Chess (Variant) Graphics by Jean Louis Cazaux

Jean Louis Cazaux, author of a forthcoming book on chess variants (in French) and one of the editors of the Chess Variant Pages website made the graphics used for his book available. Specifically, you can find here many images of fairy chess pieces. You can download the entire file:

• piecejlc.zip

Below, you can see a selection of these graphics in a `catalogue of chess pieces'.

Piece Catalogue

Unless specified, pieces capture as they move.

Pawns and other steppers

• Pawn (Orthodox): moves 1 square straight-ahead. Captures 1 case diagonally ahead.
• Berolina Pawn: moves 1 case diagonally ahead. Captures 1 straight ahead.
• Lance: moves 1 square ahead straight or diagonally. Captures only straight ahead.
• Sergeant: moves and captures 1 square ahead straight or diagonally. Also called Complete Pawn.
• Fish: improved Pawn, can also step back 1 case without capturing.
• Fusilier: moves 1 case orthogonally and captures 1 case diagonally. Also called Super-Pawn.
• General or Fers: steps 1 case diagonally.
• Governor or Wazir: steps 1 case orthogonally.
• King: moves 1 case orthogonally or diagonally.
• Prince: same as a King but without royal privilege (can be placed in « prise »).

Riders

• Rook: slides any number orthogonally.
• Bishop: slides any number diagonally.
• Queen: slides any number diagonally or orthogonally. Queen = Rook + Bishop.
• Hunter: slides on 3 directions: straight-ahead as a Rook or diagonally backward as a Bishop.
• Falcon: slides on 3 directions: diagonally forward as a Bishop or straight backward as a Rook.

Leapers

• Elephant or Alfil: jumps diagonally at 2 squares.
• Catapult or Dabbaba: jumps orthogonally at 2 squares.
• Lion: jumps orthogonally at 3 in the Grande Ajedrez. It is different from the Lion at the Chu Shogi.
• Knight: jumps obliquelly at the opposite case of a 2x3 rectangle.
• Camel: jumps obliquelly at the opposite case of a 2x4 rectangle.
• Giraffe: jumps obliquelly at the opposite case of a 2x5 rectangle.
• Nightrider: rides by successive Knight jumps.
• Rose: executes successive Knight jumps following a circular move.
• Castle: jumps at 2 cases orthogonally, diagonally and hippogonally (like a Knight). Also called Squirrel.
• Gnu: combines the moves of Knight and Camel.
• Paratrooper: combines the moves of Knight, Camel and Zebra (a 3x4 leaper).
• Day: jumps to nay case of the board except those it could reach if it were a Knight.

Combined riders-leapers

• Marshall: combines Rook + Knight.
• Cardinal: combines Bishop + Knight.
• Amazon: combines Queen + Knight.
• Night Amazo: combines Queen + Nightrider.

Combined steppers-leapers

• Modern Elephant: combines Alfil + Fers. Used in Shako, Tamerlan II, etc.
• Modern Machine: combines Wazir + Dabbaba. (Used in Congo under the name of Elephant!)
• Champion: combines Wazir + Dabbaba + Alfil. Used in Omega Chess.
• Squire: combines Modern Elephant + Modern Machine.
• Unicorn: combines Fers + Dabbaba.
• Prince-Elephant: also named WFA by Betza. Combines Wazir + Fers + Alfil. That is Prince + Elephant.
• Page: combines Knight + Prince.
• Wizard: combines Fers + Camel. Used in Omega Chess.

Pieces with successive moves

• Griffin: moves diagonally 1 case then slides away any number orthogonally. He can advance 1 step diagonally only. Never jump.
• Ship: moves diagonally 1 case then slides away any number vertically (never horizontally). He can advance 1 step diagonally only. Never jump.
• Count: moves diagonally 1 case then slides away any number orthogonally or slides first any number orthogonally then steps 1 case diagonally. He cannot advance 1 step diagonally only. Never jump.
• Duke: moves orthogonally 1 case then slides away any number diagonally or slides first any number diagonally then steps 1 case orthogonally. He cannot advance 1 step orthogonally only. Never jump.
• Lion (Chu Shogi): moves twice as a King in a single turn. Can change direction, can go back and forth (hence not moving) for these two steps. Can capture at each step, then can take twice in a turn, can take on a first case and go an adjacent one, can take on an adjacent case and get back on the starting square. Can jump over an occupied square. Used in Chu Shogi.

Hoppers

• Cannon: moves like a Rook but needs to jump an intermediate piece to capture.
• Vao: moves like a Bishop but needs an intermediate piece to capture.
• Leo: combines Cannon + Vao.
• Grasshoppers.