I know this isn't a new idea but how about a variant involving something like the Doubling Cube in Backgammon?

The usual idea is that if there is an offer to double the stakes/points, a refusal results in a win for the offerer, and an acceptance doubles the stakes/points, leaves the option for the next double in the game for the accepter, and, different for Chess, the accepter gets Draw Odds. Therefore, the offerer MUST win to not lose. The reason for this is that in a match, one player could get ahead by one point, then double every game and play for a draw, hastening the end and a win.

Anyone have any other ideas for this variant?

I'm not sure what level of player you're thinking of?

Any level.

Hmmm, could you imagine a Top (2700+) player cubing without seeing the win? Or do you think they would be speculative?

I certainly wouldn't accept if Carlsen doubles me, lol.

Good questions.

In BG, you Double with anything over 50% winning chances, and you accept if you have at least 25%, so very often, both sides are doing the correct thing, and more importantly, it is always at least partially speculative, if not wholly so.

I haven't worked out the math for Chess with the Draw odds, but despite what the numbers will be, I think it'll be less of who can calculate deeper and take advantage of that, and more a case of position evaluation.

I'll work out the math after I've had caffeine.

Caffeine's good....

I'd like to make this work, but I have issues.

In Backgammon, you basically cube to protect yourself against bad dice. You often dont cube in totally won positions, because if your opponent declines you take away the posssibility of double or triple games.

If you cube in BG, (except against BG patzers :)) you generally WANT you opponent to decline, and pay for your current advantage. A BG advantage is much more volatile than a chess one.