Check out Balbo's Chess, our featured variant for October, 2024.

This page is written by the game's inventor, Roger Cooper.

Random Pieces

This variant is played the same as standard chess, except for the initial setup. It is played as a match of 20 games. Each player receives a number of pieces equal in value to the game number (so the first game is played with King & Pawn on each side, while the fifth game might be King & Rook vs. King & Bishop & 2 Pawns). The men used in each game are selected by rolling a die.

Roll

Man

Value

1

Pawn

1

2

Knight

3

3

Bishop

3

4

Rook

5

5

Queen

9

6

3 Pawns

 

If you have 1 or 2 points left, you automatically receive them in Pawns. Reroll if you already have all the normally available men of that type.

The men are placed in the initial starting squares for men of that type, randomly selected. White's first move can't be a check or cross the fourth rank. Of course, a King is always received.

This variant works well for human vs. computer play.


Written by Roger Cooper.
WWW page created: November 27, 1999.