NEW VARIATION: Promotion Chess!

The Variation of Promotion adds a very exciting layer of strategy to the game of chess in the way pieces are promoted. Promotion Points are spent to increase the capabilities of pieces, making the game dynamic and unpredictable. Below is the explanation of the rules:

Core Rules:

    1.    Promotion Points System:

    •    Each player begins the game with 20 Promotion Points.

    •    These can be used at any time in the game to promote pieces into their more powerful forms, known as Super Pieces.

• If this is timed chess, remember players are still on the clock when it's time to decide how to promote their pieces. So don't take too long to promoting pieces.

• When a Pawn promotes to another piece, players may choose to immediately upgrade that piece by spending additional points. Base promotion of pawns does not cost points.

2. Piece Promotion Costs:

The balance of promotion costs is according to piece material values: 

Pawn → Super Pawn: 1 point 

Knight → Super Knight: 3 points 

Bishop → Super Bishop: 3 points 

Rook → Super Rook: 5 points 

Queen → Super Queen: 9 points 

King: Promotion not allowed. 

3. Super Piece Abilities: Super Pawn - adds backward movement and capture:

C M C
    ♙
C M C

• Super Knight: The Knight's "L-shape" moves combined with the Camel's longer "L-shape" moves, 3 squares in one direction, 1 in the perpendicular.

• Super Bishop: A Bishop and a King in one.

• Super Rook: A Rook and a King in one.

• Super Queen: A Queen and a Knight-the most powerful piece in the set.

4. Notation: Super Pieces are annotated with an "S", i.e., SB for Super Bishop, SR for Super Rook. Upgrading is also represented in notation. For example, if White chooses to upgrade a Bishop to a Super Bishop, the notation is written by stating the piece and its location, turning into its upgraded form:

Bc5=SB

5. Strategic Implications:

• Players have to make strategic decisions between using their points early to promote minor pieces or save them for more significant and more powerful upgrades, such as the Super Queen.
• Super Pieces introduce new tactics that break from traditional chess, greatly rewarding adaptability.

Notes:

You will lose points used to promote a captured piece.

In this variant, draws are conditional: stalemate, three-fold repetition. Even though you reach such a position, the winner of the game would be decided on how much promotion points a side has after what would normally be a draw.

For example, if Black is in a position where he has only the King, but cannot move it anywhere without being in check, traditionally it would have been declared as a stalemate. However, if Black has more points from promotion than White, Black wins.

The exception is that, when both players have the same amount of promotion points, then it is a traditional draw.

Remember, promotion of a piece is always available in the game. You simply have to use 1 turn to promote a piece with your points.

After games, analysis only begins after players choose to upgrade pieces.

In order to tell a piece if it’s upgraded digitally, you can just swap the look of the piece. If you’re playing over the board, just make a physical sign (like sliding a piece of paper under the piece).