Superpermutation d8 Chess
Superpermutation d8 Chess
Core Concept: A surreal fusion of chance and No Capture Chess, where vertical shifts spawn dreamlike configurations—bridging logic and the absurd to reveal chess as a metaphysical art.
Objective: Generating harmonious positions detached from classical chess, embodying a paradoxical interplay of forms and piece interactions.
Artistic Value: The phantasmagoric and avant-garde nature of these chess positions liberates the player’s mind, severing ties with conventional perceptions of the game. This serves as a method to access and approach the unconscious, irrational essence of existence.
Mechanism of Randomness: An eight-sided die (1d8) — the octahedron — will serve as the oracle of chaos, dictating unpredictable events on the board.
Unlike traditional Dice Chess (where the die assigns which piece must move), here the octahedral die (1d8) dictates the destination file (vertical column) for a moving piece.
To enhance intuitiveness and reduce mental load, each player interprets the 1d8 die result based on their own perspective of the board.
Both players treat "1" as their leftmost file, eliminating confusion.
Example: If Black rolls a 3, they target f-file (their third column from the left).
Black’s "e-file" (their 4) is White’s "d-file" (their 4), creating asymmetric pressure points.
The board becomes a duality of perspectives, where files are relative yet rules absolute.
Example:
Octahedral Die Roll: 3 (for White → c-file)
Possible Legal Moves:
♘b1 → c3 (knight moves to c3)
♙c2 → c3 (pawn advances one square)
♙c2 → c4 (pawn pushes two squares)
♔e1 → c1 (king retreats to c1 if not in check)
In the latter case, we're dealing with Teleportation, since our game variant follows the rules of Superpermutation Chess, where the King has the right to swap places with any of his pieces except pawns.
Gameplay Flow
Player’s Turn:
Roll the 1d8 die (values 1–8 correspond to files a–h for White and h-a for Black).
Choose any piece to move (as in standard chess, but captures are disabled).
The piece must end its move on the rolled file.
Exceptions for Dice Usage
If movement to the indicated file is impossible, the player must make any legal move with one of their pieces on the chessboard without using the die — a free move.
If a player's king is placed in check, that player does not use the die to make their move. The player must make any legal move that removes the check from their king - whether by moving the king out of check, blocking the attack, or capturing the opponent's checking piece. If no such move is possible, it is checkmate and the player loses the game.
Now that we've established the mechanics for generating random piece movements, let's proceed to describe the rules governing how chess pieces operate on the standard 64-square board.
As the fundamental law regulating interactions between pieces and phenomena on the chessboard, we will employ the rules of Superpermutation Chess (with minor modifications), the essence of which is as follows:
When a player's piece completes its move and any other piece occupies an adjacent square in the same file, the moved piece must perform a Superpermutation (Supertransition) by swapping places with that piece.
Black plays 1. ...e7-e5:
As a result of this move, a Superpermutation will occur and the situation on the board, after Black's move, will look like this:
If the piece performing a Superpermutation again finds another piece immediately ahead in the same file, the swap cascade continues recursively until either:
- An empty square is encountered, or
- The edge of the board is reached.
White plays Bf1-a6:
As a result, the white Bishop will perform a Superpermutation, changing places with two pieces at once:
In other words, the piece 'climbs' upward along the file until it encounters either an empty square or the board's edge, displacing any obstructing pieces (both allied and enemy) through consecutive swaps.
The piece initiating the Superpermutation makes it only forward - toward the opponent's first row and in no other direction.
A move of a piece and its subsequent Superpermutation is a complete and finished move.
When check is declared, Superpermutation mechanics are suspended. This means:
- The piece delivering check does not perform a Superpermutation.
- If check occurs during a Superpermutation cascade, the sequence immediately terminates.
- No Superpermutation — including by the King — are allowed while resolving check. Unlike the parent variant, this ensures the King cannot be forced into dangerous swaps, increasing its survivability given the game’s limited move variability.
This transforms the board into a quantum entanglement field, where every move risks triggering chain reactions of displaced identities.
Teleportation
A player may swap their King with any friendly piece (except Pawns). This is called Teleportation:
- The King moves to the target piece’s square.
- The swapped piece relocates to the King’s original position.
Teleportation is fundamentally distinct from castling in classical chess and may be performed any number of times during the game.
Teleportation is prohibited if the King is in check.
The King cannot teleport into a square that would place it under check — such attempts are illegal moves.
When Teleporting the King and the selected piece, Superpermutation does not occur in the game.
Teleportation is a complete and finished move.
Additional Rules
No Captures (Except by the King) - Chess pieces lose the ability to capture opponents' units — with one exception: only the King can capture enemy pieces.
Despite their non-aggressive nature, pieces still threaten the enemy King conventionally —declaring check or checkmate by occupying attack lanes, as in standard chess.
A player must move their King out of check if threatened and cannot leave it under attack at the turn’s end. Failure results in checkmate.
A player can't move their King into check. However, in their turn, can move the opponent's king into check using Superpermutation.
No castling. No en passant.
As a result of the Superpermutation, a Pawn can end up on the first row. In this case, it can move only one space forward. When it reaches the next row (pawn start position in normal chess), it can move one or two spaces forward.
Pawns promote upon reaching the 8th rank for White and 1st rank for Black, following standard chess rules (to Queen, Rook, Bishop, or Knight) with the following exception:
Forced Promotion of Opponent's Pawn
When your move forces the opponent's pawn to reach your back rank (via Superpermutation), that pawn is automatically promoted to a queen by default, even if this outcome is unfavorable to both players.
If forced promotion results in a check to the moving player’s own king, the move is illegal.
The game’s objective remains unchanged from standard chess: checkmate the opponent’s King through positional dominance, despite the altered movement mechanics.
Thus, Superpermutation d8 Chess introduces:
Octahedral Die Roll
Superpermutation (recursive vertical swaps)
Non-violent pieces (except the King)
Teleportation (King swaps)
The Madness Behind the Method
This system:
Inverts control: Strategy kneels before chaos
Breeds surrealism: Pieces waltz to dice's whim
Mimics dreams: Logic dissolves, patterns emerge
This transforms the game into a living performance, where the board is a canvas and the players co-author chaos.
Philosophical Undertones
This mechanic:
Shatters conventions, forcing players to think not "where do I want to go?" but "where can I go?"
Creates absurd positions where pieces leap not by strategy but by chance — yet still bound to the board’s logic.
Echoes surrealism, as if Dali reimagined chess.
Demonstration Game: Superpermutation d8 Chess
A surreal duel where logic warps—yet checkmate remains sacred.
The number in parentheses before the algebraic notation of a move indicates the result of throwing an eight-sided die.
(2) 1. b2-b4 (8) 1. ...a7-a5
(3) 2. c2-c4 (3) 1. ...f7-f5
In the game, White and Black made two moves each, and, as we can see, both players play with pawns strictly along the columns indicated by the roll of the die.
(1) 3. Qd1-a4-a5 (4) 3. ...e7-e5
Early Queen development is an important strategic task in this chess variant. Remember that pieces cannot capture each other, so their rapid development at the beginning of the game is essential. This not only increases variability, but also helps organize a quick attack on the opponent's king.
(7) 4. g2-g4 (3) 4. ...Qd8-f6-f5
The position quickly becomes tense for White: Black begins to dominate the center, which could lead to catastrophic consequences for the white King standing on the e-file.
(8) 5. h2-h4 (1) 5. ...h7-h5-h4
(4) 6. Qa5-d5
White pulls their Queen to the center, closer to the opponent's King, which allows him to control not only it, but also a significant part of the board.
Black rolls the die and makes a move: (7) 6. ...Ke8-b8
The Black King teleports to the seventh (for Black) file, escaping from possible troubles.
(6) 7. Ng1-f3 (5) 7. ...Ne8-d6-d5
(4) 8. Nf3-d4-d7+
The white Knight's Superpermutation allows the black King to be checked.
If a player's king is in check, they cannot use the die. They must get out of check without rolling the die.
Black has only one response: (-) 8. ...Kb8-a7
The tension on the board is at its peak — Black is threatened with checkmate in one move. White can win with Qd5-a5#. Note that Black’s moves Qf5-d3-d2 or Nd4-f3 would not result in checkmate, because when a check is declared, the Superpermutation does not occur.
In the first case (Qf5-d3-d2+), the White King would simply capture the Black Queen on d2, ending its move there.
In the second case (Nd4-f3+), the King would safely retreat to d1, again avoiding a swap with the d2-pawn, since the move was made under check.
(8) 9. Ke1-h1 (6) 9. ...c7-c5-c4
White resorted to the saving Teleportation to protect their King, while Black decided to limit the maneuverability of the white Queen.
(4) 10. d2-d3-d7 (1) 10. ...Rh8-h6-h4+
(-) 11. Kh1-g1 (2) 11. ...g7-g5-g4
White's position is dire — Qf5-f3-f2# is looming. But for this, Black must roll either a 3 or a 5. Why 5? Because if Black rolls a 5, they cannot move any of their pieces to the d-file, thus gaining the freedom to move any of their pieces, unrestricted by the die's result.
(5) 12. e2-e3 (8) 12. ...a4-a3-a1=Q
Thanks to the Superpermutation, Black promotes their pawn to a Queen — but this is clearly not what they wanted. They still desperately need to roll a 3 or a 5.
(3) 13. Qd4-c3-c5+ (-) 13. ...b7-b6
Both the white and black Kings are on the verge of defeat. But while the black King can still safely Teleport, their white counterpart cannot afford such a maneuver.
(6) 14. f2-f3 (7) 14. ...Bc8-b7-b6
(2) 15. b4-b5-b6+
White has declared check and Black has only two choices to protect their King: (-) 15. ...Ka7-a6 or (-) 15. ...Ka7-b8.
They choose the first option: (-) 15. ...Ka7-a6
(8) 16. h6-h7 (3) 16. ...Nd3-f4-f3+
Now White also has only two ways to escape from check.
(-) 17. Kg1-f2 (7) 17. ...Qa1-b2+
For Black, things are going quite well so far - they are attacking the white King in anticipation of a successful roll of the die, which will put an end to White's resistance.
(-) 18. Nb1-d2 (5) 18. ...Qf5-d3-d2+
It seems that just a little bit more and Black will finish off their opponent.
(-) 19. Bf1-e2 (2) 19. ...Bf8-g7
(2) 20. Nd3-b4+ (-) 20. Ka6-a5
(2) 21. a3-a4-a5+
White rolled for the b-file, but none of their pieces can move to it. Thus, they gain a free move and advance their a3-pawn.
Black cannot capture White’s pawn with their King, as the King would remain in check after the move. Faced with two options to escape check — blocking with the Queen or moving the King to b3 — they choose the latter.
(-) 21. ...Ka4-b3
(8) 22. h7-h8=Q (7) Rh4-h2+
Just like White on the previous turn, Black rolls for the 7th file (their b-file), but cannot move any piece to it. This grants them a free move, and they choose to play their Rook, putting White’s King in check.
Black cannot play Ra8-b8, as the resulting Superpermutation would leave their own King in check—an illegal move under the rules. Thus, Ra8-b8 is prohibited.
(-) 23. Kf2-f1 (6) 23. ...Bb5-c6-c3
Black should have played Ra8-c8, denying White’s Queen the opportunity to attack Black’s King.
White takes a deep breath, blows on the die, and whispers secret incantations for luck before rolling the eight-sided octahedron...
All eyes lock onto the octahedron’s result...
1!
This allows White to deliver checkmate:
(1) 24. Qc6-a4#
Four Surrealist Principles Revealed
Vertical Domination:
- Control files to exploit recursive swaps.
King’s Paradox:
- Teleportation empowers but risks "quantum checks."
Pawn Ascension:
- Non-violent pawns promote through forced climbs.
Checkmate in the 4th Dimension:
- Mate occurs despite chaotic movement rules.
Time for some simple yet illuminating test positions! Watch how these miniature battles reveal profound truths about our game.
№1
Find the winning die roll that delivers immediate checkmate.
№2
White rolls an 8. Checkmate in 1 move.
№3
Black to roll and mate! Which numbers win instantly?
№4
Black to roll and mate! Which numbers win instantly?
№5
Black to roll and mate! Which numbers win instantly?
Solutions
№1
5
(5) 1. Qa8-e4-e7#
№2
(8) 1. h7-h8=N#
№3
5 or 6
If you roll 5
(5) 1. ...Nb6-d5#
If you roll 6
(6) 1. ...Qe2-c4#
№4
3, 4 or 5
If you roll 3
(3) 1. ...Be3-f4-f3#
If you roll 5
(5) 1. ...Qe4-d3-d2#
If you roll 4
Either of the two aforementioned moves, because rolling a 4 grants Black a free move (no black pieces can reach the e-file).
№5
1 or 7
If you roll 1
(1) 1. ...Kf5-h8#
If you roll 7
(7) 1. ...Kf5-b3#
In both cases, the Black King's Teleportation leads to White's defeat.
This game defies fate — every move is a crossroads. Your choices, not die or dogma, write the board’s story. True mastery? Finding liberty in limits.
Superpermutation d8 Chess restricts where you move, but never how you think. Victory belongs to those who see paths where others see walls.
Superpermutation d8 Chess serves as a perfect illustration of indeterminism — the concept that fundamental laws of nature are probabilistic, where chance is not merely an equal participant but a foundational component. This principle explains the self-organizing and evolutionary forces inherent in nature.
Like Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, the 1d8 mechanic in this chess variant demonstrates that observation (player choice) collapses probabilistic outcomes into concrete reality (checkmate).
Behold: a game where probability dances with chaos, birthing a monster of sublime strategy. No algorithm or alien intellect can tame it — only the human mind, that glorious anomaly in a indeterministic cosmos.
