Exploring the horizons of chess: a journey through innovative Variants
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Chess variants arise from the change of one or more of its attributes or characteristics from standard Chess referring to: Rules (start, middle, end and for the entire game), type or number of pieces, board, number of participants and use of hidden or casual information.
List of the most popular Chess variants according to ChatGPT
| Standard Chess (Classical Chess)* | Horde Chess (Chess.com) |
| Rapid Chess | Janggi (Korean Chess) |
| Blitz Chess | Janus Chess |
| Bullet Chess | Jedi Knight chess |
| Chess960 (Fischer Random) | Jump chess |
| 4-Player Chess (Chess.com) | King of the Hill (Chess.com) |
| Active chess | Knightmare Chess |
| Alice Chess | Leaper Chess |
| Almost Chess | Losing Chess (Antichess) (Chess.com) |
| Andernach Chess | Makruk (Thai Chess) |
| Apocalypse | Mars Chess |
| Arimaa | Martian Chess |
| Atomic Chess (Chess.com) | Masonic Chess |
| Avalanche Chess | Metamorph Chess |
| Balbo's Game | Mini Chess |
| Baroque (Ultima) | Modern Chess |
| Bear chess | Mongol Chess |
| Benedict Chess | Monster Chess |
| Berolina Chess | Musketeer Chess |
| Bughouse(Tandem Chess) | N-Check Chess |
| Business chess | No Castling Chess |
| Cannon Chess (Jungle Chess) | Omega chess |
| Capablanca Chess | Panic Chess |
| Capablanca-Random Chess | Patrol Chess |
| Centaurs Chess | Pawnstorm Chess |
| Chameleon Chess | Pocket Knight Chess |
| Chancellor Chess | Pocket Mutation Chess |
| Chaturaji (Chaturanga for 4) | Pokémon Chess |
| Chaturanga (Indian)* | Pre-chess |
| Chess with Checkers (Chess.com) | Push Chess |
| Chessence | Pyramid Chess |
| Circular Chess | Quantum Chess |
| Courier Chess | Quatrochess |
| Crazyhouse (Chess.com) | Racing Kings (Chess.com) |
| Cubic Chess | Reflex Chess |
| Cylinder Chess | Reform Chess |
| Cylindrical Chess | Scorpio Chess |
| Decimal Chess | Seirawan Chess |
| Displacement chess | Sentinel Chess |
| Double Chess | Shako Chess |
| Double Move Chess | Shatranj (Chatrang, Persa Chess) |
| Dragonfly Chess | Shogi (Japanese Chess) |
| Duck Chess (Chess.com) | Sittuyin (Burmese Chess) |
| Duel Chess | Spartan chess |
| Dunsany’s Chess (Horde) | Spell Chess (Chess.com) |
| Embassy Chess | Super X Chess |
| Extinction Chess | Symmetry Chess |
| Falcon-Hunter Chess | Three Player Chess |
| Fantasy Chess | Three-Check Chess (Chess.com) |
| For of War (Chess.com) | Three-Man Chess |
| Fortress Chess | Torpedo chess |
| Forward Chess | Transporter Chess |
| Gemini Chess | Tri-chess |
| GigaChess | Tunnel Chess |
| Golden Chess | Way of the Knight |
| Gothic Chess | Wildebeest Chess |
| Grand Chess | Wolf Chess |
| Hero Chess | Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) |
| Hexagonal Chess (Glinski’s) | Yalta Chess |
| Hierarchical chess | Zonal Chess |
*Note: Classical Chess is a variant of Chaturanga (History of Chess Part 1)
Exploring and Verifying Variants
Research Sources:
ChatGPT 120 Most Popular Variants
990 Favorite Variants According to https://www.chessvariants.com/index/favorites.php
Wikipedia Groups Them by Type https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chess_variants
Google Play Store
Conclusions
The total number of chess variants is vast, with estimates varying considerably. Some records indicate that there are over 2,000 variants, but only a subset of these are widely known and played. The most popular variants tend to be documented in chess databases, specialized books, and websites dedicated to this type of game. It should be noted that not all variants are formally recorded or widely accepted, and many have been created in informal contexts or as experimental exercises.
The vast majority of variants lack simplicity and accessibility. Simple and easy-to-understand ideas have a higher chance of being adopted and spread, as they are more accessible to a wider audience. Successful innovations are not always those that introduce the most complex or extraordinary concepts, but those that solve a problem in a direct and effective way. Often, the most effective ideas are those that are "right under our noses" but are not considered because we are looking for something more complex or sophisticated.
This approach is especially relevant in business and management, where the implementation of practical and efficient solutions often has a greater impact than revolutionary ideas that are difficult to implement. The tendency to overcomplicate a variant in the hope of innovating is common in many fields, not just chess. However, as is well known, the most successful innovations are often those that solve problems in a simple and direct way, and are easy to adopt by a wide group of people. This is something that can be underestimated in the design of chess variants.
In general, more than 80% of innovations are made by "outsiders" or people who are not part of the dominant or established group within a sector. This phenomenon has been observed in various industries, including technology, science, sports and also applies to chess.
In chess, world champions and titled players have created many variants of the standard game and lately more and more thanks to artificial intelligence. (History of Chess Part 1 and Part 2) The vast majority of players explore new variants of the standard game with the help of technology to improve their performance.
Experts can be blinded by the old paradigm, besides being experts in their specialty, very few leave their comfort zone and put aside their interests, to divert their attention outside their specialty, the vast majority are focused on the continuous and competitive improvement of their professional career, etc.
Outsiders often bring new perspectives and approaches, driving the development and diversification of traditional practices. This pattern of innovation by outsiders highlights the importance of diversity of thought and the ability to see a problem or system from a new perspective, which is key to evolution and progress in any field. For example, Elon Musk was an outsider in all his businesses.
In short, the vast majority of chess variants come from enthusiasts and non-professional players, proving that creativity and innovation are not limited to experts. Many chess variants, as in other fields, do not apply the rule of simplicity and accessibility that is critical to widespread adoption and long-term success. Effective innovation does not always require complexity, but is often found in simplicity.
We ask ChatGPT - "List me all the chess variants that exist, where the King can move with all the moves of the other pieces (Pawn, Bishop, Knight and Rook)"
ChatGPT -"There are no commonly recognized chess variants in which the King can move with all the moves of the other pieces (Pawn, Bishop, Knight and Rook). Such a change would fundamentally alter the nature of the game, granting the King extraordinary power and potentially unbalancing the gameplay."
This research work of exploration, verification and conclusions of Chess Variants was carried out by @MasterMindV and @MasterChessFacu, both amateur players and great Chess enthusiasts, founding members of Global Citizens Club(241) on chess.com the World's Number 1 Chess Platform. August 29,2024
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