Chess Variation - Capture the Flag

At the beginning of a the game, a flag icon spawns randomly somewhere between the 3rd and 6th ranks.
If a piece/pawn moves to the square the flag is on, the flag is 'captured', and moves along with the capturing piece from then on.
If another piece takes a piece which currently has the flag, the flag becomes captured by the taking piece.
The goal is to finish the game with the flag in your possession.
It might seem pretty straight forward, but it's surprisingly difficult to keep a piece possessing the flag safe, as it puts a "bounty" on it, changing the entire rhythm of the game (because the target of each player keeps shifting, instead of being constant - the king).
It doesn't matter whether black wins, white wins or it's a draw, as long as one player possesses the flag.

If the king captures the flag, it's an automatic win for the player, but putting your own king in check is still illegal.

If the game is completed without anyone capturing the flag (though it's not likely), the game is declared a draw.

If you find the idea interesting, please consider adding it to the chess Variations, or contacting us under this post/through this email address: tomersewell@gmail.com

Thanks so much!

The safe zone should be customizable so it may be harder to reach even by amazon.

That's a good point, but since the flag spawns in a random square, and the pieces start in their standard position, there's no guarantee as to who's going to get there first. Also, trying to get to the flag first with you queen, and also trying to keep the queen safe, might compromise your position, in a way which makes it harder to keep the flag in your possession.

I’m wondering if it is possible to bring this rule to custom variants, too.

Although it might make it more like a real capture the flag game, there aren't any safe zones.

And the goal is to have the flag in your possesion by the end of the game, so even if you get it quickly, it doesn't matter that much.

Could you end the game by resigning? This would award a win to the player in possession of the flag, which probably is you.

no, if you resign you lose.

I believe he meant that the resign button would become the "claim win" button that appears in points gamemodes. However, this would make the game progress too fast, so I would agree to not add it.

i should say that if you run out of time or resign you lose the game and your rating.

no mater who has the flag.

in this variation if you resien you lose the game it does not matter who currently has the flag.

This idea is bad, Randomness shouldn’t be in any chess variant

the only randomness that exists in standard chess is: 1: who is your opponent?

2: you will play with the white or black pieces?

It could be like a WOF

What if the flag is never captured during the whole game?

I think this has potential if the flag started on e5 (or d5 but should be consistent) and the win condition was holding the flag for a certain amount of time (8 moves?). The way it is currently, whoever gets the flag first keep it for sure (defending your 3rd rank is infinitely easier than your opponent) attacking it. Ex: (flag spawned on d3)

Even if it spawned on the 4th rank, its a very simple win for white, and a lot of the 5th rank squares feel ify (the design doesn't make sense as its more or less who can grab the flag and use all there pieces including suiing the king to defend the square)

I know this is kinda necroposting, but Aaron said something yesterday

made a forum about my version of the variant