Chess with different armies
Encyclopedia
Chess with different armies (or Betza chess) is a chess variant
in which two sides use different sets of fairy pieces
. There are several armies of equal strength to choose from, including standard FIDE
army. In all armies kings and pawns are the same as in FIDE chess
, but other pieces are different.
All armies are designed to be equal in strength, but have significantly different properties. kings
and pawns
move the same as in chess
for all armies. Pawns
can only promote to pieces available in either player's army at the start. The castling
is done as in standard chess
with exception of the case when rook
replacement is a colorbound, like in colorbound clobberers army. In the latter case the king
when castling
long moves to b1 and rook
replacement to c1. This is so colorbound pieces don't change square color.
Many pieces in the following armies are combination of standard chess
pieces and 4 fairy pieces: fers, alfil, wazir and dabbaba (see their movement diagrams above). The game can be played with standard chess
pieces and the following move diagrams use standard pieces as well (except queens
).
In initial version of the game there were 8 armies and in these armies the king
moved differently than the king
in the standard chess
. Instead of normal pawns
, fairy pawns could be selected, for example berolina pawns
. However, later Betza abandoned the idea of using fairy pieces for king
and pawn
and reduced the number of armies to four.
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 two sides use different sets of fairy pieces
Fairy chess piece
A fairy chess piece or unorthodox chess piece is a piece analogous to a chess piece. It is not used in conventional chess, but is used in certain chess variants and some chess problems...
. There are several armies of equal strength to choose from, including standard FIDE
Fédération Internationale des Échecs
The Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation is an international organization that connects the various national chess federations around the world and acts as the governing body of international chess competition. It is usually referred to as FIDE , its French acronym.FIDE...
army. In all armies kings and pawns are the same as in FIDE chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
, but other pieces are different.
Rules
Before the game players choose their armies in a certain way, predefined by tournament rules. This can be done either randomly or secretly by both players. Each player has a choice of 4 armies: the Fabulous FIDEs, where all pieces move as in standard chess, Colorbound Clobberers, Nutty Knights or Remarkable Rookies army.All armies are designed to be equal in strength, but have significantly different properties. kings
King (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...
and pawns
Pawn (chess)
The pawn is the most numerous and weakest piece in the game of chess, historically representing infantry, or more particularly armed peasants or pikemen. Each player begins the game with eight pawns, one on each square of the rank immediately in front of the other pieces...
move the same as in chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
for all armies. Pawns
Pawn (chess)
The pawn is the most numerous and weakest piece in the game of chess, historically representing infantry, or more particularly armed peasants or pikemen. Each player begins the game with eight pawns, one on each square of the rank immediately in front of the other pieces...
can only promote to pieces available in either player's army at the start. The castling
Castling
Castling 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...
is done as in standard chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
with exception of the case when rook
Rook (chess)
A rook is a piece in the strategy board game of chess. Formerly the piece was called the castle, tower, marquess, rector, and comes...
replacement is a colorbound, like in colorbound clobberers army. In the latter case the king
King (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...
when castling
Castling
Castling 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...
long moves to b1 and rook
Rook (chess)
A rook is a piece in the strategy board game of chess. Formerly the piece was called the castle, tower, marquess, rector, and comes...
replacement to c1. This is so colorbound pieces don't change square color.
Many pieces in the following armies are combination of standard chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
pieces and 4 fairy pieces: fers, alfil, wazir and dabbaba (see their movement diagrams above). The game can be played with standard chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
pieces and the following move diagrams use standard pieces as well (except queens
Queen (chess)
The queen is the most powerful piece in the game of chess, able to move any number of squares vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Each player starts the game with one queen, placed in the middle of the first rank next to the king. With the chessboard oriented correctly, the white queen starts...
).
Colorbound Clobberers
Nutty Knights
Remarkable Rookies
Other armies
The four armies described above were play tested by Ralph Betza and selected as most balanced ones. There are other armies, invented by Betza and other people:- Amazon Army (Ralph Betza);
- Cylindrical Cinders (Ralph Betza);
- Fighting Fizzies (Peter Aronson);
- Forward FIDEs (Ralph Betza);
- Pizza Kings (John Lawson);
- Meticulous Mashers (Ralph Betza);
- Seeping Switchers (Jörg Knappen).
In initial version of the game there were 8 armies and in these armies the king
King (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...
moved differently than the king
King (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...
in the standard chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
. Instead of normal pawns
Pawn (chess)
The pawn is the most numerous and weakest piece in the game of chess, historically representing infantry, or more particularly armed peasants or pikemen. Each player begins the game with eight pawns, one on each square of the rank immediately in front of the other pieces...
, fairy pawns could be selected, for example berolina pawns
Berolina chess
Berolina Chess is a chess variant using a popular fairy chess piece called the Berolina pawn...
. However, later Betza abandoned the idea of using fairy pieces for king
King (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...
and pawn
Pawn (chess)
The pawn is the most numerous and weakest piece in the game of chess, historically representing infantry, or more particularly armed peasants or pikemen. Each player begins the game with eight pawns, one on each square of the rank immediately in front of the other pieces...
and reduced the number of armies to four.