We need a new fun, more unbound, standardized variant. I suggest "Chess100", or "Frog Prince Chess"

Big part of why the standard Chess has become the most popular is the elegant and aesthetically pleasing overall look, placement of the pieces and their fitting intuitive moves.

So when making a "Chess 2.0" variant we should as well follow similar recipe.

The main 2 problems with current Chess, not allowing it to reach the next level; is not very exciting piece moves; and too little board space, not allowing for much more variation (it's all too cramped together).

Another kind of boring rule in Chess is not allowing the King to remain in the checked square, or move to it, and having to announce "check".

There have been many variants, but almost all fall short. Capablanca Chess's new pieces is just mixing existing moves together (each side has at least 4 pieces that move like a Knight, 3 Bishops, 3 Rooks), and as well having this 10x8 board, which isn't aesthetically ideal.

Grand Chess is better, if it didn't use same Knight-move pieces and the Rooks didn't activate so quickly.

The new Duck Chess variant is of course a cool way to play chess, but it's not something that will ever be close to being as big or bigger than Chess.

So we just need a new great and intuitive (and serious) Chess variant, that can rival Chess, and take it to the next level. It needs to have more exciting pieces and be less restrictive, with more possible variations. But still be simple and familiar.

I suggest something like this. Which I call Chess100 or Frog Prince Chess (or maybe Toad Chess?  Or my favorite: TOADFOOL Chess).

It would have 2 new pieces; The Fool and The Frog Prince (or Frog for short (Toad can be used too)). 

The Fool takes form of the last moved opponent's piece - a simple rule, but with very interesting implications.

The Frog Prince can choose from 2 moves, either move/capture a square in any direction like a King, OR jump over pieces orthogonally and diagonally - can jump any number of times until it captures an opponent's piece at its destination (bit like more advanced checkers) (cannot combine these 2 different moves in 1) (if jumping, must always jump over a piece).

Frog Prince moves.

Both Fool and Frog provide new unique, solid and interesting ways to play, not just mixing already existing moves, or having more arbitrary less intuitive moves suggested for new pieces before (of course this way to do The Fool has already existed, it is a good way to do it nevertheless). Both of these pieces as well fit thematically (The Frog Prince is a well known fairytale, something that almost everyone has heard of, and has some concept of (there is as well Toad Prince from the witcher 3)).

Other rules involve:

• Pawn's first move can be 3, 2 or 1 square forward (en passant possible from 2 rows instead of 1).
• There is no check or mate, the King must be captured. King can as well move into check. You don't have to announce check. Stalemate happens only when there are no squares to move to, and the stalemated player wins.
• Can only promote Pawns to one of your own pieces captured by opponent.
• The Fool can promote as a Pawn (like any other transformation, will last until opponent makes new move) (the promoted piece is not used up).
• Castling can't be denied by controlling squares King moves through (because of the new no-check rule, because it now takes longer time to castle, and because castling is no longer as effective).

Playing on computer, The Fool would of course automatically take shape of the last played opponent's piece (with some indication that it's still the Fool. Playing physically, you could just remember the last opponent's move. Or if there would be any special sets made, they would include Fool "hats" of different pieces' heads, which you manually would put on your Fool after opponent's move.

More for fun, another variation of this, that takes more from Grand Chess, but crucially where Rooks can't be activated so fast (and doesn't share other rules with Grand Chess other than those I mentioned).

These are all just suggestions, that of course can be adjusted and changed. It's as well a push for those that have influence in Chess world, sites, programming, to push for a new Chess variant that can become popular and be standardized. I (and I would guess many other), just need a fresh breath of air that is still Chess but more fun and unbound, hopefully with much more varied opening theories that as well don't lead to an end game too fast.