New Variant Suggestion: Premove Chess with Mutual Checkmate Draws

Hi everyone,

I’ve been brainstorming a specific new variant of premove chess, that I think could bring a fresh dynamic to the game and would also be relatively straight forward. It’s built around the idea of premoves and introduces a strategic twist where both players submit their moves simultaneously. Here’s how it works:

Premove Chess Variant Rules

1. Basic Gameplay:

   • White moves first, as in traditional chess.
   • Both players premove simultaneously, submitting their next move without knowing the opponent’s choice. Once submitted, moves are revealed and executed in sequence.

2. Illegal Moves:

   • If a premove is illegal, the move is forfeited, and the player loses their turn. The piece attempting the move stays in its original position.
3. Simultaneous Move Conflict:
   • If two pieces from opposing sides move to the same square simultaneously, both pieces are removed from the board. This introduces a new tactical element, where players must weigh the risk of such conflicts during premove planning.

4. Simultaneous Check Scenario:

   • If both players simultaneously deliver a check, each must address the check in the following turn by:
     • Moving the king to safety.
     • Blocking the check.
     • Capturing the attacking piece (if possible).
   • If one player cannot escape the check (checkmate), the other wins.
   • If neither player can escape their respective checks (mutual checkmate), the game ends in a draw by mutual checkmate, a unique condition in this variant.

5. Checkmate Rules:

   • Players must always handle their own check immediately in the next cycle. Failure to do so results in immediate loss, even if the opponent's next premove leaves their king vulnerable.

6. Draw Situations:

   • Traditional chess draw conditions apply (stalemate, insufficient material, etc.), alongside the mutual checkmate draw.

7. Special Moves:

   • Castling: Allowed if all conditions are met before the move.
   • En Passant: Must follow standard timing rules.
   • Promotion: Specify the promoted piece during the premove.

8. Time Control:

   • Each player has a fixed amount of time (e.g., 10/20/60 seconds) to submit their premoves. Moves are executed simultaneously after both sides finalize their decisions. There could even be increments like +1 or +5 secons for faster premoves.

9. Victory Conditions:

   • Standard chess victory conditions apply, with the addition of draw by mutual checkmate.

Why This Variant?

This variant encourages players to anticipate their opponent’s strategy while managing the risks of forfeiting turns due to illegal moves. The added layer of simultaneous checks introduces an interesting new element that forces players to always balance offense and defense — making it impossible to deliver checkmate without simultaneously addressing your own vulnerabilities, unlike in traditional chess.

Illustrating The Challenges of Balancing Offense and Defense

In this example, both White and Black create opportunities to check one another: Bb5+ by White and Qh4+ by Black. After these moves, both players must address their opponent's attacks in the next premove cycle.

For instance:

• Black blocks White’s check with Bd7.
• White blocks Black’s check with g3.

On the following turn, White can play Bxb7+, delivering another check while simultaneously threatening Black’s queen with the pawn. At this point, Black is faced with a difficult dilemma:

• Address the check: Take the bishop with the king (Kxd7), but this will leave the queen undefended and almost certainly lost on the next turn.
• Ignore the check: Move the queen to safety (e.g., Qf6) but this fails to address the check, which leaves the king hanging. This will allow White to take the king (Bxe8) on the next premove and win the game.

This sequence reveals that Black’s initial choice of Bd7 was a mistake. By blocking with the bishop, Black created additional opportunities for White to continue the attack. Instead, moving the king earlier (e.g., Ke7), while otherwise an odd move that loses casteling rights, would have avoided the renewed check and preserved Black’s queen.

This example highlights the depth of strategy in this variant. Players must carefully anticipate their opponent’s moves while balancing offense and defense simultaneously. Missteps, even small ones, can quickly escalate into losing positions.

Questions for the Community

1. Has something like this been proposed before? If so, what was the reception?
2. Do you think this variant is worth trying? Would it work as a club event or friendly competition format?
3. Any suggestions for refining the rules or adding clarity?

I’d love to hear your thoughts! It would be great to playtest this and see how it goes.

Looking forward to your feedback!

Cheers!

seems like it could work.

would Hikaru be good at it do u think?

Let me answer your question like this:

XD

Nice