What is Fairy Chess?

Fairy chess, also known as unorthodox chess, is a term used to describe chess variants that deviate from the standard rules of chess. These variations can include changes to the chessboard, the chess pieces, or the way they move. Fairy chess provides an opportunity for chess enthusiasts to explore new and creative ways to play the game, and offers a refreshing change of pace from the traditional chess.

Circe Chess

In this chess variant, when a chess piece is captured, it is not removed from the board, but instead reappears on a specific square on the board. This can lead to some interesting situations, where captured pieces can suddenly reappear and threaten the opponent’s pieces.

Capablanca Chess

Capablanca chess named after José Capablanca, in this variant when a pawn reaches the 8th rank, it promotes to any piece except a queen, this change creates a more dynamic endgame and forcing players to think about the best piece to choose for the promotion.

Makruk Chess

Makruk, a Thai chess variant, in this game the pawns move and capture differently than in standard chess. Pawns move and capture diagonally, which creates an entirely different dynamic to the game.

Knightmate Chess

Knightmate in which a player can promote a pawn to a knight instead of a queen, this change makes for more aggressive play as the knight can jump over other pieces, creating unexpected threats.

Bughouse Chess

Bughouse chess which is played by two teams of two players, with each player controlling a chess set, and the pieces captured in one game can be passed onto the other player on the same team, creating a unique and fast-paced style of play.

Chess960

Fischer random chess named by Bobby Fischer, which randomizes the back-rank pieces in the beginning of the game, this change makes it more difficult for players to rely on opening theory, and it encourages creativity and originality in the opening stages of the game. Fischer Random Chess is also known as Chess960.

Losers Chess

Losers chess in which when a player loses a piece, they can then drop it anywhere on the board, this change leads to unexpected and creative play as players can drop pieces in areas of the board where they would not normally be able to move.

Atomic Chess

Atomic chess, captures result in an explosion, destroying all the pieces in the adjacent squares, this variant creates a high-risk, high-reward style of play, where a single move can change the course of the game.

Three-check Chess

Three-check chess, in which the game is won by checking the opponent’s king three times, this variant encourages aggressive play and leads to faster games.

Fairy chess offers an exciting and refreshing change from the traditional game of chess. These variants can provide a new level of challenge and creativity for players of all skill levels. It allows players to explore new strategies, tactics and it can make the game more dynamic and unpredictable. The examples above just scratch the surface of the many fairy chess variants available, and there’s always something new to discover and enjoy.