Antichess
Encyclopedia
Antichess, also called losing chess, loser's chess, zero chess, giveaway chess, suicide chess, take-me chess or reverse chess is a chess variant
in which the objective of the participants is to get all of their pieces
captured. The most widely played variation, as described in the book Popular Chess Variants by D.B. Pritchard, is described below.
A player wins by losing all his pieces, or being stalemated (as detailed.) Apart from move repetition
, mutual accord
and the fifty-move rule, the game is also drawn when a win is impossible, such as if a dark-squared bishop
and a light-squared bishop are the only pieces remaining. In another little-played version, forcing the opponent to checkmate the king is another option to win.
Because of the forced capture rule, antichess games often involve long sequences of forced captures by one player. This means that a minor mistake can ruin the game. Losing openings include 1.d4, 1.e4, 1.d3, 1.Nc3, 1.Nf3, 1.f4, 1.h4, 1.b4, 1.h3. Some of these openings took months of computer time to solve, but the wins against 1.d3, 1.d4, and 1.e4 consist of a single series of forced captures and can be played from memory by most experienced players.
As with Antichess, players must take at every opportunity and make a choice if more than one piece can be taken. Players must not move into check until they only have the King left. If an opponent's move puts them in check, they must get out of it, as per standard chess. If they only have the king left, they can just make a move which still leaves them in check, their opponent must take the king and then the player who has lost the king is the winner.
If they are checkmated before all the other pieces are gone, they lose. Pawns may only be promoted to a Queen.
Chess variant
A chess variant is a game related to, derived from or inspired by chess. The difference from chess might include one or more of the following:...
in which the objective of the participants is to get all of their pieces
Chess piece
Chess pieces or chessmen are the pieces deployed on a chessboard to play the game of chess. The pieces vary in abilities, giving them different values in the game...
captured. The most widely played variation, as described in the book Popular Chess Variants by D.B. Pritchard, is described below.
Rules
The rules of the game are the same as those of chess except for the following additional rules:- Capturing is compulsory.
- When more than one capture is available, the player may exercise choice.
- The kingKing (chess)In chess, the king is the most important piece. The object of the game is to trap the opponent's king so that its escape is not possible . If a player's king is threatened with capture, it is said to be in check, and the player must remove the threat of capture on the next move. If this cannot be...
has no special prerogative and accordingly:- It may be captured like any other piece.
- There is no check or checkmateCheckmateCheckmate is a situation in chess in which one player's king is threatened with capture and there is no way to meet that threat. Or, simply put, the king is under direct attack and cannot avoid being captured...
. - There is no castlingCastlingCastling is a special move in the game of chess involving the king and either of the original rooks of the same color. It is the only move in chess in which a player moves two pieces at the same time. Castling consists of moving the king two squares towards a rook on the player's first rank, then...
. - Pawns may also promotePromotion (chess)Promotion is a chess rule describing the transformation of a pawn that reaches its eighth rank into the player's choice of a queen, knight, rook, or bishop of the same color . The new piece replaces the pawn on the same square and is part of the move. Promotion is not limited to pieces that have...
to King.
- In the case of stalemateStalemateStalemate is a situation in chess where the player whose turn it is to move is not in check but has no legal moves. A stalemate ends the game in a draw. Stalemate is covered in the rules of chess....
, there are different rules:- It is a win for the stalemated player (international rules).
- It is a draw.
- It is a win for the player with the fewer number of pieces, and if both have the same number it is a draw. The type of the piece makes no difference (FICSFree Internet Chess ServerThe Free Internet Chess Server is a volunteer-run Internet chess server. It was organised as a free alternative to the Internet Chess Club , after that site began charging for membership.-History:...
rules).
A player wins by losing all his pieces, or being stalemated (as detailed.) Apart from move repetition
Threefold repetition
In chess and some other abstract strategy games, the threefold repetition rule states that a player can claim a draw if the same position occurs three times, or will occur after their next move, with the same player to move. The repeated positions need not occur in succession...
, mutual accord
Draw by agreement
In chess, a draw by agreement is the outcome of a game due to the agreement of both players to a draw. A player may offer a draw to his opponent at any stage of a game; if the opponent accepts, the game is a draw. The relevant portion of the FIDE laws of chess is article 9.1...
and the fifty-move rule, the game is also drawn when a win is impossible, such as if a dark-squared bishop
Bishop (chess)
A bishop is a piece in the board game of chess. Each player begins the game with two bishops. One starts between the king's knight and the king, the other between the queen's knight and the queen...
and a light-squared bishop are the only pieces remaining. In another little-played version, forcing the opponent to checkmate the king is another option to win.
Because of the forced capture rule, antichess games often involve long sequences of forced captures by one player. This means that a minor mistake can ruin the game. Losing openings include 1.d4, 1.e4, 1.d3, 1.Nc3, 1.Nf3, 1.f4, 1.h4, 1.b4, 1.h3. Some of these openings took months of computer time to solve, but the wins against 1.d3, 1.d4, and 1.e4 consist of a single series of forced captures and can be played from memory by most experienced players.
Kamikaze chess variation
Kamikaze chess is similar to Antichess, but with one main difference, players must lose their king last.As with Antichess, players must take at every opportunity and make a choice if more than one piece can be taken. Players must not move into check until they only have the King left. If an opponent's move puts them in check, they must get out of it, as per standard chess. If they only have the king left, they can just make a move which still leaves them in check, their opponent must take the king and then the player who has lost the king is the winner.
If they are checkmated before all the other pieces are gone, they lose. Pawns may only be promoted to a Queen.
External links
– AntiChess Game for Linux- Play Antichess online
- Nilatac's Suicide Opening Book
- The complete review of suicide chess by Fabrice Liardet
- An interesting look on suicide chess by Vladica Andrejić
- Web site of Stan Goldovski, pioneer of suicide chess
- Suicide and Losers Chess database
- SuicideChess
- Play Antichess online (Suicide and Losers variants)