The Variants Gym 2 - Ends January 1 - Chess Forums

chye3mc

3 days ago

0

#1

Welcome to The Variants Gym 2!

The Variants Gym 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?

In avery Variants Gym, there are five different variants (listed below), each with three challenges you can complete:

- The first challenge is simply to win a game of that variant.
- The other two challenges are optional, harder goals that give extra points.

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 Variants Gym.

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 is January 1, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC (11:00 AM AEDT).

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

How to Participate:

You don’t need to sign up, simply just play the featured variants during December. 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: Victory	Win a game of Runway against another player.	1 point
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: Victory	Win a game of Yolanda against another player.	1 point
Yolanda: 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: W Chris	Win a game of Yolanda against Chris (@chye3mc) All of you have 67 chances throughout the event to do so (57/67 chances left)	67 points

Variant 3: Rubicon

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

Challenge Name:	Challenge Description:	Points upon completion:
Rubicon: Victory	Win a game of Rubicon against another player.	7 points
Rubicon: Skeleton	Win a game of Rubicon without castling	11 points
Rubicon: Unmythical	Win a game of Rubicon without placing and moving dragon bishops	22 points

Variant 4: Chaturdrez

Chaturdrez by
https://www.chess.com/variants/chaturdrez/game/52807456/48/3

Challenge Name:	Challenge Description:	Points upon completion:
Chaturdrez: Victory	Get first place in a game of Chaturdrez against three other players.	56 points
Chaturdrez: Nice to Each Other	Get first place in a game of Chaturdrez without checking another player.	108 points
Chaturdrez: Good Luck, Babe!	Get first place in a game of Chaturdrez because any resigned player's king achieves KOTH, ending the game.	234 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.	16 points
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.	26 points
4P Giveaway: Queenless	Get first place in a game of 4P Giveaway without moving your queen.	36 points