Variant Chess
An established chess-variant magazine is *Variant Chess*, of which #15 (Oct-Dec 94) recently arrived. This issue has three pages on various forms of Progressive Chess, an article by Koichi Masukawa on the origin of shogi, four pages of chess problems, two pages on Kriegspiel, reviews and rule sketches of two commercial four-handed chesses, rules for a couple of CVs, annotated games of Modern Courier Chess and Avalanche Chess, and reviews of two books. One of these is Li's kriegspiel book; the reviewer finds the book well-written, with excellent diagrams 'an entertaining introduction to the game'. The letter column includes a letter from Michael Muff of St. Paul MN claiming a forced win for Black in Giveaway Chess after every White move but 1. b3--and he still favours Black there. He says the analysis has been reviewed by a host of masters. Some of the endgames, at least as so far analysed, may be draws by the AISE rule that stalemate is a draw.
For more information and subscription rates see our VARIANT CHESS index page.
Always carry a grapefruit, Philip M. Cohen ((email removed contact us for address) .com)
January 1997, the people behind Variant Chess formed the British Chess Variants Society.
Backissues of Variant Chess can be obtained in two bound volumes:
Volume 1, issues 1-8, 1990-1992, 112 pages, A4, UK: £ 10, Europe/Rest of
the World (surface): £ 11,
Rest of the World (airmail): £ 13.
Volume 2, issues 9-20, 1993-1996, 224 pages, A4, UK: £ 17, Europe/Rest of
the World (surface): £ 18,
Rest of the World (airmail): £ 21.
Write to the address specified on our VARIANT CHESS index page.
Written by Philip M. Cohen, Hans L. Bodlaender and David Howe.
Last modified: May 5, 2001.