Chess39

Rules of the "Free Initial Placement" variant of chess Goal: To defeat the opponent or checkmate him, as in regular chess. Initial placement: Players independently choose the initial placement of the pieces before the start of the game. The pieces are placed on the extreme horizontal lines (1st, 2nd and 7th, 8th). The order of the pieces on these horizontal lines is arbitrary and determined by the player's preferences. Restrictions on the pieces: Each player is required to use exactly 16 pieces. The total value of all pieces cannot exceed 39 points, where: Pawn = 1 point Knight = 3 points Bishop = 3 points Rook = 5 points Queen = 9 points The king remains one on each side and is not included in the overall score. The initial setup can include any combination of pieces, as long as the total value does not exceed 39 points. Standard chess rules apply for moves, checkmate, and game play.

Cool

There's an option to not cap the total value of the pieces at 39 points, but to allow players to choose their own value—for example, from 15 to 135 points. Let's say the player playing the black pieces decides the value of the pieces. For example, if a player says 50, then both players have the right to arrange their pieces so that their total value doesn't exceed 50 points.