Types and Variants of Chess

a two-player strategy board game from China, where players move pieces with different abilities across a board to capture their opponent's pieces and ultimately checkmate their opponent's king

My grandfather taught me how to play xiangqi, and now we compete every weekend.

a two-player strategy board game from Japan, similar to chess, where players move pieces with different abilities across a board to capture their opponent's pieces and ultimately checkmate their opponent's king

a two-player strategy board game from Korea, similar to xiangqi and shogi, where players move pieces with different abilities across a board to capture their opponent's pieces and ultimately checkmate their opponent's king

He spent the afternoon learning how to play janggi with his friends.

an ancient Indian board game that is believed to be the earliest form of chess

Many historians believe that chaturanga was played by royalty in ancient India.

a chess variant where both players race their king to the eighth rank to win the game

I played Racing Kings with my friend yesterday, and it was so much faster than regular chess.

a chess variant in which one player, with a larger army of pawns and knights, plays against another player with a regular set of pieces

I tried playing Horde chess last weekend, and it was much harder than I expected.

a chess variant where captured pieces can be reintroduced into play as one's own

We spent hours playing crazyhouse chess last weekend, and I loved the added challenge of using captured pieces.

a chess variant where the objective is to give the opponent's king three checks, instead of checkmate, to win the game

I learned how to play three-check chess at a friend's house last weekend.

a variant of chess with faster time controls, where players have limited time to make their moves, typically ranging from a few minutes to a few seconds per move

He’s really good at blitz chess because he can make quick decisions under pressure.

a two-player strategy board game from Thailand, similar to chess, where players move pieces with different abilities across a board to capture their opponent's pieces and ultimately checkmate their opponent's king

I learned how to play makruk from my Thai friend last year.

a form of chess play where a player does not look at the board but keeps track of the game in their mind, relying solely on their memory and visualization skills to make moves

He played blindfold chess at the tournament and impressed everyone with his ability to visualize the board.

a variant of chess played with four players in teams of two, where captured pieces can be passed to a teammate and dropped back onto the board

We decided to play bughouse chess at the park yesterday, and it was so much fun!

a chess variant designed to be played by four players on a square board with additional squares and pieces to accommodate the increased number of players

Last weekend, we tried playing four-player chess, and it was much more challenging than regular chess.

an ancient form of chess that originated in Persia, considered the precursor to modern chess, played on an 8x8 board with different pieces and rules

My grandfather taught me how to play shatranj when I was young.

a variant of the traditional chess game played on a circular board with unique movement patterns for some pieces

My cousin introduced me to circular chess, and it was a fun twist on the classic game we know.

a chess variant that introduces new pieces and changes the initial setup of the traditional chess game

I was able to checkmate my opponent quickly in Gothic chess by using the princess to capture his king.

a chess variant where capturing a piece causes an "explosion," removing the capturing piece and all adjacent pieces from the board

I lost my bishop in atomic chess because I moved it too close to the opponent's knight, and it exploded after they captured it.

a chess variant played on a 10x8 board with two extra pawns per player and new pieces called "Janus" that can move like a bishop or a knight

I was able to trap my opponent's king using the Janus in Janus Chess, taking advantage of its ability to move in multiple directions.

a chess variant where each player's queen is replaced by a chancellor, a piece that moves like both a rook and a knight

I’ve played traditional chess for years, but almost chess with its chancellor piece adds a new challenge.

a variant of chess played on a hexagonal board, where the movement rules are modified to suit the new board shape, creating a unique and different playing experience from traditional chess on a square board

I played hexagonal chess for the first time last weekend, and it was a lot more challenging than regular chess.

a large-board variant of chess that uses a 10x10 board and introduces additional pieces and expanded rules, offering new strategic possibilities compared to traditional chess

When learning Grand Chess, it takes time to get used to the extra pieces and their unique moves.

a traditional chess variant played in Myanmar on a 64-square board with unique pieces and rules distinct from standard chess

My uncle is very good at sittuyin; he wins almost every time we play.

a historical chess variant played on a 10x10 board with extra pieces and unique rules, inspired by the historical conqueror Timur

I recently learned how to play Tamerlane chess, and it’s much more complex than regular chess.