Fairy chess comprises chess problem

Chess problem

A chess problem, also called a chess composition, is a puzzle set by somebody using chess pieces on a chess board, that presents the solver with a particular task to be achieved. For instance, a position might be given with the instruction that White is to move first, and checkmate Black in two...

s that differ from classical (also called orthodox) chess problems in that they are not direct mates. The term was introduced before the First World War. While selfmate dates from the Middle Age, helpmate was invented by Max Lange

Max Lange

Max Lange was a German chess player and composer.In 1858–1864, he was an editor of the Deutsche Schachzeitung . He was a founder of Westdeutscher Schachbund , and an organizer of the 9th DSB–Congress at Leipzig 1894...

 in the late 19th century. Thomas Dawson

Thomas Rayner Dawson

Thomas Rayner Dawson was a British chess problemist. He invented many fairy pieces and new conditions. He introduced the popular fairy pieces grasshopper, nightrider, and many other fairy chess ideas.-Career:...

 (1889–1951), pioneer of fairy chess, invented many fairy pieces and new conditions. He was also problem editor of The Fairy Chess Review (1930–1951).

Prichard in Encyclopedia of Chess Variants [ISBN 0-9524142-0-1 1994] acknowledges that the term is sometimes used for games although it is more usually to problems where the board, pieces or rules are changed to express an idea or theme impossible in orthochess'.

Types of fairy chess problems

Types of fairy chess problems include:

• New stipulations: Probably the most used alternations are new stipulations instead of a direct mate stipulation. A lot of them were invented, some of them become established. Selfmate
  Selfmate
  A selfmate is a chess problem in which white, moving first, must force black to deliver checkmate within a specified number of moves against his will. Selfmates were once known as sui-mates.The problem to the right is a relatively simple example...
  
  s and helpmate
  Helpmate
  A helpmate is a type of chess problem in which both sides cooperate in order to achieve the goal of checkmating Black. In a helpmate in n moves, Black moves first, then White, each side moving n times, to culminate in White's nth move checkmating Black...
  
  s are nowadays often considered to be orthodox stipulations. Amongst other there are: reflexmate
  Reflexmate
  A reflexmate is a chess problem in which white, moving first, must force black to deliver checkmate within a specified number of moves against his will - with the added condition that if either player can give checkmate, they must. If this condition applies only to Black, it is a semi-reflexmate...
  
  s, various types of seriesmover
  Seriesmover
  A seriesmover is a chess problem in which one side makes a series of legal moves without reply at the end of which the other side makes a single move, giving checkmate or yielding stalemate, depending on the precise stipulation. Checks cannot be given except on the last move of the series...
  
  s, or recently very popular helpselfmates. Part of new stipulations are also retroanalytical problems
  Retrograde analysis
  In chess, retrograde analysis is a computational method used to solve game positions for optimal play by working backward from known outcomes , such as the construction of endgame tablebases. In game theory at large, this method is called backward induction...
  
   including shortest proof game
  Shortest proof game
  A proof game is a type of retrograde analysis chess problem. The solver must construct a game starting from the initial chess position, which ends with a given position after a specified number of moves. A proof game is called a shortest proof game if no shorter solution exists...
  
  s and retractors. Finally various construction tasks on chess board and mathematical problems using chess objects are considered to be chess problems as well.
• New chess pieces: Conventional chess piece
  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...
  
  s are generalized in many ways (grasshopper
  Grasshopper (chess piece)
  The Grasshopper is a fairy chess piece that moves along ranks, files, and diagonals but only by hopping over another piece at any distance to the square immediately closest. If there is no piece to hop over, it cannot move. If the square beyond a piece is occupied by a piece of the opposite color,...
  
  , nightrider
  Nightrider (chess)
  A nightrider is a fairy chess piece that can move any number of steps in a direction that a knight can move. For example, a nightrider on b2 can reach square c4 and forward to d6 and e8, but cannot jump over pawn f4 to h5...
  
  , Chinese pieces, etc.). See main article Fairy chess piece
  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...
  
  s.
• New conditions: They encompass all changes of rules including rules for captures, checks, general movement abilities, checkmates, etc. A lot of them were invented; some of them became established: circe chess
  Circe chess
  Circe chess is a chess variant in which captured pieces are reborn on their starting positions as soon as they are captured, based on the following rules:#Pawns return to the start position on the same file they are captured on....
  
  , madrasi chess
  Madrasi chess
  Madrasi chess is a chess variant invented in 1979 by Abdul Jabbar Karwatkar which uses the conventional rules of chess with the addition that when a piece is attacked by a piece of the same type but opposite colour it is paralysed and becomes unable to move, capture or give check...
  
  , Andernach chess
  Andernach chess
  Andernach chess is a chess variant in which a piece making a capture changes colour. For instance, if a white bishop on a2 were to capture a black knight on g8, the end result would be a black bishop on g8. Non-capturing moves are played as in orthodox chess...
  
  , monochromatic chess
  Monochromatic chess
  Monochromatic chess is a chess variant created by Raymond Smullyan, in which the initial board position and all rules are the same as in regular chess, except that pieces which begin on a black square must always stay on a black square and pieces which begin on a white square must always stay on a...
  
  , patrol chess
  Patrol chess
  Patrol chess is a chess variant in which captures can be made and checks given only if the capturing or checking piece is guarded by a friendly unit...
  
  , Einstein chess and many others.
• Different boards: One can vary board size from 8x8 to other sizes (7x8, unusual board shapes, etc.) or use different geometries: cylinder
  Cylinder chess
  Cylinder chess is a chess variant with an unusual board. The game is played as if the board were a cylinder, with the left side of the board joined to the right side...
  
   (vertical and horizontal), anchor ring or torus
  Torus
  In geometry, a torus is a surface of revolution generated by revolving a circle in three dimensional space about an axis coplanar with the circle...
  
   and others.

All problems in the FIDE Album

FIDE Album

The FIDE Albums are publications of the world chess governing body, FIDE, via the Permanent Commission of the FIDE for Chess Compositions , containing the best chess problems and studies of a certain period ....

s are divided into eight sections: directmates (2-movers, 3-movers and moremovers), endgame studies, selfmates, helpmates, fairy chess and retro and mathematical problems

Mathematical chess problem

Mathematical chess problem is a mathematical problem which is formulated using chessboard or chess pieces. These problems belong to recreational mathematics. The most known problems of this kind are Eight queens puzzle or Knight's Tour problems, which have connection to graph theory and combinatorics...

.

External links

• Fairy chess by Michael McDowell
• Fairy chess glossary by Otto Janko.
• MetaChess, an open source chess program with atomic and fairy chess rules featuring powerful artificial intelligence