The Chess Variant Pages

Discover and Play Various Games Similar to Chess

Chess has its origins in the Arabian game of Shatranj, which goes back to the Indian game of Chaturanga.

It is also related to Xiangqi in China, to Janggi in Korea, and to Shogi in Japan.

Many games are inspired by or based on Chess and its relatives, all sharing common roots while differing in various ways.

Hectochess is our featured variant for November, 2023.

Thanks to computers and the internet, we may now play several of these games without physical boards or pieces.

Game Courier ChessV Zillions-of-Games Fairy-Max Computer Programs

This website – The Chess Variant Pages – is here for cataloging, discussing, and playing the many games that are based on, related to, or similar enough to Chess.