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Contest to design a 10-chess variant

Results of the finals

On a separate webpage, you can read more on the voting results of the finals. Here is the list of the 8 finalists, with the order. Many congratulations to Reinhard Scharnagl for winning the contest, and to Fergus Duniho and Mike Nelson for their positions in the top-3.

Introduction

The Chess Variant Pages have now existed for ten years! It was in early 1995 that assistent professor of computer science Hans Bodlaender started a small set of webpages with information on a few chess variants. Now, 10 years later, we have a large enthusiastic group of inventors, authors, editors, and players, and two domain names... Time for a celebration! Naturally, this must be celebrated in the manner fitting to this website: with a chess variant design contest!

Here are a few of the other contests held earlier:

This time, the contest is somewhat informal; there will be no prizes, but only honor for the winner.

The challenge

For this contest, there is no specific clear rule; only this: the game invented should be a chess variant, and somehow, the number 10 must play a role in the game. So, you could design a variant on a 10 square board; or on a board of 10 by 10 squares; with 10 different types of pieces; and if you think a little about it, you may have some other more creative ideas how the number 10 can play a role in the variant. So, this is the challenge for this contest:

Design a chess variant in which the number 10 plays a role.

Skip to rules

Competing entries - Main category

  1. 10-directional Chess, by Jörg Knappen.
  2. 10 Minute Melee, by Mason Green.
  3. AtTENdance Chess, by Erez Schatz.
  4. The Bermuda Chess Angle, by Gary K. Gifford.
  5. Caïssa Brittania, by Fergus Duniho.
  6. Camel and Rhino Chess, by Tony Quintanilla.
  7. Capablanca Random Chess, by Reinhard Scharnagl.
  8. Chariots, by David Jagger.
  9. Chess with Batteries, by Roberto Lavieri.
  10. Countdown, by Jared McComb.
  11. d10 Chess, by Bruce Leban.
  12. Decima, by Mike Nelson.
  13. Ecumenical Eurasian Ninjachess, by Charles Gilman.
  14. Eurasian Chess, by Fergus Duniho.
  15. Hexa Decimal, by Joost aan de Brugh.
  16. Ladder Shogi, by Mason Green.
  17. Magi, by Neal Meyer.
  18. Manchala Chess, by Dhruv Manchala.
  19. Monster Bluff Chess, by Dale Holmes.
  20. MORE10, by Roberto Lavieri.
  21. Odin's Rune Chess, by Gary K. Gifford.
  22. Opulent Chess, by Greg Strong.
  23. Salmon P. Chess, by Dale Holmes.
  24. Shatranj Kamil (64), by David Paulowich.
  25. Stack Chess, by Doug Chatham.
  26. TenCubed Chess, by David Paulowich.
  27. TRiPLiCiTY, by David Jagger.
  28. Wildeurasian Qi, by Charles Gilman.
  29. Yagbap, by Jared B. McComb.

Non-competing entries

  1. Franklin Grand Chess, by Ken Franklin.

Finalists

Apologies for the delay. The 8 finalists are now known: Congratulations to all designers of a game that made the finals! Due to contest organizers who were (too) busy with not chess variant related matters, the second round of voting was delayed. To speed things up, here are the revised rules for voting in the finals:

Results of the finals

On a separate webpage, you can read on the voting results of the finals. Here is the list of the 8 finalists, with the order. Many congratulations to Reinhard Scharnagl for winning the contest, and to Fergus Duniho and Mike Nelson for their positions in the top-3.

The Rules of the Metagame

Send a chess variant in which the number 10 plays in some way a role to [email deleted] before April 30, 2005.

You can also send entries on paper to Hans Bodlaender, Nedercamp 26, 3992 RP Houten, the Netherlands.

  1. When submitting your game to the contest, you give us an irrevocable right to publish your variant, without charge, on the Chess Variant Pages and its offline versions. Copyright remains with the author, and you keep the right for publication elsewhere. But you cannot ask to have your variant removed from the website, not for any reason, not even when you do not win the contest. Also, you give the Chess Variant Pages an irrevocable right to create and publish files and/or webpages that enable computer and online play of your variant, e.g. Zillions of Games Rules files, or play on the Game Courier.
  2. In your entry, you may, if you want, also include a few sample games, comments, etc.
  3. If you submit a game, you should send the description of the game (either in html, MS Word, or text-format, with or without added pictures), i.e., it is insufficient to have the game on your own website and send the URL.
  4. Hans Bodlaender is preliminary judge. Submissions to the contest that are not a chess variant, which does not feature the number 10 in any way, or are deemed unsuitable for publication on the Chess Variant Pages for other reasons will be rejected in a preliminary round. Other submissions will be published on The Chess Variant Pages.
  5. A participant may submit at most two competing entries.
  6. The best games will be selected by a two round poll of Chess Variant Pages readers. See Polling below.
  7. An entry having its own variants will have only its 'main variant' judged.
  8. We offer the following tips: Mention games that have inspired you. Write correct English, and be clear and complete in giving rules. You may assume familiarity with the rules of standard chess. (For instance, you can write sentences like: Knights move like in orthodox chess. The purpose of the game is to mate the opponent's General. Stalemated players lose the game.)

Polling

First round poll

  1. The first round of voting will take place from June 30 through September 15, 2005.
  2. All readers of The Chess Variant Pages may vote.
  3. Please, when voting, take into condideration: originality, playability, and how the number 10 plays a role in the variant!
  4. The voting rules can be found here.

Second Round Poll

  1. The second round of voting will take place from September 15 through October 15, 2005, in the same fashion except:
    1. The Maximize Affirmed Majorities version of the Condorcet method will select the winners.
  2. The top five games in the second round will be declared to have won the contest.
  3. There are no prizes to be won this time, but there will be an email interview with the designer of the best game, and each of these five games will have a special logo displayed on its webpage.

Prizes

This contest is just for fun and honour! The winner will be asked to give an email interview, and the winning games get a special logo displayed on their webpages.

Submission format

What else?

If you have questions or concerns, write to Hans Bodlaender (see the feedback page).

Written by Hans Bodlaender. Webpage posted: February 7, 2005. Last modified: December 27, 2005.