Another Chess Variant ?
Invent the drone challenge
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OK, I will try my hand at designing such a 'Game of Drones':
Board 8x8, with a FIDE setup, but both players have an additional piece called Drone at a3 or a6. The Drone can only be captured by a King or a Queen, and can only move to empty squares, or squares occupied by an enemy piece other than Drone.
The Drone moves automatically along the rank it is on, according to the following rules:
- The Drone can be in two states, which move in opposit directions: a-bound or h-bound. Initially it is h-bound.
- It moves to the nearest square on its current rank that does not contain a friendly piece or a Drone, in the direction it is currenly moving in. (So it 'flies over' friendly pieces.)
- If there is an enemy piece there, it is captured.
- If there is no such square, the Drone stays in place, but reverts direction.
- It makes this move after the player who owns it moved a FIDE piece, in the same turn.
Instead of moving a FIDE piece, the player can also choose to steer its Drone. In that case the Drone move one step diagonally, and there is no automatic move following it. This move can also capture (but not a Drone).
Nov 13, 2025
0
#4
My turn
FIDE setup on an 8x8 board except bishops are replace by the drone
Move like a bishop but can fly over any piece but can not capture after it flies over an enemy( I had to add this because otherwise it would be two powerful with cross board smothered mate and things like that)
When moving, if the square moved to is occupied by the oppenents pieces, then the owner of the drone can choose whether or not to capture. If the the owner chooses to not capture, then the drone can move the opponents piece anywhere in a diagonal direcrion and move to the square the piece was at
FIDE setup on an 8x8 board except bishops are replace by the drone
Move like a bishop but can fly over any piece but can not capture after it flies over an enemy( I had to add this because otherwise it would be two powerful with cross board smothered mate and things like that)
When moving, if the square moved to is occupied by the oppenents pieces, then the owner of the drone can choose whether or not to capture. If the the owner chooses to not capture, then the drone can move the opponents piece anywhere in a diagonal direcrion and move to the square the piece was at
Nov 14, 2025
0
#5
Heres an idea, you can move the drone like a king, but cannot capture. If the drone is on the same file, rank or diagonal as the enemy king, you must move the drone one space towards the king, and you can move another piece. When the drone is locked on to the king, it will capture whatever it moves on to, even if it captures the king.
evert823 schreef:
Nice to hear from you after quite some time @HGMuller
Yeah, I bought a new home, and am very busy with construction work for renovating it. So very little time for (computer) chess, also the next few months...
I forgot to mention what happens to the Drone's auto-moving direction when you steer it. It seems logical to allow the player that steers the drone to also pick the new direction (left or right) it will be moving in. I like that better than just continuing in the same direction.
Please meet a new chess variant piece: the drone.
Instead of providing the rules, I start a challenge for the audience to come up with them.
The best idea will be decided upon by me. That will happen according to a few criteria:
- Playable rules
- Consistent rules
- Must have some (autonomic) behaviour that mimics drones
- Not excessively weird or game-changing
- No probability, complete information only
- Not overpowered
- Not a too high chance that it gets eliminated early
If your idea wins, you will receive an official "Inventor of the drone" accomplishment. And I will moderate a game.