g1 white knight
h1 white rook
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Almost chess starting position. Chancellors replace queens.

Almost chess is a chess variant invented by Ralph Betza in 1977.[1][2] The game is played using a standard chessboard and pieces, except that each player's queen is replaced by a chancellor, a piece which combines the moves of the rook and the knight.

Almost chess was featured in NOST[a] magazine Nost-algia, beginning with issue 205.

This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

Game description

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Other than the replacement of queens by chancellors (notated "C"), the game follows all the rules and conventions of standard chess.

Replacing queens with chancellors imparts a radical change to the nature of the chess game, despite the queen and chancellor having approximately equal strengths. For example, bishops are stronger and knights are weaker.[1] Betza commented that almost chess is a good introductory chess variant for players, due to its great similarity to standard chess and the naturalness of the change from queen to chancellor.[3]

The fool's mate in almost chess begins 1.Cc3.

Sort of almost chess

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abcdefgh
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black empresse8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black pawne7 black pawnf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6b6c6d6e6f6g6h66
5a5b5c5d5e5f5g5h55
4a4b4c4d4e4f4g4h44
3a3b3c3d3e3f3g3h33
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 white pawne2 white pawnf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook1
abcdefgh
Sort of almost chess starting position. In this diagram, Black owns the chancellor, but either player (but not both) may own it instead of the queen.

Around 1994, Betza invented sort of almost chess, a variation whereby one player owns a chancellor, and the opponent owns a queen.[3] Betza considers the chances for both sides equal, even for advanced players, since the queen and chancellor have equal strengths.

Sort of almost chess emerged from Betza's research on the values of chess pieces, which culminated in the development of Chess with different armies.

Notes

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  1. ^ NOST (kNights of the Square Table), a (now defunct) correspondence game club formed in 1960 by Bob Lauzon and Jim France, enjoyed several hundred active members (Pritchard 1994:210).

References

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  1. ^ a b Pritchard, D. B. (1994). The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants. Games & Puzzles Publications. p. 7. ISBN 0-9524142-0-1.
  2. ^ Pritchard, D. B. (2007). The Classified Encyclopedia of Chess Variants. John Beasley. p. 124. ISBN 978-0-9555168-0-1.
  3. ^ a b "Almost chess" by Hans Bodlaender and Ralph Betza, The Chess Variant Pages
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