Previous state: https://www.chess.com/clubs/forum/view/new-gamerule-alabama-pawns-for-alabama-chess-1This is another new gamerule for a series in which me and my IRL friends create a chess variant for every state. We aimed to make this playable on a regular chessboard, so all of my state variants must start from the standard chess position.
You know how it's freezing cold in Alaska? Well, now, almost all of your pieces are frozen. Unless, they are orthogonally right next to a rook (yours or not). Rooks provide warmth for the four squares surrounding it.
In Alaska Chess, you can only move pieces that are orthogonally right next to a rook, unless they are a pawn or a knight-related piece. You do not have to move to a square that is orthogonally right next to a rook.
Pawns and knight-related pieces can escape the cold becuase reindeers can survive the snow, and freezing the pawns will make an uninteresting variant.
Alaska Chess is standard chess but played with only the Alaska gamerule.
Interference with existing chess.com variants gamerules:
- If Sacred Royal is enabled, kings can move through the icy cold.
- If a piece has a freeze spell on it, it can not move, even right next to a rook.
Part of the 50 states series. This rule was also one of the first rules to be created, created back on August 22, 2025.
Previous state: https://www.chess.com/clubs/forum/view/new-gamerule-alabama-pawns-for-alabama-chess-1This is another new gamerule for a series in which me and my IRL friends create a chess variant for every state. We aimed to make this playable on a regular chessboard, so all of my state variants must start from the standard chess position.
You know how it's freezing cold in Alaska? Well, now, almost all of your pieces are frozen. Unless, they are orthogonally right next to a rook (yours or not). Rooks provide warmth for the four squares surrounding it.
In Alaska Chess, you can only move pieces that are orthogonally right next to a rook, unless they are a pawn or a knight-related piece. You do not have to move to a square that is orthogonally right next to a rook.
Pawns and knight-related pieces can escape the cold becuase reindeers can survive the snow, and freezing the pawns will make an uninteresting variant.
Alaska Chess is standard chess but played with only the Alaska gamerule.
Interference with existing chess.com variants gamerules:
- If Sacred Royal is enabled, kings can move through the icy cold.
- If a piece has a freeze spell on it, it can not move, even right next to a rook.
Part of the 50 states series. This rule was also one of the first rules to be created, created back on August 22, 2025.