⚔️ New Variants 🛡️ You have to see it!
We welcome you to know all the Variants that exist on the platform. They are found by category, today it is very easy to access to play.
Each variant is created with a lot of professionalism and dedication, where multiple tests were carried out to obtain the best result. Each variant is thoroughly optimized to deliver a good experience and quality.
In recent times, I have been able to enjoy many new and highly exciting games. Take a look at this great variety, I'm sure you will find a great game!
MOST POPULAR
1.- Four Player Chess
The goal is to finish with the most points of any player.
- Checkmating an opponent: +20 points
- Stalemating yourself +20
- Capturing active (colored) pieces: pawns +1, knights +3, bishops +5, rooks +5, queens +9, kings +20,
- Checking two players simultaneously: +1
- Checking three players simultaneously: +5
Play 4 Player Chess: https://www.chess.com/variants/4-player-chess
2.- Chaturaji
Capture more pieces than your opponents and watch out for your king!
There are no checks or checkmates—instead, kings can be captured. Pawns promote to rooks (sailboats).
Play Chaturaji: https://www.chess.com/variants/chaturaji
FEATURED
1.- War for Throne
Build a great army of your kingdom and conquer the throne by taking the king to the top of the hill.
Pawns promote to a king on the 4th rank. Every player starts off with five lives and any player can checkmate all the remaining players by reaching the four central squares with a royal king. Checkmates are worth 40 points.
Play War for Throne: https://www.chess.com/variants/war-for-throne
2.- Gustav's Box
Find a way to checkmate your opponent and break through the stone wall enclosing the hill and the central battle on it.
Pawns promote on the 8th rank to a queen, rook, bishop or knight. Every player has 15 lives and any player can checkmate all the remaining players by reaching the four central squares with a royal king. Checkmates are worth 40 points.
Play Gustav's Box: https://www.chess.com/variants/gustavs-box
3.- King Safety
Get your king to safety, attacking your opponents' kings along the way.
Play King Safety: https://www.chess.com/variants/king-safety
4.- Thermopylae
The goal of red is to not let green get captured by zombie and capture the green's royal general. The goal of green is to either get captured by zombie or last for 70 moves, either of which results in winning the game.
Pawns promote on the 11th rank, to a queen, hawk, general, camel-rider, alibaba-rider or wildebeest. The goal of red is to firstly get rid of F-Checker zombie so it checks yellow Checker zombie and no longer poses threat to red via capturing green's king. Green on the other hand should try to build an impregnable fortress that red will not be able to penetrate within 70 moves. The gameplay revolves around this opposition of two forces, with red being ahead on material but down on time which results in dynamic gameplay.
Play Thermopylae: https://www.chess.com/variants/thermopylae
5.- Labyrinth 82
Every player starts off with eight lives, and upon death their pieces turn to stone. Pawns promote on the second rank to a bishop, rook, knight or queen.
Each player has an asymmetric, balanced position. The goal is to obtain the most points, mainly by capturing other players' pieces and checkmating them on occasion. The player with most points is usually able to come out victorious as the game proceeds.
Play Labyrinth 82: https://www.chess.com/variants/labyrinth
6.- Best Friends Forever
Promote your pawns, fight for space, and try to land three checks to your opponents.
Pawns promote on the 7th rank to grasshopper, ferz or wazir, with red and green forming a team against blue and yellow. Each player starts off three checks. The gameplay revolves around fighting for material and partially space, with the first player to land three checks being victorious.
Play Best Friends Forever: https://www.chess.com/variants/best-friends-forever
7.- Collateral Worlds
Defend on your kingside flank, and attack on the other flank.
Pawns promote to a knight on the 5th rank. Upon getting checkmated, player's king and pawns turn to stone while other pieces change color to the mating player's one.
Play Collateral Worlds: https://www.chess.com/variants/collateral-worlds
8.- Grasshopper Arena
Pawns promote to grasshoppers. Checkmate enemy's kings while not getting mated yourself.
Play Grasshopper Arena: https://www.chess.com/variants/arena-of-grasshoppers
FFA VARIANTS
1.- Arena of Legends
Build a fairy army and make threats to win material and the game.
Pawns promote to a wildebeest, hawk or elephant on the third rank. Upon reaching the four central squares with the royal piece, you checkmate all the remaining players.
Play Arena of Legends: https://www.chess.com/variants/arena-of-legends
2.- Battle of Castles
Build your fairy army by promoting pawns and start attacking the other players.
Pawns promote on the third rank to a general, wildebeest, alibaba-rider or grasshopper. Every player has five lives, and their royal and pawns turn to stone upon being checkmated, with other pieces changing color to the mating player's one. Upon reaching the hill with the royal piece, you checkmate all other remaining players.
Play Battle of Castles: https://www.chess.com/variants/battle-of-the-castles
3.- Behind the Scenes
Be the first one to checkmate all opponents or reach the hill.
Pawns promote on the 8th rank to a 9-point queen. Upon reaching the four central squares with a royal piece you checkmate all the remaining players, with checkmates being worth 40 points each.
Play Behind the Scenes: https://www.chess.com/variants/behind-the-scenes
4.- BlindGold
Claim the hill and bring your royal over to checkmate everyone.
Pawns promote to a knight. Upon reaching the four central squares with your royal piece, you checkmate all the remaining players. The games are always blindfolded, which means you cannot see pieces.
Play BlindGold: https://www.chess.com/variants/blindgold
5.- Chaturdrez
Develop pieces and keep your structure solid as you build your bridge to the high-top hill.
Pawns promote to a rook on the 10th rank; pawns can also move one square sideways. Any player can checkmate another player by exhausting their 12 lives, or checkmate all the remaining players by reaching the four central squares with their royal.
Play Chaturdrez: https://www.chess.com/variants/chaturdrez
6.- Color Blinds
Establish defense around your royal camel, and start advancing towards other players.
Pawns promote to a camel, grasshoppe or alibaba on the 8th rank. Every player has five lives, and to deliver a checkmate the royal piece has to be captured. Upon checkmating a player, all of their pieces but pawns and royal piece are converted to your color. All games are ghost-boarded by default, which means you do not see clocks, checks and board.
Play Color Blinds: https://www.chess.com/variants/color-blinds
7.- Glass Labyrinth
With each player having different armies, checkmate those who hinder your advancements and claim the hill.
Pawns promote to a king, grasshopper or knight on the 4th rank. Every players has five or seven lives, and any player can checkmate all the remaining players by reaching the four central squares with a royal piece.
Play Glass Labyrinth: https://www.chess.com/variants/glass-labyrinth
8.- Phalanx
Keep your position solid and bring out the pieces that dwell within the back ranks.
There is no pawn promotion. Pawns can always move sideways. Points for a stalemate are shared between the remaining players. Any player can checkmate all the remaining players by reaching the four central squares with their royal, in addition to being able to mate individual players by having them checked five times. Capturing pieces of the player opposite to you while four players are alive will give you quadruple the points that piece is worth.
Play Phalanx: https://www.chess.com/variants/phalanx
9.- Sergeants Laboratory
Raise a barricade against your left-flank player, and push your army forward to obtain a material advantage,
Pawns promote to a camel or knight on the 8th rank. Every player has five lives, and any player can win by reaching the four central squares with a royal piece. While all the four players are alive, you obtain twice more points for capturing the pieces of your opposite.
Play Sergeants Laboratory: https://www.chess.com/variants/sergeants-laboratory
10.- Surprise Attack
Grow your spatial advantage and start to attack the other players.
Pawns promote to a rook, bishop, general or wildebeest on the 8th rank. Upon reaching the four central squares with the royal piece, you checkmate all the remaining players.
Play Surprise Attack: https://www.chess.com/variants/surprise-attack
11.- The Four Horsemen
Promote your pawns to camel-riders until you checkmate your opposite, and focus all forces on delivering a checkmate to your opposite.
Pawns promote to a knight-rider or a camel-rider on the 11th rank. Every player starts off with four checks and any player can checkmate all the remaining players by reaching the four central squares with a royal piece.
Play The Four Horsemen: https://www.chess.com/variants/the-four-horsemen
12.- The Hive
Fight for spatial advantage, infiltrate with rooks and try to promote your pawns.
Pawns promote to a rook on the 7th rank. Every player has five lives and any player can checkmate all the remaining players by reaching the four central squares with a royal piece.
Play The Hive: https://www.chess.com/variants/the-hive
13.- The Triune Wasp
All pieces except pawns die when they capture. Fight for a spatial advantage and keep your pawns safe.
Pawns promote on the 11th rank to a rook or bishop. Pawns can always move two squares forward or move sideways. All pieces except pawns die and turn to stone when they capture. Players' pieces turn to stone when they resign or timeout, except for their royal. Any player can checkmate all the remaining players by reaching the four central squares with their royal. Checkmates are worth 40 points.
Play The Triune Wasp: https://www.chess.com/variants/the-triune-wasp
14.- Throne War Mini
Build a great army of your kingdom and conquer the throne by taking the king to the top of the hill.
Pawns promote to a king on the 5th rank. Every player has five lives and any player can checkmate all the remaining players by reaching the four central squares with a royal king.
Play Throne War Mini: https://www.chess.com/variants/throne-war-mini
15.- Unique
Try to stay flexible in terms of option, so that you may checkmate any player, quickly rush for the hill or stalemate yourself in the two-player stage.
Pawns promote to a ferz or wazir on the 14th rank. Every player has five lives and any player can win by reaching the four central squares with a royal piece.
Play Unique: https://www.chess.com/variants/unique
16.- Unison
Construct a fortress around your royal and use your strategic skills to undermine the positions of your opponents.
Pawns promote to a general on the 10th rank; pawns also can move sideways and cannot capture via en passant. There are no zombies in game, with any player being able to pass a move at any time. While all the four players are alive, you gain thrice more points for capturing pieces of your opposite. Having your royal piece bared results in a forfeit.
Play Unison: https://www.chess.com/variants/unison
TEAM VARIANTS
1.- Blind Box
With red and blue forming a team against yellow and green, get a taste of good old chess along with new enhancements and features
Pawns promote on the 9th rank, to queen, rook, bishop or knight. Win by checkmating your opponent or by reaching the four central squares with your king. This variant of chess encompasses almost all the elements of the beloved game, yet adds more dynamism while not discarding positional play.
Play Blind Box: https://www.chess.com/variants/blind-box
2.- Castle on a Hill
Gameplay begins with the Red player. Clockwise move order: Red, Blue, Yellow, Green.
Your teammate is the player across from you.
You cannot capture your teammate's pieces.
Pawns promote on the 3rd rank.
Checkmate only happens when the checkmated player's turn is reached.
The first team to checkmate an enemy player wins!
Stalemate is a draw.
A player that resigns or times out on their first move will lose some rating, and the game will be aborted.
A disconnected player has 60 seconds to reconnect before being forfeit on time.
Rightclick+drag to draw arrows. Your teammate can see your arrows and you can see theirs!
Click anywhere on the board to clear the arrows. Shift+click to clear only your own arrows.
Play Castle on a Hill: https://www.chess.com/variants/castle-on-a-hill
3.- Detour
Red and green form a team against blue and yellow, break through to hill or checkmate your opponents.
Pawns promote on the 12th rank to a rook, bishop, knight, grasshopper, camel or king. Players win by checkmating their opponents or by reaching four central squares with a royal piece. The gameplay largely revolves around breaking through obstacles and freeing pieces, to advance towards the hill or checkmate the opponents.
Play Detour: https://www.chess.com/variants/detour
4.- Euler's Game
Each player starts off with seven checks, checkmate your opponents or bring your royal rook to the center to win.
Pawn promotion is disabled. Every player has seven lives, and any player can win by reaching the four central squares with a royal piece. You can also win by getting stalemated by enemies and/or your teammate.
Play Euler's Game: https://www.chess.com/variants/eulers-game
5.- Find the Path
Red and green form a team against blue and yellow, with only pawns of blue and green being able to promote.
Pawns promote on the second rank to a general, wildebeest, grasshopper, hawk or elephant. Players can win by checkmating their opponents or by reaching the center with their kings. Gameplay is highly transpositional, unique and intense, seemingly simple yet very deep. If you strive for a befuddling yet exciting variant, this game is the perfect choice.
Play Find the Path: https://www.chess.com/variants/find-the-path
6.- Golden Ratio
Red and green form a team against blue and yellow. Bring your hawk and other teammate's pieces over to defeat your opponent.
Pawns promote on the 11th rank, to a wildebeest, knight-rider, queen, hawk, general, or elephant. The gameplay is reminiscent of standard chess' one, but with crucial difference being quick attacks from the teammate and difficulty of launching attack for player with standard armies due to the rooks beyond back rank. As such, this game offers a completely new gameplay one may like.
Play Golden Ratio: https://www.chess.com/variants/golden-ratio
7.- Inferno
Having each piece being color-blind, you should find a vital balance between defending and attacking.
Pawns promote on the 9th rank to a camel-rider, alibaba-rider, bishop or wazir. You win by stalemating or checkmating your opponents. Given that each piece is color-bound, you should put a huge emphasis on defence so that you can defend before launching an unstoppable attack. Game incorporates elements of planning and pawn promotion well enough too.
Play Inferno: https://www.chess.com/variants/inferno
8.- Salvation Bastions
Pawns can always move two squares forward. Be the first one to land a checkmate sequence.
Pawns promote on the 11th rank, originally obstructed by your teammate's pawn row. Initial piece placement encourages swift attacks, so make sure to keep an eye on your king during openings and middlegames. The game however does offer a great variety of imbalances, and positional struggles as well as closed positions which makes it a mix between standard teams and standard chess one may like.
Play Salvation Bastions: https://www.chess.com/variants/salvation-bastions
9.- Storming the Castle
Fight for the space, infiltrate into the opponent's territory, claim the castle and do everything you can to not let your enemies do the same.
The game starts off with two fully asymmetric armies, with red and blue forming a team against yellow and green. The goal of red and blue team is to infiltrate into castle to take advantage from their superior development and more space, and close the position to take over the fortress. The goal of yellow and green counters that, to open the position and unwind from spatial and developmental disadvantage.
Play Storming the Castle: https://www.chess.com/variants/storming-the-castle
10.- Together
Win the pawn promotion race to have your opponents domineered by your mighty queens.
Red and green form a team against blue and yellow, with each player having five checks. You win by landing all five checks or checkmating your opponents. The gameplay revolves around trying to speedily promote your pawns and crush your opponents. The gameplay is dynamic, fast-paced and games overall do not last long on such a small board.
Play Together: https://www.chess.com/variants/together
11.- Warp Speed
Each king starts off with five checks. Be the first one to checkmate your opponents or reach four central squares with king.
Your reserve pawns promote on the 11th rank to a queen or grasshopper, with main struggle taking place in center. Make sure to watch the knight-riders and not let your king get checkmated in a smothered mate. You should either checkmate your opponent or reach the hill with a king to secure victory for your team.
Play Warp Speed: https://www.chess.com/variants/warp-speed
MOST POPULAR | 2 PLAYER CHESS
1.- Fog of War
Your goal is to capture the enemy king.
Players can only see the squares to which their pieces can legally move to.
Play Fog of War: https://www.chess.com/variants/fog-of-war
2.-Horde
White has a horde of pawns and wins by checkmating Black. Black wins by taking all of White's pawns (and promoted pieces).
Pawns can jump 2 squares from the first and second ranks.
Play Horde: https://www.chess.com/variants/horde
3.-Racing Kings
A player wins when their king reaches the eighth rank. Checks are not allowed. Black can draw the game if they reach the eighth rank immediately after White.
Play Racing Kings: https://www.chess.com/variants/racing-kings
4.- XXL Chess
Pawns promote to a queen on the 8th rank.
Play XXL Chess: https://www.chess.com/variants/xxl-chess
5.- Paradigm Chess30
Dragon bishops combine the movement of xiangqi horse (not jumping over pieces) and a regular bishop.
Try out this fiery variant created by Lourenzo van Niekerk and Craig Willenberg.
Play XXL Chess: https://www.chess.com/variants/xxl-chess
6.- Amazon Jungle
The winner is the player with most points. Obtain enough points to claim win or checkmate your opponent.
Pawns promote on the 8th rank, to a hawk, elephant or wildebeest. The goal of the game constitutes winning the most points while keeping material on board and attacking the royal grasshopper of your opponent.
Play Amazon Jungle: https://www.chess.com/variants/amazon-jungle-fight
7.- Mini Forest
Obtain an endgame advantage to convert it into points and a win respectively.
Pawns promote to a bishop, dabbaba, alfil, camel, grasshopper or ferz on the 8th rank. To deliver a checkmate, the opponent's king must be captured. The scoring system is points, meaning you have to obtain more points than your opponent.
Play Mini Forest: https://www.chess.com/variants/mini-forest
8.- Chaturanga
The ancient form of chess. Win by checkmating or taking all of the enemy pieces.
There are a few different pieces: the counselor (or ferz) replaces the queen and can move only one square diagonally. The elephant (or alfil) replaces the bishop and can hop two squares diagonally. The chariot moves like a rook. Pawns can only move one square at a time and there is no castling.
Play Chaturanga: https://www.chess.com/variants/chaturanga
9.- Gothic Chess
Two new pieces are added to this game played on a 10x8 chessboard.
The chancellor can move like a knight or a rook. The Archbishop can move like a knight or a bishop. To castle, the king moves three squares to either side, and must be dropped on the rook.
Play Gothic Chess: https://www.chess.com/variants/gothic-chess
10.- Courier Chess
Each player's army gets four extra unorthodox pieces.
The man moves like the king but can be captured. The ferz replaces the queen, but moves only one square diagonally. The wazir moves orthogonally one square. The alfil (or elephant) moves two squares diagonally and leaps over pieces. Pawns can only move one square up and there's no castling.
Play Courier Chess: https://www.chess.com/variants/courier-chess
11.- Infiltration Danger
Attack your opponent and try to deliver a checkmate.
Play Infiltration Danger: https://www.chess.com/variants/infiltration-danger
12.- Sergeant's Checkers
Reach the hill while advancing your pawns as far as possible.
Pawns promote to a king on the 13th rank. You checkmate your opponent by reaching the four central squares with the royal piece, the scoring system being points. Giving checks is not allowed.
Play Sergeant's Checkers: https://www.chess.com/variants/sergeants-checkers
13.- Stone Gravitation
Aim for a pawn breakthrough or winning opponent's pieces by force, make sure to calculate in advance.
Play Stone Gravitation: https://www.chess.com/variants/stone-gravitation
14.- The X of Tricks
Out-calculate your opponent in tactical complications to grab the victory.
Pawns promote to a wildebeest, camel-rider, knight-rider or grasshopper on the 6th rank. Every player has seven lives. The scoring system is points, obtain more points than your opponent to win the game. In order to checkmate, the kings have to be captured, with checkmates being worth 40 points.
Play The X of Tricks: https://www.chess.com/variants/the-x-of-tricks
15.- Trapped Queens
Free the queen, and try to checkmate the enemy king.
Play Trapped Queens: https://www.chess.com/variants/trapped-queens
16.- Villagers Chess
Push the rook's pawn forward to attack opponent and defend yourself from such an assault
Pawns promote on the 8th rank to a rook, bishop, knight or king. Soldiers move and capture one square forward only, sergeants capture and move in all three forward directions.
Play Villagers Chess: https://www.chess.com/variants/villagers-chess
17.- Villagers Chess II
Develop your knights and unleash the power of rooks to get a winning advantage.
Pawns promote to an elephant, hawk, knight-rider or general on the 8th rank. Checkmate the opponent's royal pawn to win the game.
Play Villagers Chess II: https://www.chess.com/variants/villagers-chess-ii
18.- Behind the Mirror
On each flank you have a non-royal king and a royal one. Keep your royal king safe, and use non-royal to assist mating your opponent.
Each player starts off with five checks. Pawns promote on the 11th rank, to a queen, rook, bishop or knight. Each player owns two flanks, a defensive and an attacking one respectively.
Play Behind the Mirror: https://www.chess.com/variants/behind-the-mirror
19.- Seirawan Chess
Each player has two extra pieces in their piece bank. The elephant combines the movements of rook and knight, the hawk of bishop and knight. When a piece is moved for the first time, the elephant or hawk can be placed on the vacated square, as part of the move. Pawns can be promoted to an elephant or a hawk.
Play Seirawan Chess: https://www.chess.com/variants/seirawan-chess
20.- Cross Derby
Claim the central and flank space with your pawns, and keep an eye out on your king with it being maximally vulnerable and enclosed.
Pawns promote to a knight on the 8th rank. Checkmate or stalemate your opponent to win the game.
Play Cross Derby: https://www.chess.com/variants/cross-derby
21.- Setup Chess
Before the game players set up their pieces and pawns, one by one. Each player has 39 material points to spend. Pieces can be placed on the first 3 ranks, pawns on the 2nd and 3rd ranks.
Play Setup Chess: https://www.chess.com/variants/setup-chess
22.- Duck Chess
The duck is a brick, pieces cannot move through the square occupied by the duck. However, knights can jump over the duck. Each player’s turn has 2 steps: After moving a piece, the duck must be moved to an empty square. There is no check or checkmate. Capture the opponent’s king to win.
Play Duck Chess: https://www.chess.com/variants/duck-chess
23.- Crazy House
Captured pieces are added to your piece bank and can be dropped on an empty square.
Play Crazy House: https://www.chess.com/variants/crazyhouse
Let me know in the comments, which is your favorite variant.
⚔️ See you in the next battle!
Top Player FFA Rapid | ELO 2700 | año 2023