2026 CHALLENGE - The Variants Challenges (AKA: Random Pieces Jumpscare III cuz it tok me 4h to make) - Chess Forums

chye3mc

Dec 2, 2025

0

#1

PLEASE NOTE THAT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WERE SLIGHTLY CHANGED ON DECEMBER 30, 2025

Welcome to The Variants Challenges!

The Variants Challenges 2 is a chess-variant challenge where you can try a range of different chess variants and earn points by completing achievements! Play games, score points, climb the leaderboard, and may the best variant player win!

What is this?

There are five different variants (listed below), each with three challenges you can complete (for example, winning a game without moving a wildizonibaba riderhopper).

Points stack, so you can complete multiple challenges in the same game for extra points! Additionally, you can complete the same achievement multiple times, meaning you can score more extra points!

Please note:

- Rapid and blitz time controls for Wheel of Fortune (WoF) variants do not count. Wheel of Fortune variants will be marked with (WoF)
- Hyperbullet time controls are excluded for all variants.
- Non-WoF variants must be played rated.
- If a game is resigned or timed out (excluding early checkmates and other exceptions) before or on Move 5, it does not count.

Only games played after December 3, 2025 count towards this challenge.

Huge thanks to @GymnastLazer829 for the inspiration! If it wasn't for them, then this challenge wouldn't have existed! See here for the original inspiration.

Unlike the first challenge, you don't need to sign up, and you can start earning points right away! Also, the challenge has a fixed end date, which will be decided closer to the deadline.

The player with the most points by the deadline earns 2 cookies 🍪🍪, so good luck and have fun!

How to Participate:

You don’t need to sign up, simply just play the featured variants before the deadline. To earn points:

1. Play a game of one of the five variants.
2. Complete one or more challenges for that variant.
3. Comment with:
  - Your game link
  - The challenge name(s) (Example: “Runway: Victory — [game link]”)
  - You can put multiple game links in one comment and all of them will count!

As long as you’ve scored at least one point and posted a valid game link, you’ll automatically be added to the leaderboard!

Variant 1 (WoF): Runway

Variant 1: Runway by
https://www.chess.com/variants/game/28296356

Challenge Name:	Challenge Description:	Points upon completion:
Runway: Stalemate Wins (NEW)	Win a game (any colour) by stalemate.	2 points
Runway: Unrunway	As Blue, win by using the queen to checkmate Red (by checking Red once).	6 points
Runway: Horse Protection	As Red, win without letting any of the xiangqi horses be captured.	11 points

Variant 2 (WoF): Yolanda

Yolanda by
https://www.chess.com/variants/game/82300936

Challenge Name:	Challenge Description:	Points upon completion:
Yolanda: Totally Not Cornered	Win a game of Yolanda without moving any of your two corner rooks and without moving onto any of the four corner squares	16 points
Yolanda: OMG HOW DID THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS WIN AGAINST THE LA RAMS jumpscare (NEW)	Win a game if you have at least four or more pieces in your bank at any point on or after Move 10.	17 points
Yolanda: W Chris	Win a game of Yolanda against Chris (@chye3mc) All of you have 134 chances throughout the event to do so (44/67 chances unrated left) This includes the 67 games played unrated and the 67 games played in the WoF arena.	67 points

Variant 3: Rubicon

Rubicon by
https://www.chess.com/variants/game/48903463

Challenge Name:	Challenge Description:	Points upon completion:
Rubicon: Victory (NEW)	Win a game of Rubicon without checking your opponent. Resigns on or before Move 20 do not count towards this challenge.	7 points
Rubicon: Skeletal Shenanigans	Win a game of Rubicon without castling.	11 points
Rubicon: Unmythical (Modified)	Win a game of Rubicon without placing, moving or capturing dragon bishops.	22 points

Variant 4: Sergeant's Checkers II (NEW)

Sergeant's Checkers II by
https://www.chess.com/variants/sergeants-checkers-ii/game/71441356/82/1

Challenge Name:	Challenge Description:	Points upon completion:
Sergeants Checkers II: Victory (NEW)	Win a game of Sergeants Checkers II against another player. Resignations or timeouts before Move 5 do not count.	32 points
Sergeants Checkers II: Good Luck, Babe! (NEW)	Win a game by promoting pawns to a queen and use any queen to checkmate or capture your opponent's royal.	41 points
Sergeants Checkers II: Nice to Each Other (NEW)	Win a game of Sergeants Checkers II without getting checked and without check or checkmating your opponent. And, because you are trying to be nice to your opponent, do not use a jump spell on your opponent's pieces. It's ok if your opponent uses a jump spell on your pieces though. The only way to win here is to achieve KOTH. But good luck not getting checked.	50 points

Variant 5: (Modern) 4P Giveaway

(Modern) 4P Giveaway
https://www.chess.com/variants/4p-giveaway/game/69093700/123/4

Challenge Name:	Challenge Description:	Points upon completion:
4P Giveaway: Victory	Get first place in a game of 4P Giveaway against three other players. I'm making this challenge simple cuz I suck at 4P giveaway.	25 points (Changed)
4P Giveaway: Queenless (Modified)	Get first place in a game of 4P Giveaway without moving your queen or capturing a queen.	30 points (Changed)
4P Giveaway: Betrayal	Get first place in a game of 4P Giveaway, but your last move must be used to 'betray' another player, forcing them to lose rating.	41 points (Changed)