Chess Variant Idea - 19th century chess

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xman720

Apr 7, 2016

This is a chess variant that lots of low rated players play without even realizing it. Therefore, it seems reasonable enough to formalize it into an actual variant.

Rule 0: Any move that is illegal in normal chess is also illegal in this version of chess. In addition, if any of these constraints force a player to play a move that subjects himself to mate in 1, then he can ignore whatever rule is forcing him to do that.

Rule change 1: This is the starting position, white to move:

Rule change 2: Whenever you have the opportunity to take a piece of higher value with a piece of lower value, the option is FORCED. You have a choice of whatever material winning capture you want. However, taking the queen with a piece that isn't a queen is ALWAYS forced. You MUST accept queen sacrifices. This is an exception to rule 0, because you must accept queen sacrifices even if it leads to mate in 1.

Rule change 3: You must capture hanging material, unless as per rule change 2 you can win material with other captures.

Rule change 4: Whenever PxP is possible for black, the pawn must play PxP or advance, unless you also can win material or capture hanging material.

Rule change 5: Check and checkmate are always legal moves, regardless of any other rules that are in action. This is the 19th century, but not a scholastic tournament, so players are not obliged to play check. However, if it is legal they are allowed to (Again, the exception is that queen sacrifices must be accepted and the moves that accept the queen sacrifice as the only legal moves.)

Rule change 6: Players are assumed to have poor endgame technique. If QxQ is ever played and then the queen is recaptured, the game can last a maximum of 15 more moves before it is declared a draw, because the players do not know how to convert an endgame.

That is all. One final clarification.

The way the rules stack is that any move that is legal under any rule is always legal, regardless of how many rules are in action. In this position:

All 3 of white's captures are legal, but no other moves are legal. (If the pawn on b5 could advance, then b6 could be a legal move as well.

In this position:

Only PxQ is legal because queen sacrifices must be accepted.

How fun playing 19th century chess, and show off any 19th century chess games you have already played!