Play variants (Chess.com)
Hi there, today, I'm showing everyone how to play variants on Chess.com!
I'll show you how to play 3 variants! Now let's start!
Rules:
1, Atomic:
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQjtjAhDQTI
The object of the game is to checkmate or blow up the enemy king. Whenever a piece is captured, a 3 by 3 "explosion" one the captured space occurs. This explosion removes all pieces in its range, except for pawns, including the capturing piece. If you blow up your opponent’s king you immediately win. The ability to blow up the enemy's king is considered the same as blocking a check or capturing the attacking piece in regular chess. A player, therefore, is allowed to escape what would be checkmate in regular chess by blowing up the enemy king. Because the piece performing a capture is also blown up, kings are not allowed to capture. This allows situations where unprotected pieces can deliver checkmate. You are not allowed to blow up both kings simultaneously. You are allowed to move your king into check so long as your king lands in a space next to your opponent’s king. Any situation where 1 player’s king is forever next to their opponent’s king results in a draw. Pawns can only be removed from the board when they are directly involved in a capture. In that case, both pieces are removed as well as any others caught in the blast. For en passant [on passon] the explosion happens around the space where the capturing pawn lands.
2, Doubles (Bughouse)
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vEnz78nrDk
The object of this 4 player chess game is to be the first team to checkmate either opponent. Layout 2 chessboards side by side and set up the pieces normally on each board with opposite colors next to each other. 4 players divide into 2 teams. Teammates sit next to each other with one teammate controlling the white pieces and the other controlling black. Each board’s game runs independently from the other board. Each teammate has one opponent who is directly across from them. Players are allowed to talk to their teammates with strategy or moves, BUT they may not touch a piece on the other board or change seats to swap which board they are playing on. When you capture a piece, you immediately give that piece to your teammate to add to their pool. On your turn, instead of moving a piece, you may add a piece from your pool to any space on the board. This is called dropping a piece. You are allowed to drop a piece into check or checkmate, but you may not drop a pawn on the first or 8th rows. Dropped pawns may promote as normal, but when a promoted pawn is captured, it is converted back to a pawn when added to its teammate's pool. If you drop a pawn on the 2nd row, it is allowed to move 2 spaces on its first move. All pieces in your pool must remain on the table in front of the board, visible at all times. To prevent a player from stalling by not playing, Bughouse is typically played with chess clocks, with each board using its clock. If you don’t have a chess clock, then players are not allowed to delay their move beyond the time it takes their teammate to make 3 moves. If they do, then they lose the game. The first team to checkmate a king on either board wins. If both boards are checkmated simultaneously, then the match ends in a draw. Also, a team wins if an opponent on either board resigns or makes an illegal move. Stalemates on either board result in a draw.
3, Giveaway (Antichess or Losing Chess)
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxkNUhhxCsc
The object of the game is to be the first player to lose all their pieces. If capture is available to you, you must take it. If you have multiple captures available to you, then you pick which one to take. There is no check or checkmate, the King may be captured like any other piece and may expose itself to capture. You are not allowed to castle and a pawn is allowed to promote to a king. If the game ends in a stalemate because a player has no legal moves, then that player wins. The game is a draw if the players agree, you reach the 50 move rule, move repetition, or it is impossible for someone to win.
