Running Check | Rules/Strategies

Heyo All! Today I am going to explain our new Variant called "Running Check"

This variant is extremely exciting and fun. One of the cool things is that you can actually play it in Custom Variants Variants! With this amazing feature of custom variants you can play almost all variants you can think of.

Now, the rules of this game are simple and Fun.

Rules:

• Petrified:
  Petrified in Variants is when you take a piece out your piece you used to capture with turns to stone. Simple rule...Don't just go and take a free bishop out with your queen or it is not useful for the rest of the game.
  Once your piece is a stone block it remains that way the rest of the game and cannot be moved
• +1 Check
  Whoever gets the first Check wins the game. However, it won't be easy. If you check the king in a move you took a piece out in your piece turns to stone and does not check. With this rule you will not be able to check nearly as easily and your original idea that this variant was forced by white is no longer true XD

Now you should understand how to play this variant. Before getting into certain strategies I came up with I want to make sure you all know how to create this Variant in the Custom Variants.

Step 1: Go to the Variants Home page and search "Petrified"

Step 2: After clicking on the Variant you will see and "Customize" button. Click it.

Step 3: Click the "Edit Rules" Button

Step 4: Turn on 1 Check by clicking on "N-Check lives" Go to the top and select "1+"

Step 5: Now you can click  "Close Rules"

Once you closed the rules you can select your time control. The default time control, I think is 1|1 so you are most likely going to want to adjust that

Now we want to know some strategies, right?

Strategy #1; It's not forced, but it's weak

When you are white you certainly have an advantage but not forced win.

In fact, the only semi-forced win in this variant is on move 1 when white plays Nc3

Let's say white plays Nc3.

In this situation Black actually has two options to not lose, unlike atomic chess in which black would have 2 options if white played Nf3

After Nc3 the two options that lead to an even game are

f5 or d5

THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR BLACK. THE MOST IMPORTANT MOVE OF THE GAME

the better of these two moves is f5 of course since d5 can end in you losing your queen, or having a king in playing a Bongcloud opening. Although there is ways to only lose minor pieces to minor pieces. I like to play f5 better, though. Feels safer

It is very interesting how open you can be in this game but not be check on because your piece will turn to stone.

Strategy #2 Give out the bait - It's not free

The interesting thing about this variant is that placing your pieces in dangerous spots is perfectly fine for you, safe as well! Of course you wouldn't leave your bishop for a pawn. But leaving a hanging bishop to a rook is a great strategy. A player can easily forget that his rook will turn to stone if he take it. Thinking it is a free piece your opponent might take and make a huge mistake.

A lot of the time players are on auto-pilot mode in their chess games, especially online chess, that they don't even realize the tactic here. With this in mind they go right ahead and take the piece and losing a rook to a bishop on the way.

Strategy #3 Don't worry about the holes

In normal 3 check the two options black has in response to 1.Nc3 are moves unheard of to most 3 check players. d5 which opens a diagonal to the king on the queen side and f5 which opens a diagonal on the king side.

The point here is that you really don't need to worry, you have a pawn to cover up both sides. In fact, I know a 3 check player that actually opened with d5. After d5 they would play c6 and have plenty of room to move around and no check threats.

strategy #4 Double check your king

If you want complete safety just check on your king each move before moving to see if your opponent can check it in the next move. If they can't you are good to move. But if they can you just saved yourself a loss. Remember: This will be the end if you carelessly let your king even run near the danger. In this heart-wrenching variant Your King will need to run away from the Checks and the Checks come Running after. RUNNING CHECK

Over all this game is pretty simple to learn and actually has several important strategies to exercise your brain.

Here is a game that the computer played of this variant

We will be hosting a Swiss Tournament in 5|0 Time Control using this Variant and the Variant Server.

If you want to sign up just place a comment saying you wish to join.