Omega Chess Review 
by International Master Brian Hartman

I examined and played an exciting new board game called Omega Chess. Although I was initially skeptical of a game that was essentially a new form of chess, I now believe it to be a potential remedy to what ails many chess players -"With the advent of computer databases chess is no longer an art, but an exercise in memorization.", or "Many openings lead to known, forced conclusions. Chess may lead to a similar fate to that of checkers, where certain openings are banned from competitive play." 

Attempting to improve on chess is not new. Capablanca suggested rearranging the placement of pieces, Pal Benko invented "pre- chess" where the first moves of the game determine piece placement along the first rank and Bobby Fischer recently announced "Fischer Random Chess", again changing the starting position of the pieces. 

Omega Chess has taken an evolutionary approach, building on what already works. This is done by expanding the traditional 8 x 8 game board to a 10 x 10 board, and adding two new pieces to the existing chess family: the Champion and the Wizard. 

The Champion can move one square forward or backward or to either side or jump two squares forward or backward or to either side and it can also jump two squares diagonally, forward or backward. The Champion can jump over pieces. The Wizard can move one square diagonally in all four directions. Or, like an exaggerated Knight move, the Wizard can jump three squares horizontally or vertically and then one square to either side. The Wizard is bound to the color of its starting square. The Wizard can jump over pieces to also control up to twelve squares. I have had the pleasure of playing Omega Chess with some of my chess master friends who have commented that the new pieces and board offer an exciting range of tactical and strategic possibilities, encouraging a more open style of play than the traditional form of chess. Omega Chess will be especially attractive to players who desire a game where the creation of ideas will be their own, not simply the echo of games studied from a computer database. Key factors that may make Omega Chess the game for the next millennium are: (a) the board and two new pieces and their moves maintain the critical balance of power of traditional chess (b) the placement of the traditional pieces are the same, maintaining the international rules and principles of traditional chess.

The only change in Omega Chess from traditional chess is that Pawns can move one, two or three squares on their initial move. All other rules are in place. Thus, you are still playing chess! I highly recommend Omega Chess for beginners to advanced masters desiring to go back to chess basics, where it is truly a battle of wits, not who has the better research. Omega Chess could well prove to be the next evolution of chess.

Interesting, also is En Passante still the same? If so are you going to implement it for the 3 move? Because the point of it was when they were introducing the move two spaces forward they tried to make it like nothing else changed so they created En Passante, this will probably also apply to this one too.

One of the posts here actually reminded me of a situation that happened with a friend.  He said "don't be too harsh with me" while we were in the midst of a game of chess...and I said, with no intention of flirting "well, you're about to be mated" and he responded with..."I never thought I'd be disappointed to hear a girl say that".  

The Queen sat alone on her square

Chewing her gum and twirling her hair.

The knight galloped in

And said with a grin

"I'm forced to fork you, dame so fair!"

I can't describe my game in words.

I might as well play angry birds.

My pieces are gone

Except for a pawn

Which I expertly move backwards.

The King caught the Bishop and Queen

Where they thought they wouldn't be seen.

The Queen's move unpinned,

The black cleric sinned,

The King's sword had a bloody sheen.

The King and the Queen were at sea.

There was fog and no one could see.

The ship hit a stone,

Shattered timbers groaned,

On banks of Sicilian theory.

You are a bad chess player, so you get some hot tips from the experts.

Here is one: 

“I had a toothache during the first game. In the second game I had a headache. In the third game it was an attack of rheumatism. In the fourth game, I wasn't feeling well. And in the fifth game? Well, must one have to win every game?” (Siegbert Tarrasch)

Here are some more:

http://www.chess-poster.com/english/notes_and_facts/chess_quotes.htm

1. When you say you're not a bad chess player!  0_0

"Since when were you the better chess player in this place?"

         -Me, probably somebody else before me!  -_-

 complicated

You use the Halloween Gambit frequently.

You play 1.a3 [opponent's move] 2.a4

You attack a h6 pawn with your queen, two rooks, both bishops and a knight while your opponent defends it with a pawn. Because there are six attackers and only one defender, you assume that it's a winning combination.

During post-game analysis, your opponent falls into Fool's Mate.

You slam the door after spring an opening novelty on your opponent..

I bent my Rookie

When someone is calling out moves and you think they say, "Rookie to a ate(but it is really Rea8)", you say, "That's bad grammar!"

+1, good one!

You are a bad chess player when you'd rather play chess, even if you keep losing, than win the lottery.

You get your pawn to the end of the board and you say "King me"

You know you're a bad chess player when you don't know how to checkmate your opponent's king and just capture all the pieces instead. 

You have a chance of winning except for the pesky rule that doesn't allow for a king to walk into a check.

You think kings can walk.