Chess Variants/Grand Chess

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10a10 black rookb10c10d10e10f10g10h10i10j10 black rook10
9a9b9 black knightc9 black bishopd9 black queene9 black kingf9 black empressg9 black princessh9 black bishopi9 black knightj99
8a8 black pawnb8 black pawnc8 black pawnd8 black pawne8 black pawnf8 black pawng8 black pawnh8 black pawni8 black pawnj8 black pawn8
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5a5b5c5d5e5f5g5h5i5j55
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3a3 white pawnb3 white pawnc3 white pawnd3 white pawne3 white pawnf3 white pawng3 white pawnh3 white pawni3 white pawnj3 white pawn3
2a2b2 white knightc2 white bishopd2 white queene2 white kingf2 white empressg2 white princessh2 white bishopi2 white knightj22
1a1 white rookb1c1d1e1f1g1h1i1j1 white rook1
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Initial setuup of grand chess

Introduction

Grand Chess is a variant of chess played on a 10 by 10 board with the same new pieces as Capablanca chess.

History

Grand chess was created in 1984 by Dutch game designer Christian Freeling. Freeling is the operator of the Dutch games webiste MindSports, which has held online tournaments for Grand chess in the past. In addition, from 1998 until its dissolution in 2003, the correspondence organisation Knights of the Square Table also held annual tournaments.

Rules

Grand chess is played on a 10 by 10 board, with the usual chess pieces plus two new pieces - the marshall and the cardinal.

  • The mashall () combines the powers of the rook and the knight. It may slide horizontally or vertically like a rook, or jump like a knight, but not both in one move.
  • The cardinal () combines the powers of the bishop and the knight. It may slide diagonally like a bishop, or jump like a knight, but not both in one move.

All other pieces move and capture in the same way as the standard game.

Since the rooks are not on the same rank as the king, there is no castling in Grand chess.

The promotion rules are also different:

  • A pawn that moves to the eighth or ninth ranks (for White) or the third or second ranks (for Black) is given the choice of either promoting or remaining a pawn.
  • A pawn that moves to the tenth rank (for White) or the first rank (for Black) must promote.
  • A pawn may only promote to a non-king piece that has already been captured. So unlike standard chess a player may not have two queens, or three rooks, or so on.
  • If no captured pieces are available to promote to, a pawn may not move to the furthest rank, but it can still give check.

Sub-variants

  • Embassy chess adapts the starting position of Grand chess to the 10 by 8 board used in Capablanca chess.
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