Three Kings Chess (A New Chess Variant)

One can find two similar variants on Chess Variants pages, Triumvirate Chess and Two Kings Chess, so this is not a "totally new" variant.

Unlike Two Kings Chess, the queens are kept on board, so it does not feel like an end game right away. The bishop pair is purposefully preserved as well. The kings are sitting at separate places so hopefully there will be a fight on all sides of the board. See the board below for the starting position:



The rules are the same with the usual FIDE chess rules, except the following:

- The goal is checkmating at least one of the kings. If one or more kings are threatened (under check), the defending side must make a move to remove the threat from all his kings. If the defending side cannot do that , the game ends, the defending side loses (checkmate). A king cannot move into a square which is under threat by the opponent.
- There is no castling.

Also note that, similar to regular chess, stalemate happens when one side does not have a legal move to make. Then, the game is a draw.

Extinction Chess with Mating Rules (Checkmate, Stalemate)

Recently, I have been trying to apply checkmate rules to Extinction Chess. Currently in Extinction Chess, when you capture the last piece of a kind, you win the game. However you could set the rules so that if there is only one piece of a kind left on the board, that piece becomes "royal". If threatened (checked), a royal piece has to get rid of the threat somehow (move outside the threat, block the threat, or capture the threatening piece). If the threat would remain, the game ends there (mate). Then, if a situation occurs where currently no royal piece on your side is threatened, however you cannot make a legal move (if any move would cause one of your royal pieces to become threatened) it would cause a draw (stalemate).



It is important to note that having multiple royal pieces on the board makes "forking" a valid way of mating. If you threaten two royal pieces of opponent with one of your pieces, the only way to end all the threats in one move is to capture the threatening piece. See the diagram above for an example (assuming both black pieces are the last of their kind ie royal).



Another way of mating that we do not see in regular chess is when a royal piece has to move to get away from being threatened, but this would cause another royal piece to come under threat. See the diagram above for an example (again, assuming both black pieces to be the last of their kind).

I think this would make Extinction Chess more in line with the original (FIDE) chess. The rules change would not matter for 99.9% of the games (except that noone would lose for forgetting their king under check). The remaining 0.1% of games would involve stalemates, for which under current rules the side who has to move their pieces into threat would lose the game. See the diagram below for an example of a stalemate. Black, to move, has no legal moves, and since white is not giving any check, the position would be a stalemate, ie a draw.

A Three-Checks Chess Game

Three-Checks chess is an interesting and very playable variant, in which the first player who gives three checks wins the game (or before that, a regular checkmate works too). See Brainking or Wikipedia for more detailed rules.

The game below is played by me against a strong opponent. I am still figuring out the strategy to the game.

[Site "BrainKing.com"]
[Date "2011.06.10"]
[White "ughaibu"]
[Black "Koksal"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bc4 a6 4. a4 Nc6 5. O-O Bd6

Up till now, it could have been a regular chess or an extinction chess game. Now black is threatening for a check on h2. 3 checks is not too many, so, depending on the situation of course, trading a minor piece for a check is most times sound.

6. g3 h5 7. e5 Nxe5 8. Nxe5 Bxe5 9. d4 cxd4 10. Re1 Qc7 11. Qe2 f6 12. h4 Ne7



Preventing check on e6, so that the bishop is free to be sacrificed at g3.

13. Ra3 b6 14. Nd2 Bb7 15. Ne4 Bxe4 16. Qxe4 d5 17. Bb5+

White's check number 1, sacrificing a bishop.

17... axb5 18. Qd3 Kf7 19. f4 Kg8



This move is probably unnecessary, but here it is hard to suggest black anything good. The center is about to break. Maybe it would have been better playing 19... b4 keeping queen's side shut.

20. axb5 Rxa3 21. Qxa3 Kf7 22. fxe5 Qc5

A desperate counter-attack attempt, which is thwarted easily.

23. Qd3 Qc4 24. Qf3 Nf5 25. exf6 gxf6 26. Rxe6



If white king captures that rook Qxf5+ and then g4+ makes three checks for white. Black resigned.

1-0

An Extinction Chess Game - 2

[Site "BrainKing.com"]
[Date "2011.06.04"]
[White "Koksal"]
[Black "Rubikon51"]

1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e5

Open up the position only if it suits you.

3... Bf5 4. d3 e6 5. Be2 Qb6 6. O-O c5 7. Nh4



Smell of opportunity. If black's developed bishop is captured, other bishop might come under attack either by f4-f5 pawn push, or via a3-f8 diagonal by white's c1 bishop.

7... Bg6 8. f4 Ne7 9. g4 h6 10. Nxg6 Nxg6 11. b3 Nc6 12. f5

So far, going as planned: putting pressure on black's only bishop.

12... Ngxe5 13. fxe6 f6 14. Rf5



Use your rook when you can. A rook is an effective tool to trade for knights and bishops, since most times the other rook doesn't see any play for a long time anyway.

14... O-O-O 15. Qf1 Be7 16. Rxe5 Nxe5 17. d4



This seems to be the winning move here. Opens up the necessary e2-a6 diagonal, and blocks black's d4 push. The rest of the game is a chain of obligatory moves by black, where white will win by threatening the black knight and bishop to black's eventual demise.

17... Nc6 18. Bb5 Nb8 19. Bd7 Rxd7 20. exd7 Kd8 21. Qf5 cxd4

Here the threat is 22. Qg6. 21... c4 move, threatening check from d4, loses too: 21... c4 22. Bf4 Na6 23. Qxd5 Rf8 24. Qe4 Bb4 25. c3 Ba5 26. b4 etc.

22. Bf4 Na6 23. Qd3 Nb4 24. Qd2 Nc6 25. Qe2 Bf8 26. Qe6 1-0

An Extinction Chess Game

[Site "BrainKing.com"]
[Date "2011.05.31"]
[White "monty bridge"]
[Black "Koksal"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. a3 b6 4. Nc3 Bb7 5. Bg5 Be7

To my knowledge opening theory is not well established in Extinction Chess. Generally players use their bishops and knights from one side freely, while they keep the other side either closed, or underdeveloped. You want ample room for maneuvering, and threatening for favorable piece exchanges, but not too much room so you don't get invaded. In this game I do not like black's position so far, seems too passive to me.

6. f3 h6 7. Bh4 g5 8. Bg3 d6 9. e4 Nh5 10. Bf2 f5



Again, it's all about Lebensraum. You have to have some maneuvering space, even if it weakens your king's side. Here, strong White center has to be attacked somehow, and there are not many ways to do that.

11. exf5 exf5 12. Bd3 O-O 13. Qc2 Ng7 14. c5 dxc5

As said earlier, white left his king's side undeveloped and black is trying to keep his queen's side closed. Hence white is attacking on the queen's side to break black's defenses.

15. dxc5 Nc6

The knight at g7 seems safe, so the other knight can see some action.

16. Rd1 Qe8 17. Qe2 Qg6 18. cxb6 axb6 19. Bb5 Bc5



White's b5 bishop is too exposed. Attacking white's other bishop is the way to go.

20. Qc4 Kh8 21. Bxc5 bxc5 22. Qa2 Rfe8 23. Kf2 f4 24. Ne4 Rxe4 25. Qb1 Qe6 26. fxe4 c4



The b5 bishop probably cannot be saved anymore. Hence white loses.

27. Rd5 Na5 28. b3 c6 29. Ba4 Nxb3 30. Rd8 Rxa4 0-1

A Clarification on Ice Age Chess Rules

This came up in at least one game on Brainking. In this position (first diagram) Black is to make his/her 20th move. Black can move 20... Qf3+ which would have been checkmate except that right after Black's move, the Ice Age event happens and ice cubes are placed on the board. This prevents the mate from taking place, the game continues, white to play (see diagram 2).



The argument here was that once checkmate happens the game should end right at that point. However, the way I see it, the Ice Age event is an essential part of the game and should the Ice Age happen next turn, White can consider that as a part of his/her defensive plan.

This (being able to use a coming Ice Age as a defense) probably gives White a slight advantage, however this should be balanced with the fact that black makes the last move before the Ice Age, hence has a slight advantage as well.

Note: The position here is not from an actual game.

Extinction Chess Variants

Extinction chess (go to itsyourturn.com to learn about or play it) is a fine variant as it is, however I couldn't help but try a few variations on it.


Variant 1: Extinction chess with the following starting position, where each major piece is reduced to one in number:





Variant 2: Usual chess starting position. First player who captures a non-pawn piece wins the game. King is just an ordinary piece.


Variant 3: This is a cross between three checks chess and extinction chess: first player who captures 3 nonpawn pieces wins the game. King is just an ordinary piece.